I find it fascinating when concepts and principles from one professional domain are used to describe activities in another with startling clarity. They often then lend themselves to further transposition.
One such principle is that of the Red Queen.
This principle was proposed by the evolutionary biologist L. van Valen (1973), and is based on the observation to Alice by the Red Queen in Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking Glass" that "in this place it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place."
Since every improvement in one species will lead to a selective advantage for that species, variation will normally continuously lead to increases in fitness in one species or another. However, since in general different species are coevolving, improvement in one species implies that it will get a competitive advantage on the other species, and thus be able to capture a larger share of the resources available to all. This means that fitness increase in one evolutionary system will tend to lead to fitness decrease in another system. The only way that a species involved in a competition can maintain its fitness relative to the others is by in turn improving its design.
Seth Godin referred to the Red Queen in his book Survival Is Not Enough specifically in relation to companies innovating and creating a massive business advantage over rivals. The market then reacts and the competition seeks to catch up. Hence the Red Queen. He’s absolutely correct, particularly in the information and telecommunications industries.
Of particular interest to me are the creative industries (the industries which fall under this notional umbrella differ around the world). Some, such as fashion, television and computer games, have the Red Queen constantly in play. Others in the more traditional areas of visual and performing arts I’m not so sure about. Perhaps the Red Queen is there but the industry chooses to ignore its pull – to its detriment.
It’s a great metaphor and one which creative industries managers (indeed managers in all industries) should be familiar with.
For any evolutionary company, continuing development is needed just in order to maintain its fitness relative to the companies with which it is co-evolving.
When the Red Queen is on the board everything changes.
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