Snow Goose

Snow geese migrate in V-formations where trailing birds gain energy savings from the vortex created by the bird ahead. This aerodynamic drafting reduces energy expenditure by up to 70%. Leadership rotates - when the lead bird tires, it drops back and another takes the point position. The formation optimizes collective efficiency.

The V-formation demonstrates structured coordination for efficiency. Unlike the fluid murmurations of starlings, V-formations maintain stable architecture. Each position has known costs and benefits; rotation ensures burden sharing. The rigidity enables optimization impossible in fluid formations.

The business parallel applies to structured collaboration for efficiency. Some organizational forms - assembly lines, standardized processes, defined roles - sacrifice flexibility for optimization. Like V-formations, they're less adaptive but more efficient when the path is known. Structure suits predictable journeys.

Snow geese also demonstrate population explosion through agricultural subsidy. Their populations increased dramatically as they exploited waste grain in agricultural fields. This anthropogenic food supplementation removed natural population limits. Companies similarly can exceed natural scale limits by exploiting artificial resource concentrations - venture capital, platform subsidies, regulatory advantages.