Mutualistic Co-evolution
Mutualistic competition - cooperating on infrastructure while competing on margins - can be more profitable than winner-take-all warfare.
The most successful co-evolutionary relationships are often mutualistic, not antagonistic. Flowering plants and pollinators didn't evolve to destroy each other - they co-evolved to mutual prosperity.
Reciprocal adaptations that benefit both parties. Flowering plants and pollinators co-evolved: plants evolved nectar, bright colors, and floral shapes matched to pollinator morphology; pollinators evolved sensory abilities, specialized mouthparts, and learned behaviors. This positive-sum co-evolution can reach stable equilibria where both parties benefit maximally, unlike antagonistic arms races.
Business Application of Mutualistic Co-evolution
Mutualistic competition - cooperating on infrastructure while competing on margins - can be more profitable than winner-take-all warfare. Visa and Mastercard demonstrate this: 50% margins, stable duopoly, decades of coexistence. The provocative thesis: cooperation among competitors is systematically underutilized.