No. 129 · Work · Chemistry
Catalysts
The right spark can make change happen faster, without doing the work itself.
In the Almanac
“Bread from air”, 1909–1913 · “Y Combinator”, 2005
Both stories in full, three ways to use it and where it misleads.
Get the AlmanacQuestions
What is Catalysts?
In chemistry, a catalyst speeds up a reaction without being consumed. As a mental model, it's any person, tool or event that accelerates change without doing all the work itself.
How do you use Catalysts?
When progress stalls, look for the catalyst rather than more effort: a deadline, the right introduction, a workout partner. And be one for others. Just remember that catalysts only speed up what is already possible; they can't rescue a bad idea.
When does Catalysts matter?
Catalysts is one of the 43 mental models for work, the situations where you ask: How do I get the right things done? Within that, it belongs to “Getting started and keeping going”, alongside Activation Energy, Compounding Effect and Conditioning.
What is an example of Catalysts?
Two stories show it at work: Bread from air (1909–1913) and Y Combinator (2005). Both are told in full in The Mental Models Daily Almanac, which has two stories for each of its 365 models.
Which mental models are related to Catalysts?
Activation Energy, Chain Reaction and Forcing Function. Catalysts itself comes from chemistry.