Torpor
Torpor is the ability to drastically reduce metabolic rate during resource scarcity.
WeWork had built an organism with hummingbird-level metabolism but without the hummingbird's ability to enter torpor.
At night, when it can't feed, the hummingbird does something remarkable: it enters torpor, a hibernation-like state where its metabolic rate drops dramatically, its body temperature falls, and it essentially shuts down non-essential systems. Without this metabolic flexibility, it would starve to death in its sleep.
The hummingbird's body temperature drops from 40°C to as low as 20°C. Its heart rate falls to 50-180 bpm. Its metabolic rate drops by 70-95% depending on species and conditions. It essentially hibernates every single night, then wakes at dawn and resumes its frantic existence.
Bears don't truly hibernate (their body temperature only drops 5-7°C, compared to 30°C+ in true hibernators), but they enter torpor for up to seven months. During this time, they don't eat, drink, urinate, or defecate. They survive entirely on fat reserves. Their metabolism drops by about 75%.
Bats enter true torpor, which is even more extreme. Some species can reduce their metabolic rate by 98%. Their body temperature drops to nearly ambient levels. Heart rate falls from 600-1,000 bpm to as low as 10 bpm. They appear dead. But they can rouse themselves in minutes when conditions change.
Business Application of Torpor
Torpor is the ability to drastically reduce metabolic rate during resource scarcity. In business terms, this means having the flexibility to cut burn rate by 60-70% within 30 days if needed. Companies without torpor capacity (like WeWork with fixed long-term leases) cannot survive revenue disruptions.