No. 337 · Fixing problems · Systems
Feedback Loops
When a system’s results feed back into it, they either steady it or spin it out of control.
In the Almanac
“Wiener’s anti-aircraft gun”, 1948 · “GameStop”, 2021
Both stories in full, three ways to use it and where it misleads.
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Questions
What is Feedback Loops?
A feedback loop is when a system's output becomes its next input. Balancing loops pull things back toward a target, like a thermostat. Reinforcing loops amplify change, like a short squeeze where rising prices force more buying.
How do you use Feedback Loops?
To use it, ask which loop you're in. Build quick balancing checks into your health and money, look for virtuous loops in your reputation, and interrupt escalation spirals early in arguments. Watch for delays, which cause overcorrection.
When does Feedback Loops matter?
Feedback Loops is one of the 40 mental models for fixing problems, the situations where you ask: Why does this keep going wrong, and how do I fix it for good? Within that, it belongs to “How systems push back”, alongside Bottlenecks, Ecosystems and Homeostasis.
What is an example of Feedback Loops?
Two stories show it at work: Wiener’s anti-aircraft gun (1948) and GameStop (2021). 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 Feedback Loops?
Flywheel, Compounding Effect and Dopamine Loop. Feedback Loops itself comes from systems.