An apparatus comprising: (a) an end effector, the end effector including: (i) a body, (ii) a blade, (iii) a plurality of staples, and (iv) a firing member, the firing member being operable to one or both of drive the blade through tissue or drive the plurality of staples into tissue; (b) a motor operable to drive the firing member; and (c) a processing unit configured to: (i) activate the motor to distally advance the firing member within the body of the end effector, (ii) detect an initiation condition, and (iii) in response to detecting the initiation condition, activate an algorithmic bumping mode, the algorithmic bumping mode comprising: activating the motor to advance the firing member distally with a first plurality of starting and stopping motions at a first rate and a first power level, and activating the motor to retract the firing member proximally with a second plurality of starting and stopping motions at a second rate and a second power level, wherein the first rate is different than the second rate, characterized in that the first power level is different than the second power level. (a) an end effector, the end effector including: (i) a body, (ii) a blade, (iii) a plurality of staples, and (iv) a firing member, the firing member being operable to one or both of drive the blade through tissue or drive the plurality of staples into tissue; (i) a body, (ii) a blade, (iii) a plurality of staples, and (iv) a firing member, the firing member being operable to one or both of drive the blade through tissue or drive the plurality of staples into tissue; (b) a motor operable to drive the firing member; and (c) a processing unit configured to: (i) activate the motor to distally advance the firing member within the body of the end effector, (ii) detect an initiation condition, and (iii) in response to detecting the initiation condition, activate an algorithmic bumping mode, the algorithmic bumping mode comprising: activating the motor to advance the firing member distally with a first plurality of starting and stopping motions at a first rate and a first power level, and activating the motor to retract the firing member proximally with a second plurality of starting and stopping motions at a second rate and a second power level, wherein the first rate is different than the second rate, characterized in that the first power level is different than the second power level. (i) activate the motor to distally advance the firing member within the body of the end effector, (ii) detect an initiation condition, and (iii) in response to detecting the initiation condition, activate an algorithmic bumping mode, the algorithmic bumping mode comprising: activating the motor to advance the firing member distally with a first plurality of starting and stopping motions at a first rate and a first power level, and activating the motor to retract the firing member proximally with a second plurality of starting and stopping motions at a second rate and a second power level, wherein the first rate is different than the second rate, characterized in that the first power level is different than the second power level. activating the motor to advance the firing member distally with a first plurality of starting and stopping motions at a first rate and a first power level, and activating the motor to retract the firing member proximally with a second plurality of starting and stopping motions at a second rate and a second power level, wherein the first rate is different than the second rate, characterized in that the first power level is different than the second power level.