Crown Shyness
Companies can sense competitive encroachment before direct conflict through market signals - competitor hiring patterns, product announcements, patent filings.
Crown shyness is the phenomenon where tree canopies don't overlap, creating visible gaps between adjacent trees. Trees detect nearby neighbors using far-red light reflection and wind-borne ethylene gas. Before branches physically touch, growth on that side slows, resulting in puzzle-piece canopies.
This is resource optimization through competitive sensing - the tree allocates growth away from competitors (where it would get shaded) and toward open space (where it won't). The signal is predictive: the competitor hasn't shaded you yet, but will soon unless you avoid that direction.
Business Application of Crown Shyness
Companies can sense competitive encroachment before direct conflict through market signals - competitor hiring patterns, product announcements, patent filings. Reallocating growth away from future competition rather than waiting for head-to-head battles preserves resources.