势 — Strategic Momentum Model

SKILL.md

---
name: shi-momentum
description: "Activate when: user says 'we need to pick up speed', 'why aren't we getting traction', 'when should we scale / raise / launch', 'our efforts feel scattered', or 'are we ready to grow'; entering a new market or venture; post-pivot phase reassessment; pre-investment readiness check.
  Do NOT activate when: the team already has a functioning growth engine and needs purely operational optimization; the time horizon is under 90 days and the question is tactical execution only."
---

# 势 — Strategic Momentum Model

## Overview

势 (shì) is the propensity of a situation to evolve in a direction — a wave you read and ride, not power you exert. The five phases (蓄势→谋势→借势→得势→造势) are sequential; skipping one creates fragile momentum that reverses. The universal failure mode: mistaking activity for momentum, or attempting 造势 before achieving 得势.

**Skill composition:** Use AFTER [second-order-thinking] to trace downstream consequences of phase transitions. Use WITH [s-curve-technology-adoption] to confirm the macro wave exists. Use BEFORE [okr-goal-setting] to set stage-appropriate goals.

## When to Use

- Entering a new market or venture; efforts feel scattered; founder asks "when do we scale / raise / launch?"
- Post-pivot reassessment; pre-investment phase mapping

**When NOT to use:** optimizing an already well-functioning 造势 phase; purely operational decisions; time horizon under 90 days; organization has no control over macro environment.

## Coaching Novices (Adaptive Front Door)

- **Engine mode:** user has a concrete case → run The Process directly.
- **Coach mode:** user is unfamiliar → guide step by step.

In Coach mode, respond one step at a time. Each [WAIT] is a hard stop — output only that step's question, then stop.

1. **One-line what-it-is:** "势 is five sequential momentum stages — storing, planning, leveraging, obtaining, amplifying — each with a defining activity and exit condition."
2. **Check fit:** "Are you wondering why momentum isn't building, or unsure whether you're ready to scale?"
3. **Elicit real case:** "Tell me about the venture or initiative. What phase do you think you're in right now, and why?"
> **[WAIT — do not advance until user responds]**
4. **Run The Process one step at a time** starting with Phase 1 diagnosis only.
> **[WAIT — do not advance until user responds]**
5. **Close:** "You now have a Momentum Phase Map — what to do THIS month, what to stop, and which macro wave you'll ride."
> **[WAIT — do not advance until user responds]**

## The Process

**Output artifact:** Momentum Phase Map | **Gate rule:** Answer each gate with specific, observable evidence — not aspirations.

**Step 1 — Diagnose current phase** (assign ONE only)

| Phase | Defining Activity | Evidence Required |
|---|---|---|
| 蓄势 Store | Capability building; patient waiting | 3+ specific capabilities being built now |
| 谋势 Plan | Forward insight; seeking partners | Differentiating insight + ≥1 committed partner |
| 借势 Leverage | Riding a macro wave | Named macro trend with exponential trajectory evidence |
| 得势 Obtain | Focus discipline; less is more | Specific evidence of compounding returns |
| 造势 Amplify | Resonance events; transmission | 3+ live amplification channels already generating signal |

**Gate 1:** "We are in [phase] because [specific evidence]." Cannot complete it → 蓄势 by default.

**Step 2 — Name the defining activity for your current phase.** Gate 2: Is it on your calendar this week?
**Step 3 — Write a falsifiable exit criterion** (e.g., 蓄势→谋势: others reach inferior conclusions from the same data). Gate 3: One falsifiable sentence.
**Step 4 — Identify your 借势 source:** macro trend name + exponential trajectory evidence + 3 monitoring signals.
**Step 5 — Map 3 造势 channels:** each with a concrete action and timeline.

**Stop-rule:** No concrete Gate 1 evidence → aspiration, not 势. Return to 蓄势.

### Output: Momentum Phase Map

```
Momentum Phase Map — [Entity] — [Date]
Phase: [蓄/谋/借/得/造势] | Evidence: [observable] | Activity This Week: [one sentence]
Exit Criterion: [falsifiable sentence]
借势: [trend] | Trajectory: [data] | Signals: 1) 2) 3)
造势: 1)[channel→action→date] 2)... 3)...  | Mismatch warning: [later-phase activities to stop]
```

*→ Method in Action: [Amazon's Strategic Momentum, 1994–2007](examples/amazon-strategic-momentum-1994-2007.md)*

## Momentum Packs

| Pack | Key Phase Trap |
|---|---|
| Tech Startups | Building product before understanding the problem (蓄势 incomplete); expanding too early (得势 skipped) |
| Career | Networking before having anything rare to offer (蓄势); waiting indefinitely to publish (造势 delayed) |
| Policy | Amplifying before the change is consolidated (premature 造势) |

## Applying It Well

1. Diagnose with evidence, not self-image. If the macro wave benefits any competitor equally, you are not in 借势.
2. The 借势 wave does not wait — monitor the S-curve slope, not just trend direction.
3. 得势 requires courage to refuse scope expansion ("少就是多" is a phase-specific discipline).
4. 造势 without 得势 is PR debt. Authentic resonance compounds; manufactured resonance decays.

*→ Primary sources: [references/sources.md](references/sources.md)*

## Common Rationalizations

**[D] = designed upfront | [O] = observed in real use. [O] entries are more valuable.**

| Fake move | Reality |
|---|---|
| [D] "We're building momentum by doing more activities." | Activity volume is not 势. More activity in the wrong phase dissipates momentum. |
| [D] "We're in 借势 because the market is growing." | 借势 requires your specific capability to match the wave. Floating ≠ leveraging. |
| [D] "We'll do 造势 now to create demand for an unfinished product." | 造势 before 得势 amplifies the gap between promise and delivery, destroying trust. |
| [D] "We've been in 蓄势 for three years — we deserve to launch." | 蓄势 has an exit criterion, not a time quota. |
| [D] "Our partners are excited, so we must be in 谋势." | Excitement without a specific insight others lack is still 蓄势. |
| [D] "We can skip 得势 because we have funding." | Funding changes runway, not phase. 造势 budget in 谋势 accelerates failure. |
| *→ Add [O] entries here after each real use — paste the actual failure pattern* | *What went wrong and why* |

## Red Flags

- Team can articulate 造势 plan but cannot name the macro wave they are riding
- Marketing campaigns running while product has fundamental retention problems
- "We're in all phases simultaneously" — no phase discipline
- 蓄势 period over 3 years without a crystallized insight advantage

## Verification

- [ ] Current phase identified with specific observable evidence (not aspiration)
- [ ] Defining activity is on the team's weekly calendar; exit criterion is falsifiable
- [ ] 借势 macro wave named with exponential trajectory evidence + 3 monitoring signals
- [ ] 造势 channels planned but not executed prematurely; later-phase activities flagged to stop

---
*Part of **deciqAI Knowledge Skills** — 164 open-source thinking skills that make rigor executable for AI agents. The same skills power every deciqAI agent, which runs them autonomously to operate your company. **See it run → https://www.deciqai.com/c/shi-momentum** · ⭐ Star the repo → https://github.com/deciqAI/knowledge-skills · Contributions welcome.*