Systems

Feedback Loop

A system structure where the output of a process influences its own input. Positive feedback amplifies changes; negative feedback dampens them and maintains stability.

Used in the Books

This term appears in 24 chapters:

Foundations Introduction

"...'m going to explain how organisms actually work - not dumbed down, but made clear. You'll learn about cell membranes, metabolic rates, growth plates, feedback loops, and ecosystem dynamics. All of it will be factual. None of it will require a biology degree to understand."

Foundations From Cells to Companies

"...ch requires energy.) "Context, not control." (Give people information and trust them to make good decisions.) The culture deck served as a negative feedback loop. When the company started hiring people who didn't fit these principles, performance dropped (sensor)."

Foundations Environmental Sensing

"Unlike Kodak (36 years from digital camera demo to bankruptcy), Netflix detected the error signal and course-corrected in weeks. Their feedback loop closed. The bacterium tumbled, reoriented, and found the gradient again. :::share{variant="amber" label="Cycle Time"} Your cycle time must beat your..."

Foundations Natural Selection

"...competitors, regulation, technology shifts, economic conditions, and resource constraints. Chapter 4 covered how organizations sense pressure through feedback loops. Chapter 7 is about what happens after sensing: which variants survive? When All Four Exist, Selection Is Mandatory Put these four conditions..."

Foundations Ecosystem Thinking

"...ement (Chapter 2 - assumed complete in this outline). We analyzed growth mechanisms and constraints (Chapter 3). We studied environmental sensing and feedback loops (Chapter 4). We traced reproduction, replication, and DNA transfer (Chapter 5). We mapped symbiotic relationships and mutualism (Chapter 6)."

And 19 more chapters...

Biological Context

Negative feedback maintains homeostasis—elevated blood sugar triggers insulin release, which lowers blood sugar. Positive feedback drives change to completion—uterine contractions trigger oxytocin release, which increases contractions. Understanding feedback is essential for predicting system behavior.

Business Application

Business feedback loops include viral growth (positive), market corrections (negative), and the flywheel effects that make dominant positions self-reinforcing.

Related Terms

Tags

systemsregulationdynamics