Palantir Technologies

Palantir evolved from obligate symbiont to facultative mutualist. Founded in 2003 to serve intelligence agencies, the company could not survive without government contracts—classic obligate dependency. By 2025, commercial revenue reached 45% of total, with U.S. commercial growing 121% year-over-year. The organism can now survive independently, though government remains the anchor habitat.

The AIP bootcamp model creates rapid synapse formation. In 5 days, forward-deployed engineers work on actual customer data, creating neural pathways between Palantir's platform and organizational decision-making. This "5-day to use case" pattern mirrors how neurons strengthen through use—each integration makes the next easier, and customers who complete bootcamps rarely defect.

At $450 billion market cap (December 2025), Palantir trades at 98x price/sales, signaling market belief in metamorphosis completion. The company transitioned from intelligence larva (2003-2020) through profitability pupation (2020-2023) to commercial butterfly (2023-present). The Army's $10 billion contract—consolidating 75 separate agreements—represents territorial consolidation after successful metamorphosis.

Palantir functions as an extended nervous system for organizations. The platform integrates disparate data sources into unified decision-making substrate, like a brain processing sensory input from specialized organs. Removing Palantir would leave organizations blind—dependent on a cognitive organ they no longer possess internally.