Investments. Investors. Evolution.

I would like to refer to “A Brief Natural History of Civilization: Why a Balance Between Cooperation & Competition Is Vital to Humanity” by Mark Bertness and offer you some kind of deduction by analogy based on Mr. Bertness’s conclusions about evolution and development related to modern situation with startups and investors. Of course, this is my very personal vision and opinion, but perhaps some of you might have similar understanding of what is happening.

The book itself proposes a bold new understanding of who we are, where we came from, and where we are going, and noted ecologist Mark Bertness argues that human beings and their civilization are the products of the same self?organization, evolutionary adaptation, and natural selection processes that have created all other life on Earth. Mr. Bertness follows the evolutionary process from the primordial soup of two billion years ago through today, exploring the ways opposing forces of competition and cooperation have led to current assemblages of people, animals, and plants.?

I would like to stress the part of the book related to natural selection of wheat and other grains that humans adopted from the wild Nature. The book describes the process of planting wild grains like wheat or corn and giving them ideal conditions for living and reproduction. Due to this fact the plants have lost various means to survive and reproduce in wild Nature, e.g. hooks that would let them spread the seeds by animals they get attached to while those pass by.

Isn’t it similar to the current situation with investments and investors? I believe it’s not a secret that most of investments and startups go for the “buzz words” that are popular at the moment and can collect the money. “Greentech”, “IoT” you name it. From investor’s point of view, I can understand the trend as they know the target they want to achieve that we might not even see. And of course, even if billions of dollars or euros get wasted from global perspective a step forward will be made to achieve the final goal anywa.

However, let’s get back to the Nature laws and see that what human plants, grows and reproduces “artificially” typically looses some peculiarities of the species, and in many cases de facto majority would prefer natural product rather than artificially grown. What fish would you prefer: one that was fed with artificial food, or the one just caught from the sea or lake? Ginseng found in the woods values more than the one grown in plantations. Wild berries and mushrooms have absolutely different taste, meat of animals that had natural diet costs more and tastes differently.

Here is my thought to share with all of you: look at the startups and companies that managed to grow up in the “wild Nature” together with the ones you prefer to grow in plantations of funding. By the time the trends change you will already have market proven ideas, technologies, products ready. Do not forget to pour some water on the wild berries and trees that grow nearby as after all their fruits are tastier and healthier.