Node
An individual element in a network—a point connected to other points by links or edges. In different contexts, nodes might be neurons, species, people, or any discrete unit.
Used in the Books
This term appears in 14 chapters:
"...got Amazon technology (Prime discounts, online ordering, Alexa integration) while keeping their physical retail DNA. Amazon got physical distribution nodes and fresh food expertise while keeping its tech-driven optimization DNA. *[Research in progress: Verify specific integrations - Prime discounts time..."
"... small share of larger total volume. Resilience Through Redundancy: Bilateral symbiosis breaks if one partner fails. Networks survive individual node failures. The Hanseatic League succeeded for 400 years because it was mesh, not hub-and-spoke. Modern platform companies often fail this test, creat..."
"...g: understanding that organisms don't exist in isolation. They exist in networks of energy exchange, resource flow, and mutual dependency. Change one node, and effects cascade through the system. The Business Parallel: Just as salmon connect ocean nutrients to forest growth through predator interm..."
"...s, cash doesn't just flow from company to shareholders. It flows through supply chains, payroll systems, investment networks, creating value at every node. Chapter 5 explores how resources flow through networks - and how organisms position themselves to capture value from those flows. That's **Cha..."
"...How do you build distribution infrastructure that flows instead of fights? Most companies build distribution like cargo trucks: brute force at every node, high energy cost, fragile under stress. They should build like trees: demand-driven pull, physics does the work, resilient through redundancy. This..."
And 9 more chapters...
Biological Context
In neural networks, neurons are nodes connected by synapses. In food webs, species are nodes connected by feeding relationships. The number of connections a node has (its degree) affects its importance in the network.