McDonald's

McDonald's represents the most successful example of asexual reproduction in business history. When Ray Kroc encountered the McDonald brothers' San Bernardino restaurant in 1954, he recognized not a successful restaurant but a replicable organism - organizational DNA that could be cloned across geographies with high fidelity. His genius was distinguishing genotype from phenotype: identifying which elements were core DNA (standardized processes, precise specifications, thorough training) versus local adaptations (regional taste preferences like McAloo Tikki in India or Teriyaki Burger in Japan).

Today's 43,000+ restaurants in 100+ countries represent genetic copies, not approximate copies. The fry station in Tokyo operates identically to Toronto because the fry station is organizational DNA. Hamburger University ensures high-fidelity DNA transmission. But McDonald's also operates an inter-organizational fractal spanning corporate headquarters, regional offices (50+ globally), franchisees (thousands), and individual stores - enabling global reach without owning most real estate or employing most workers through 20+ year contracts that align incentives across organizational boundaries.

The lesson: successful scaling isn't about copying what you see - it's about identifying what must never vary (genotype) versus what must adapt locally (phenotype). McDonald's fractal franchise system achieves both standardization and local flexibility by making the distinction ruthlessly clear.