Speeding up a vehicle takes time. Fom a full stop, if you floor the accelerator in your car you don’t instantly go to your top speed. The tires may take a moment to gain traction, the engine starts gaining power to spin those wheels faster. The increase in speed can be expressed as a curve.
Roughly, it’s shaped like this:
It’s known as a power curve. Aircraft use the same thing. If you are trying to take off on a short runway and the end of the curve shows a speed where you will actually be flying then you have to stay ahead of this curve. Because speeding up takes time. If you don’t you are ‘Behind the Power Curve’.
When aircraft land on an Aircraft Carrier, they push the throttles all the way up. They don’t just ease off the power until they gently land. You have to be ready, in case something goes wrong (cable snaps, someone in the landing zone), to fly again.
I think there is a parallel in projects. Pushing through past the end is critical. Don’t just limp your way to the finish and stop. Be prepared to go further.
Be ready to fly again.
Stay ahead of the power curve.