Anabolism
Anabolism consumes energy to build capacity. Amazon's decade of losses built infrastructure that now generates $30B profit annually; WeWork burned $5M daily on expansion that couldn't sustain itself.
Anabolism is building up. It's synthesis, construction, growth. When your body builds muscle from protein, that's anabolism. When a plant converts carbon dioxide and sunlight into glucose, that's anabolism. When a cell manufactures the proteins it needs to function, that's anabolism. All of these processes require energy - you have to spend energy to build things.
Business Application of Anabolism
Anabolism represents the building-up phase of organizational metabolism: hiring, expanding, product development, market capture. All anabolic processes require energy investment - you have to spend resources to build things.