Momentum Needs A Catalyst

Momentum needs a catalyst. No exceptions.

Most people think they have an energy problem. They're working harder, staying later, pushing against invisible walls. The truth is simpler and more brutal: they have a catalyst problem.

You're treading water - exerting maximum energy while getting nowhere. There's nothing to push against, no surface to grip, no leverage to create forward motion.

Physics is stubborn. The laws of the universe don’t change because we’re frustrated or because we’ve been trying for so long. Without traction or a catalyst, you’re stuck.

An object at rest stays at rest until acted upon (no exceptions). 

If it’s true for planets and particles, it’s also true for projects and people. 

You can't hustle around gravity or dream your way past inertia. You either find a catalyst, or you stay stuck.

The Catalyst Law

Since no object moves itself, something must strike, pull, or disrupt it. This law of motion governs our projects as much as it governs matter. 

One project rockets to success while another “identical” project dies in development hell. The difference isn’t talent, timing, or luck, it’s the ability to identify a catalyst.

A film producer sees a stuck project, so they become or find a catalyst to generate momentum, gravity, or force. 

This rarely requires more willpower or energy. It's about understanding and alignment. Catalysts aren't about working harder. They're about working with physics instead of against it.

In physics, a catalyst lowers the energy needed to start a reaction. In filmmaking, it could be a bigger goal, or a partner or system that lowers the friction to act. 

Once the object starts moving, the law takes over and the momentum sustains itself for a time. 

Carrying The Spark

Almost a year ago, I started fundraising for Producer Fund I. Initially, I created the object’s structure, format, system, andarchitecture. There was no motion, only mass. 

I built the machine, but I forgot the critical component: the catalyst to set it in motion.

I started carrying a spark, actively seeking a catalyst. I presented the project to person after person, not pitching or begging, but testing. Who catches fire? Who sees what you see and feels compelled to act?

I sat across from a new acquaintance and his daughter at lunch, as they requested an opportunity for her to ask questions of a seasoned filmmaker. At 16, she had just completed a short film and wanted to know what to do next.

At the end of the hour, after answering all her questions, the father turned to me and asked what I was working on. I told him about Producer Fund I.

What happened next was a chemical reaction. He offered his home, time, and network. He invited me to a “pie night”with about 25 friends and neighbors. A month later, I stood in his house answering questions and gathering interest. 

The catalyst was found. For two months, I barely had to push. The momentum carried itself.

But it wasn’t frictionless from there. The fundraising stalled over the summer, and I learned the hardest lesson about catalysts: they don’t last forever. Without new sources of activation energy, even the strongest momentum eventually dies.

I blamed it on summer schedules, kids home from school, and scattered attention. That's the story we tell ourselves when we've lost our catalyst and don't want to admit it.

But by September, with school back in session and my time reclaimed, I found a new catalyst, a friend with a project that aligned perfectly with the fund, igniting the fire and creating a new chemical reaction to advance the fund. 

The difference was stark. What had been struggle became flow. What had been pushing became pulling. That’s the power of a catalyst that creates forward motion and momentum. 

The Emotional Trap

We worship the myth of the self-starter. The bootstrapper who needs nothing and no one. The creative genius who wills success into existence through pure determination.

Physics doesn't care about your mythology or hustle. The laws simply are.

Most creators mistakenly think it's a passion problem. If I just wanted it more, if I cared harder, if I believed stronger, it would happen. This emotional thinking tries to override physical law.

Others fall into the opposite trap: If I build it, they will come. Both beliefs ignore the fundamental requirement for external force.

You can sit and wait forever to feel motivated, but it won’t happen. Emotions aren’t a catalyst; they’re part of the reaction. 

No amount of internal energy can substitute for an external catalyst. You don't need more motivation. You need to stop fighting physics and start using it to your advantage.

In every industry, the same pattern emerges. The most successful creators aren't the most passionate. They're the most systematic about finding and activating catalysts.

Which force will YOU allow to act on you? A bigger goal? A new connection or partner who makes motion inevitable?

The universe isn’t biased toward your success, but it isn’t biased against it either. 

The law is neutral and can be activated by anyone. Apply force, get motion.

Most projects fail not from lack of talent, but from the inability to identify and find the needed catalyst.

Your project isn't broken. It's not cursed. It's not ahead of its time or behind the trends.

It's waiting for the right catalyst.

An object at rest stays at rest until acted upon. 

Stop pushing. Start seeking.

Find your catalyst, or stay stuck forever.