Germination
In business, germination is the startup launch decision - committing limited reserves to growth in a specific market environment.
Seeds don't guess. They sense.
Germination is the decision to break dormancy - to burn reserves and commit to growth in a specific environment, at a specific time, with specific resources. A viable seed needs three signals before it commits: water availability (triggering enzyme activation and metabolism), temperature threshold (minimum, optimal, and maximum ranges shaped by evolution), and light quality/duration (phytochromes distinguishing sunlight from shade). Once the radicle emerges, there's no going back - the seed either becomes a seedling or dies trying. Seeds don't guess; they sense environmental conditions with extraordinary precision calibrated by four billion years of natural selection.
Business Application of Germination
In business, germination is the startup launch decision - committing limited reserves to growth in a specific market environment. Like seeds, startups need three signals: environmental readiness (technology/regulation/behavior shifts), adequate reserves (runway to validation), and founder readiness (domain expertise, viable core insight). The germination window is 60-75% certainty - enough signal to justify commitment, enough uncertainty to be early.