Rich vs King

Biological Parallel

Salmon demonstrate the rich-vs-king trade-off in their life history: return early to spawn (be king—first access to prime gravel beds, higher fertilization success) or stay at sea to grow larger (be rich—produce 5000 eggs vs. 2000 for small females). Chinook salmon populations show both strategies persisting because dominance depends on conditions: in years with low competition, small early fish (kings) thrive; in crowded years, large late fish (rich) produce more surviving offspring. The parallel to Wasserman's framework is exact: you cannot maximize both control and scale simultaneously, and optimal strategy depends on your competitive environment.