Dominoes are small, flat rectangular blocks with a distinctive marking on each face. Also known as bones, cards, men, or pieces, dominoes are normally twice as long as they are wide and have a value, usually represented by dots, on one side and none or blank on the other. They can be made out of many rigid materials, but wood and bone are the most common. When a domino is flipped, the spots on its face transfer energy to adjacent ones, knocking them over in a chain reaction that can last for hundreds of dominoes and take several nail-biting minutes to complete.
In the world of professional domino builders, Hevesh is a master. She creates mind-blowing domino setups, and her YouTube channel, Hevesh5, has more than 2 million subscribers. She’s built structures involving more than 300,000 dominoes, and she’s worked on teams that have set records for the largest domino arrangement. She’s even built a domino display for a pop music star!
Hevesh builds her creations using a process that’s similar to the engineering-design process. She starts by thinking about the theme of the piece, then brainstorming images or words that might represent it. Once she’s clear on the concept, she can begin laying out the dominoes. Then, she carefully combines them to achieve her vision. Hevesh’s finished products are not only beautiful, but they also demonstrate the power of physics.
When a domino is flipped, its potential energy transfers to the next domino, pushing it past its tipping point. This energy is converted to kinetic energy, which then travels to the next domino and pushes it over, and so on. The sequence continues until all the dominoes have fallen.
The term domino comes from the Latin dominus, a diminutive form of the word for “lord” or “master.” In modern English, it’s often shortened to just domino, but it’s also been used to refer to a whole sequence of events, like a series of dominoes falling in a row.
In the world of business, the term domino also applies to a kind of chain reaction. The most successful businesses are those that can maintain a rhythm of progress, building on successes and learning from missteps. Domino’s has maintained this rhythm over the years, thanks to its focus on customer service and a willingness to embrace new technologies that can help make it easier for customers to place their orders.
Dominoes has a number of core values that its leaders emphasize, including “Champion Our Customers.” This value isn’t just about listening to customer feedback—it’s also about taking action. In the past, Domino’s has experimented with a variety of ways to deliver pizza, from drones to texting and Amazon Echo devices.
But Domino’s most important innovation may be its commitment to transforming the way it communicates with employees. In recent years, the company has focused on revamping its leadership training and college recruiting programs to ensure that Domino’s is getting the most out of every team member.