Quiescence
Quiescent ventures maintain near-zero burn rates while preserving instant activation capability - ready to launch when external conditions shift, unlike dormant companies that need internal triggers to unblock.
Quiescence is the state where seeds lose 90-95% of their water content and become metabolically almost dead, but not quite. Unlike true dormancy (which requires specific triggers to break), quiescent seeds will germinate when water becomes available. It's a waiting state without active growth.
Business Application of Quiescence
Business quiescence is the state of a venture that's prepared but inactive - founders with ideas and resources who are waiting for the right environmental trigger to launch. The venture isn't dead, just metabolically minimal until conditions warrant activation.