What is Flywheel Engineering?

A Short Origin Story

Let me take you back to where this whole thing began. One day, my team sat around, utterly drained, staring at numbers that just didn’t make sense. How could something that flew last quarter stall out this quarter? Why, with all our tools and tactics, was growth getting harder?

After hours of picking apart playbooks, it clicked: “We’re not doing systems. We’re doing patchwork.” Our so-called GTM “system” was nothing but a Frankenstein of old tricks and half-working gadgets. It was time to start again from core truths, not old habits.

The Core Idea: Momentum is a Design Problem

Here’s the big shift: Revenue is a system. And systems can be built on purpose.

What does this mean for you and me?

• It’s not about “do more.” It’s about “design better.”
  
  
  

• Growth isn’t random magic; it’s physics. Momentum = force, mass, less friction.
  
  
  

• If growth is stalling, it’s not a people problem or a “try harder” thing physics is off!
  
  
  

We stopped blaming “the market” or “the reps” and started fixing the machinery itself.

🚀 The Why Behind Flywheel Engineering

Why invent a role like Flywheel Engineer? Simple answer: nobody else is waking up and sweating over how systems actually move.

• RevOps? They clear the pipes but don’t push things forward.
  
  
  

• Marketing? Great at sparking interest, but not at stitching systems together.
  
  
  

• Sales? They hustle leads but don’t design the engine.
  
  
  

• Product? Build great features but don’t tie feedback back to GTM.
  
  
  

All the pieces are there but until someone owns the whole flywheel, growth spins and sputters.

Flywheel Engineers build that engine. They craft the logic, the loops, the flow that keep things in motion. They don’t replace anyone they complete the circle.

Funnels vs. Flywheels (and Why the Old Model is Broken)

Back when buyers sat waiting for sales reps, “leads” were forms, and sales cycles were clockwork, this worked. Not anymore.

Today? Everyone does their own homework, timing is hidden, and the path to “yes” twists in circles. We need a GTM engine that spins with less push and way more pull.

What Flywheel Engineers Actually Do

Now, let’s get real it’s not always glamorous. Flywheel Engineering, day-to-day, looks like:

• Untangling handoffs that zap your momentum
  
  
  

• Smoothing out friction between sales, marketing, and customer success
  
  
  

• Using tech to automate the boring and codify what actually matters
  
  
  

• Building “return” loops so customers don’t just buy they come back
  
  
  

• Letting AI do the heavy lifting, so your team stays lean and focused
  
  
  

But here’s the twist: it’s not about “doing” better; it’s about deciding what should be done. Less polishing, more architecture.

The Flywheel Stack

We always start with real people. But as soon as it works, we let AI handle the grunt work never losing sight of the customer.

The Endgame: Self-Spinning Growth

The dream? Imagine a GTM engine that actually gets stronger every time you use it.

• Outbound shapes inbound.
  
  
  

• Your customers do your marketing for you.
  
  
  

• Every single sale makes the next one easier.
  
  
  

That’s the flywheel.

But none of it happens by luck. Someone has to build the structure, lay the rails, oil the gears. Not a one-off campaign a machine built for perpetual motion.

That’s why Flywheel Engineers exist. And truly? We’re just getting started.

Thinking about your own GTM flywheel?
I’m in the lab tinkering, looping, and (yes) occasionally talking to the CRM when no one’s looking.
Email me anytime: hello@agentic.it