Predation-Driven Life History
Startups in volatile markets (high mortality/predation) allocate heavily to growth - capture market before dying.
David Reznick's Trinidad guppy experiments (1990) demonstrated that energy allocation strategy evolves based on predation environment. High-predation streams (pike cichlid eats adults): guppies mature early (60 days), reproduce young, produce many small offspring (3-5 per brood, frequent broods), allocation 60% reproduction, 30% growth, 10% maintenance. Low-predation streams (killifish eats juveniles only): guppies mature late (90 days), produce fewer large offspring (1-2 per brood, infrequent broods), allocation 30% reproduction, 50% growth, 20% maintenance. When guppies were transplanted from high to low predation, they evolved to match low-predation strategy within 5-10 generations (18 months).
Business Application of Predation-Driven Life History
Startups in volatile markets (high mortality/predation) allocate heavily to growth - capture market before dying. Enterprises in stable markets allocate heavily to profitability - survive long-term, compound returns. Allocation strategy should shift when competitive environment changes.