Xiaomi

Xiaomi exemplifies pure r-selection strategy - and proves that in unstable, fast-moving environments, speed beats quality. Launching in China in 2011, Xiaomi used every r-selection tactic: rapid iteration (phones every 6 months vs. Samsung's annual flagship), quantity over investment (dozens of product categories from phones to rice cookers), online-only sales at near-cost pricing, and near-zero marketing spend relying on viral 'Mi Fans' word-of-mouth. While Samsung invested $14 billion annually in marketing, Xiaomi spent almost nothing - yet became #1 in China by 2014 and #2 globally by 2021.

The smartphone environment rewarded r-selection because technology shifted constantly (new chipsets, cameras, displays every quarter), consumer preferences fragmented (price tiers from $100 to $1,000), and margins compressed globally. In this unstable landscape, Samsung's K-selection investments in brand building and retail presence became expensive commitments that slowed adaptation. Xiaomi's r-selection agility - launch, test, iterate, kill failures, scale successes - dominated.

The lesson: neither r nor K strategy is 'better' - the environment determines which survives. Xiaomi didn't succeed despite low quality and minimal investment - it succeeded because of them. In fragmenting, commoditizing markets, the ability to experiment cheaply and iterate quickly beats the ability to build slowly and perfectly.