Customer Development

Biological Parallel

Before committing to a niche, organisms engage in customer development—environmental sensing to validate assumptions. A germinating seed extends its root first, testing soil moisture, nutrient availability, and temperature before investing in aboveground structures. Migratory birds send scout individuals ahead to evaluate breeding sites before the flock commits. This explore-then-exploit strategy reduces catastrophic mismatches: the cost of exploration is tiny compared to the cost of building an entire organism (or company) in the wrong environment.