Domino, the flat, thumb-sized rectangular block that features from one to six pips (or dots) on each end, is used for a variety of games. It can be stacked on its side or arranged in long lines to form intricate and sometimes mind-boggling designs. When a domino is tipped over, it causes the next domino to tip and the next one, and so on in a chain reaction that continues until all the pieces fall down.
Hevesh is an expert at creating these domino sculptures, often setting them up in a 3-D space to create structures like towers and pyramids. She follows a version of the engineering-design process when she plans out her creations, including testing each section of the display to make sure it works individually. She also films each test in slow motion, which allows her to make precise corrections. Hevesh explains that these tests help her to refine and tweak her setups, so they are ready for the big show.
When Tom Monaghan created Domino’s pizza delivery system in 1979, he made an ambitious promise to customers: The company would deliver the food to their homes or offices within 30 minutes. To keep up with this massive demand, the company needed a way to deliver each pizza as quickly as possible and without compromising quality or safety.
The solution was to hire drivers and use their cars as mobile pizza ovens, but this wasn’t a sustainable strategy. Drivers often drove recklessly to meet the 30-minute deadline, running red lights and even crashing their cars as they raced to get the job done. The company’s CEO at the time, David Brandon, recognized that something had to change and implemented new leadership strategies to help Domino’s meet its goals.
Domino’s new policies included putting more emphasis on customer service and improving the quality of each pizza. They also hired more drivers and trained their staff to drive more safely. These improvements helped the company improve its reputation and increase sales. Today, Domino’s is one of the top pizza chains in the world and it continues to grow and expand its business with the help of innovative technologies and strategic initiatives from their leadership team.
Domino’s success demonstrates the importance of taking calculated risks to achieve your goals, but it is also important to have the right tools and processes in place to manage risk effectively. This is a lesson that Hevesh and Domino’s can teach us in our writing as well. Whether you are a panster or a plotter, using tools like outlines and Scrivener to help you plan your novel can ensure that each scene has the impact it needs to have on the story. Otherwise, you might end up with scenes that don’t move the plot forward and have little or no logical impact on what comes before it. Think of each scene in your novel as a domino, and consider how the next scene can push it over.