Hockey Stick Growth

Biological Parallel

Hockey stick growth—flat base followed by sharp upward curve—characterizes exponential biological processes that hit a critical threshold. Bacterial colonies grow slowly during lag phase (establishing metabolism), then explosively during log phase once resource uptake outpaces division time. Cancer follows the same pattern: years of undetected slow growth, then rapid acceleration once angiogenesis (blood vessel formation) provides sufficient nutrients. The inflection point isn't random—it's when positive feedback loops (more cells → more growth factors → faster division) overcome negative constraints. Find your inflection trigger before expecting the hockey stick.