A surgical instrument, comprising: (a) a body including a firing actuator; (b) a shaft extending distally from the body; (c) a motor configured to couple with a power source, wherein the motor is configured to activate in response to a firing actuation of the firing actuator; (d) an end effector disposed at a distal end of the shaft, wherein the end effector is operable to staple and sever tissue, wherein the end effector includes a cutting edge configured to selectively translate longitudinally between a proximal position and a distal position, wherein the cutting edge is configured to transition from the proximal position to the distal position to cut tissue in response to an activation of the motor; and (e) a control circuit operatively coupled with the motor and the firing actuator, wherein the control circuit is configured to generate a forward motor control signal to activate the motor in response to the firing actuation, wherein the forward motor control signal is configured to pulsate the cutting edge from the proximal position to the distal position over a predetermined time period to cut the tissue, wherein the pulsating forward motor control signal includes: (i) a first time duration including movement of the cutting edge distally from the proximal position to a second longitudinal position, (ii) a second time duration including ceased movement of the cutting edge, wherein the second time duration follows the first time duration, and (iii) a third time duration including movement of the cutting edge distally from the second longitudinal position toward the distal position, wherein the third time duration follows the second time duration. (a) a body including a firing actuator; (b) a shaft extending distally from the body; (c) a motor configured to couple with a power source, wherein the motor is configured to activate in response to a firing actuation of the firing actuator; (d) an end effector disposed at a distal end of the shaft, wherein the end effector is operable to staple and sever tissue, wherein the end effector includes a cutting edge configured to selectively translate longitudinally between a proximal position and a distal position, wherein the cutting edge is configured to transition from the proximal position to the distal position to cut tissue in response to an activation of the motor; and (e) a control circuit operatively coupled with the motor and the firing actuator, wherein the control circuit is configured to generate a forward motor control signal to activate the motor in response to the firing actuation, wherein the forward motor control signal is configured to pulsate the cutting edge from the proximal position to the distal position over a predetermined time period to cut the tissue, wherein the pulsating forward motor control signal includes: (i) a first time duration including movement of the cutting edge distally from the proximal position to a second longitudinal position, (ii) a second time duration including ceased movement of the cutting edge, wherein the second time duration follows the first time duration, and (iii) a third time duration including movement of the cutting edge distally from the second longitudinal position toward the distal position, wherein the third time duration follows the second time duration. (i) a first time duration including movement of the cutting edge distally from the proximal position to a second longitudinal position, (ii) a second time duration including ceased movement of the cutting edge, wherein the second time duration follows the first time duration, and (iii) a third time duration including movement of the cutting edge distally from the second longitudinal position toward the distal position, wherein the third time duration follows the second time duration.