Imagine a snowball rolling downhill. You might need a certain size, shape, and compactness in your snowball to get it rolling in the first place, but once you get it rolling, it gains momentum and gravity does a lot of the work. Depending on the height you start from and the slope of the hill, the snowball will get bigger and bigger, and harder to control, until it reaches the bottom.
Just like an online video that goes viral, the snowball effect can be positive or negative. If it’s about something you want attention for, like a product or service, it’s great. If it’s something you’d prefer to downplay, like a customer complaint, it;s not so great.
Good or bad, the bigger your snowball is, and the more it gains momentum, the harder it is to stop.
Are you seeing a snowball effect? How does it work? How can you encourage “good” snowballs and avoid “bad” ones?
See also: Flywheel, Virtuous cycle, Doom loop, Cycle, Momentum, Escape velocity.
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