Shade Avoidance Syndrome
Companies in declining markets face the same gamble as shaded seedlings: invest everything in reaching a new market before resources run out, or die slowly in the shade.
When a seedling detects it's under dense canopy (2% full sunlight), it triggers etiolation: stems elongate 3-5× faster than normal, leaves stay small, and the plant invests everything in height. This is shade avoidance syndrome - the plant detects low red:far-red light ratio (which shade filters) and reallocates all resources to vertical growth.
This is an all-or-nothing gamble: get to light before energy reserves run out, or die. If the gamble succeeds - the plant reaches a light gap - it switches strategies. Auxin redistribution stops, lateral growth resumes, leaves expand. If the gamble fails, the plant dies. Shade avoidance is detected through phytochromes that sense red/far-red ratios, allowing plants to detect not just shade but the threat of future shading from nearby competitors.
Business Application of Shade Avoidance Syndrome
Companies in declining markets face the same gamble as shaded seedlings: invest everything in reaching a new market before resources run out, or die slowly in the shade. Tencent's aggressive WeChat investment while QQ was still dominant exemplifies successful shade avoidance.