Mechanism
Ecological Release
TL;DR
Companies entering markets without established competitors can radiate freely into multiple niches.
Ecological release occurs when colonizers radiate to fill roles occupied by specialists elsewhere. Without competitors, selection favors generalist populations fragmenting into specialists. Darwin's finches diversified into roles that on the mainland would be occupied by woodpeckers, warblers, and hummingbirds - specialist birds absent from the Galápagos.
Business Application of Ecological Release
Companies entering markets without established competitors can radiate freely into multiple niches. First-movers can occupy positions that late-comers will find defended by specialists.