Frogfish

Frogfish are anglerfish adapted for shallow tropical waters, and they've taken the lure strategy to extremes. Their bodies mimic sponges, coral, and algae so perfectly that prey fish rest on them without recognizing the predator. The lure - a modified dorsal spine called an esca - mimics worms, shrimp, or small fish depending on species. When curious prey approaches the lure, frogfish strike in 6 milliseconds - one of the fastest strikes in the animal kingdom.

The 6-millisecond strike deserves attention. This is too fast for prey to react - fish nervous systems simply cannot process the threat and initiate escape in that timeframe. Frogfish don't chase; they don't need speed. They need only patience (camouflage allows them to wait indefinitely), positioning (the lure brings prey within range), and an overwhelming strike (faster than reaction time). The entire strategy removes prey agency from the interaction.

This maps to business strategies that remove customer decision-making from competitive evaluation. Default options, pre-installed software, automatic renewals, and embedded products all position businesses where customers never actively choose competitors. The frogfish approach isn't better marketing - it's positioning that makes marketing unnecessary. The lure brings opportunity within range; the strike closes before alternatives can be considered. Companies deeply embedded in customer workflows (Salesforce in sales processes, AWS in deployment pipelines) operate as frogfish: opportunities arrive pre-positioned for capture.