The example given in TFA is poor, as is (IMHO) the entire thesis. The actors change their behavior on an evolutionary timescale, whereas the environment sees pe

The example given in TFA is poor, as is (IMHO) the entire thesis. The actors change their behavior on an evolutionary timescale, whereas the environment sees periodic rapid events ("punctuated equilibrium"); to which any individual, specialized actor cannot react quickly enough. Whereas we, as SWEs or ops or devops or business managers, can react to a changing environment. When you are in a highly competitive environment, it pays to be more efficient. Unlike the bird, however, whose beak (eg) may be specialized to reach a specific berry on a specific bush, and is immutable, we can change our beak as the needs demand. The article isn't even very good for specialized industry, say making metal coils. Your machinery has to be specialized for it. You don't have a machine that can make both coils and tubes. Because you're able to make very, very specialized coil winding machines, you corner the market on coils. Then the coil market collapses (thanks for nothing, disruptors!). OK, your business fails. SO WHAT! You move on to make specialized tube flatteners or some such. A better thesis would have been along the lines of not being static. Specialization is good.