The Cocoon Effect: Business lessons from butterflies
I found myself sitting here on a Sunday morning, wondering, "What happens to a caterpillar in a cocoon?"
It started off with me journaling — scripting, to be precise. I was penning my journal entry for the future, reflecting back on the present.
“God had a plan for us, though we couldn't see it amidst the chaos. It felt like Evouke was dying. But in reality, it was in a cocoon, and the transformation was going to be spectacular. I just needed to be patient.”
The Marvel of Metamorphosis:
That thought led me to contemplate entrepreneurial cocoons and how caterpillars and entrepreneurs both undergo metamorphosis.
The transformation inside a cocoon is a fascinating and complex biological process called metamorphosis. When a caterpillar is ready to undergo this change, it forms a cocoon around itself using silk produced from glands near its mouth. Once safely settled, the caterpillar begins the transformative process:
1 - Digestion of Old Body: The caterpillar releases enzymes to break down much of its body into a kind of "soup" of cells, which will serve as the raw material for its metamorphosis.
2 - Growth and Reorganisation: Specialised cells, called imaginal discs, which have been present in the caterpillar since it was an embryo, begin to rapidly divide and form the structures of the adult butterfly or moth.
3- Development: During this phase, wings, antennae, legs, eyes, and other features of the adult form develop. A complex set of genetic and hormonal signals guides this process.
4 - Completion and Emergence: Once the transformation is complete, the adult insect releases enzymes that soften the cocoon. It then emerges, dries its wings, and flies off as a fully transformed creature.
Entrepreneurial Echoes:
The process of metamorphosis can be a powerful metaphor for the entrepreneurial journey in several ways:
1- Pause and Reflection: Just like a caterpillar needs to enter a cocoon to become something greater, entrepreneurs sometimes need to step back from relentless activity to pause, reassess, learn, and plan for a new phase.
2- Destruction to Create: In the cocoon, the caterpillar essentially dissolves before reorganising into a butterfly. Similarly, entrepreneurs may have to let go of old strategies, products, or even their initial vision to evolve and adapt to market needs.
3 - Vulnerability: The caterpillar is vulnerable when it's in the cocoon, just as entrepreneurs are vulnerable during transition periods. Both the caterpillar and the entrepreneur have to trust the process and have faith that they will emerge stronger on the other side.
4- Hidden Work: Much of the essential work happens inside the cocoon, hidden from view. This echoes the behind-the-scenes work in entrepreneurship—research, planning, skill development—that is not glamorous but is critical for success.
5 - Transformation: The most obvious parallel is that both the caterpillar and the entrepreneur undergo transformation. For the caterpillar, it's physical; for the entrepreneur, it could be in terms of skills, mindset, or business model.
6 - Emerging Stronger: Once the transformation is complete, both the butterfly and a revitalised business are equipped with new tools and perspectives that prepare them for the next phase of their lives.
7 - Fear and Uncertainty: Both processes involve a lot of unknowns and can be terrifying. For the caterpillar, once it starts the process, there's no turning back. For the entrepreneur, pausing can induce fear of losing momentum or being overtaken by competitors. However, these pauses are essential for long-term success.
The Cocoon Effect in Business
Just as a caterpillar enters its cocoon to undergo a significant transformation, businesses—especially startups—often find themselves in a "cocoon" phase. This is a period of introspection, restructuring, and evolution. It might involve pausing certain operations, refining the business model, or even facing challenges head-on.
The cocoon might seem like a setback, but it's a necessary phase for growth and eventual emergence as a stronger, more adaptable entity.
This natural ebb and flow in business, mirroring the metamorphosis of butterflies, can be termed the 'Cocoon Effect'. Embracing this effect means understanding the value of temporary retreats, recalibrations, and the powerful transformations they can lead to. In conclusion, the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly can serve as a poetic yet instructive symbol for the trials, pauses, and ultimate transformations that are part and parcel of the entrepreneurial journey.
While it's easy to get caught up in the immediacy of day-to-day business operations, it's essential to step back and appreciate the broader journey, just as one would marvel at the butterfly's emergence after its time in the cocoon.
The last few months have been unexpected, to say the least. As a founder juggling chronic illness and a business in its infancy, it has been a tricky balancing act for me. And in July, I found myself in a heap with everything I was juggling tumbling down around me. It was clear that things needed to change. I started Evouke in 2019 as a solopreneur. Then, I had to pause it when I became severely ill. And then, in 2022, it was resurrected. With the help of amazing and patient clients, Evouke 2.0 was born.
It wasn't just me anymore; I had a team and was striving to mould Evouke into an inclusive, empathetic, patient, and supportive venture while ensuring profitability. The learning curve was steep.
But there were lots of things that needed to be figured out. So here I am, forcing myself to be patient with my cocooned business, allowing myself permission to pause social media activity whilst silencing worries about what that might do to the reputation of Evouke.
Because ultimately it doesn’t matter what the whole world thinks. It only matters what you, our cherished Evouke Entrepreneurs, think.
Those who are patient and willing to wait out this cocoon whilst Evouke grows, reorganises and develops to emerge as something spectacularly worth the wait.
