Core Competencies

Biological Parallel

A cheetah's core competency isn't speed alone—it's the integrated system of lightweight skeleton, oversized heart, semi-retractable claws, and long tail that together enable sprint hunting. Core competencies are compound adaptations: capabilities that emerge from tightly integrated traits, hard for competitors to replicate because you'd need to evolve the entire system. The oak's competency isn't wood or acorns—it's the integrated architecture of deep taproot, allelopathic chemicals, fire resistance, and mast seeding that dominates temperate forests.