The Fibonacci Spiral is an example in nature that applies to the creation and sustainment of almost anything in the discovered universe …even business growth and development. I believe that history created is as relevant to nature as history forgotten. Here is a bit of remembered history, applied to life today, particularly to the growth and development of businesses.

While living during a time of hardship in a city decaying from a recent plague, English poet and critic John Dryden was able to describe the simple form of nature in relation to the world of man. From his poem Annus Mirabilis meaning year of wonders, Dryden indites “By viewing nature, nature’s handmaid art, Makes mighty things from small beginnings grow: Thus fishes first to shipping did impart, Their tail the rudder, and their head the prow.” Though this excerpt can be applied to all things in the discovered universe, as well as bring into question the elegant balance of mans own nature, it says something even simpler about the interworking of nature itself.

I don’t know what Dryden meant by “Makes mighty things from small beginnings grow” but I know that it is true for the creation of almost anything tangible or intangible, artistic or logistic, creating or consuming. The hardest part is always the start but to start you must see the end. Without the end you have no direction, no meaning and no purpose. A plant grows to live, a skyscraper is designed to be built, a package is sent to be delivered. Anything in between is considered chaos and whether it was self inflicted or caused by the randomness (or beauty) of nature, chaos toward the individual architect invokes a breakdown or delay in reaching their end.

Once the end is imagined you need to discover a path, maybe not the entire path at first, and maybe not every minute detail, but one thing you must see and know, is that you (the architect) has the potential, the will, and the vision necessary to find your way through the chaos. You must also understand that a path through chaos is ever-changing, sometimes prolonging, and always challenging. When Dryden wrote about nature it was in a time of complete chaos in the world he knew, which is in parallel today with the (constant and consistent) chaos of our own world. Nature, while being the root of all chaos, is ironically the only fertilizer.

This brings me to the Fibonacci Spiral, something that is found in nature, used to solve almost every quantum mechanical problem, and simple in concept. For business growth, the Fibonacci Spiral can be the conclusion to the question of how to examine and plan for the growth of your business.  Begin with the idea (Personal Computing), develop the ability to create that idea (Founding Apple, Inc.), monetize your idea (Selling Apple 1 to consumers), expand and cover your ass (Apple II, IBM partnership), Innovate (iPod, MacBook), sustain your ground by creating an ecosystem around your idea (iTunes, Apple Nostalgia). Re-Develop your original idea for the modern world (iPhone 4). In this example and in a Fibonacci Spiral each step equally gives momentum to the next step. If done right, more money will mean more innovation, less time will be spent on more progress, and eventually expansion could be exponential.

For those unfamiliar with the Fibonacci Spiral, an example:

The perfect business model is built around this spiral and the concept of even exponential growth. This spiral is something found in nature, you can see it in flowers, sea shells and even galaxies. Every time this spiral is seen it seems to bring order to chaos. So in the chaos of the universe, when trying to grow, develop, and sustain a business; this spiral should be law. It’s not just random in nature, it gives the flower the ability to bloom, sea shells the ability to mate, and sustains the delicate movement of our galaxy. If you move your business out of the parameters of the spiral you create an anarchist to the system, and in turn, create more chaos.

Remember that the easiest and most important thing to do is to begin, to give life, to become a part of the process you envision. When giving life to your creation whether it’s a business, an idea, an expression of art, or a movement; keep in mind that by way of the spiral, everything only gets easier. Now is always the best time, Dryden wrote of beauty in a time of decay when London was nearly burnt to the ground. There is no excuse for not starting, but there is no way to map the perfect spiral, or to foresee ways to create the perfect business. Use the spiral only as a guide, as a peace of mind, and as a way to see through the chaos.