Darwin’s Business… Adapt Or Die

(It Isn’t Just a Slogan, It’s the Whole Bloody Game)

Hey reader,

I love reading. I don’t read fiction.
With business, psychology, science, technology and marketing,
There is too many fascinating angles that seem made up due to their complexity that fiction just doesn’t cut it for me.

That being said, I do enjoy watching Star Trek.

I’ve spent the last couple of weeks reading up on string theory (I keep coming back to it), multiverses and evolution theory.
So I thought I would make one of those out-there analogies like you see on LinkedIn where someone got married and it reminded them of 10 killer strategies for cold calling…
Social media is a wild place.

But trust me, this one is relevant.

Back in 1859, Charles Darwin dropped a proper grenade with On the Origin of Species.
It changed everything.
His theory wasn’t just about birds and beasts.
It was a hard truth that applies to business just as much as biology.

Only the ones who adapt, survive. Simple as that.

“Adapt or die” has been thrown around by every self-help guru and LinkedIn charlatan going.
But most of ’em have never sat there staring at a payroll they can’t make, wondering how the hell to pivot a sinking business.
This isn’t a slogan. It’s a system. And if you’re not thinking like that, you’re already behind.

Let me show you what I mean.

The World Changes, Whether You’re Ready or Not

In nature, the environment changes all the time.
Climate, predators, food… it’s always moving.
And the creatures that survive?
Not the strongest.
Not the cleverest.
The ones that can adapt.

Now replace “climate” with market shifts.
“Predators” with competitors.
“Food” with attention, customers, cash.

Sound familiar?

COVID proved it. The businesses that crumbled weren’t all bad businesses.
They just couldn’t move.
The model was rigid.
The thinking was stuck.
Meanwhile, others absolutely flew.
Not ’cause they got lucky, but because they could bend without snapping.

Markets change.
Buyers pivot.
Platforms vanish.
Algorithms shift.
If your business can’t move with the wind, don’t be surprised when it gets blown away.

Stop Trying to Be Perfect. Start Getting Scrappy.

Darwin’s whole thing was about variation.
A bit of random change here and there, and nature filters out what works.

That’s evolution.

In business, we call it testing. Iterating. Shipping before you’re ready.

But what do most founders do? Sit there fiddling with their font.
Perfecting a bloody landing page for 3 months.
Launching nothing. Learning nowt.

Perfection is the slow road to irrelevance.

Start putting stuff out.
Test offers.
Test pricing.
Test messages.
Let the market slap you in the face a bit
At least you’ll know what doesn’t work.
You don’t need to be right.
You need to be adaptive.

Fit for What?

In nature, “fitness” doesn’t mean muscly and dominant.
It means fit for the current environment.
That’s why cockroaches are still here and dinosaurs aren’t.

Same with your business.

Are you built to thrive in this market?
Not last year’s.
Not your vision board.
Now.
Because the game changes fast.

Ask yourself:

Are we set up to respond to change, or do we resist it?
Are we making decisions based on where we are, or where we wish we were?
Are we lean and ready or bloated and hoping?

Your answer to that’ll tell you how close you are to getting left behind.

Most Businesses Don’t Explode. They Erode.

It’s rarely one big bang that kills a business. It’s a slow rot. A bit of denial. A few missed signals. A refusal to evolve. Then boom, game over.

Like with species, extinction creeps in slow, then hits fast.

And I’ve been there. I’ve built things that looked solid on the outside but were knackered underneath. I clung on too long, didn’t adapt quick enough, and paid the price.

That’s why now, I build businesses that can bend. That can take a hit and keep moving. That don’t fall in love with their first idea.

That’s not being pessimistic. That’s being prepared.

Nature Doesn’t Care How You Feel

There’s no sentiment in nature.
No handouts.
No second chances.
If a creature can’t adapt, it dies.
End of story.

Business is the same, and it is just as brutal as nature..
The market doesn’t care how long you’ve been building.
It doesn’t care how “passionate” you are.
It doesn’t care about your startup story, your brand values, or your hand-drawn wireframes.

It cares if you solve a problem.
It cares if you still matter tomorrow.

But the good news? You’re not a tree.
You can move.
You can pivot.
You can evolve.

And if you build a business that learns faster than the world changes, you don’t just survive. You win. Over and over.

What Would Big D Do?

Next time you feel stuck, or blindsided by change, or watching a shiny new competitor eat your lunch… don’t cry about it.

Ask yourself: What would Darwin do?

He’d evolve. So should you.

Stay sharp, stay curious, and keep testing. And remember… you’re closer than you think.

Leeroy Founder, Investor, Coach

How Can I Help?

My Business Growth Newsletter – LeeroDotUK (47K subs) (FREE)
Business Growth Program- Ascend10X (£99 P/M)
Done With You Business Growth – MarGen (£5-20K P/M)
365 Growth & Networking For Men – CLICK HERE (£99 One-Off cost)

Follow me on LinkedIn, Connect with me on Twitter