Aging
The gradual decline in biological function over time, leading to increased vulnerability and eventual death. Aging affects all complex organisms, though rates vary widely.
Used in the Books
This term appears in 14 chapters:
"...stupid as they grow - it's the same reason large animals have slower reaction times. Book 5: Regeneration & Decline The biological mechanisms of aging and regeneration, and how they apply to organizational renewal, succession, and the choice between iterative improvement and radical reinvention."
"...e more efficient one. Only once the new metabolism was sustainable did Microsoft start phasing out the old model. Outcome: Microsoft went from "aging dinosaur" to one of the world's most valuable companies. The lesson wasn't just "move to cloud" - dozens of companies tried that and failed."
"Management blamed the economy, Amazon, millennials, weather - everything external. What they missed: their customer base was aging out. The average customer was 58 years old in 2015, and 62 in 2019. In five years, their core demographic would hit 67 - retirement age when discreti..."
"...isms.** The subsequent books in the series apply these foundations to specific challenges: resource dynamics, environmental adaptation, coordination, aging and renewal, scaling through reproduction, competitive strategy, and ecosystem orchestration. But you don't need to wait for the next book."
"...s continuously, then die from immune system collapse (allocated everything to reproduction, nothing to survival). The counter-intuitive insight: Aging is not a defect. It's an allocation strategy. Evolution allocates just enough resources to survival to reach reproduction, then reallocates to reprod..."
And 9 more chapters...
Biological Context
Aging results from accumulated damage, genetic programming, and evolutionary trade-offs. Some organisms show negligible senescence (certain tortoises, lobsters). Caloric restriction can slow aging in many species. Aging is evolution's solution to balancing individual and population needs.
Business Application
Organizational aging: declining adaptability, accumulated rigidity, loss of vital functions. Old organizations face similar challenges to old organisms—they're more experienced but less flexible. Some organizations achieve negligible senescence through continuous renewal.