Adaptation: The Spider-Verse of Business
By Cam Chicko ‘27, Associate
In Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, its groundbreaking animation and the introduction of new heroes come together to highlight the true heart of the story: adaptation. Just as Miles Morales must evolve to prove himself as Spider-Man in an ever-changing multiverse, companies must adapt to shifting market conditions to remain competitive. While some innovations disrupt industries and redefine success, others fail in the process. This insight explores the parallels between the Spider-Verse and the business world, arguing that just as Miles learns that being Spider-Man requires more evolution, companies must do more than simply follow what they have been previously doing — they must continuously adapt to survive.
Disruptive innovations have the power to transform industries, most often starting small before becoming dominant players. Amazon, for example, began as a small online bookseller and faced years of financial losses. But in 1996, its revenue had a big jump from $4.2 million to $8.5 million, with a $100,000 decrease in quarterly losses. This moment was much like Miles Morales’ first leap off a building, an early sign of potential that would later lead to something much bigger. Amazon’s success did not come from sales growth alone. It was due to them recognizing and adapting to a shift in consumer behavior toward e-commerce and investing in logistics, customer experience, and cloud computing through AWS.
The Spider-Verse is unpredictable, much like the investment world. Some trends change the game, while others fade. During COVID-19, at-home fitness boomed. Peloton’s stock price rose from $30 in March 2020 to an all-time high of $171 in December 2020, while revenue grew from $915 million in 2019 to $4 billion in 2021. However, from 2022 to the present, Peloton has experienced a rapid decline, with stock prices dropping to $5 per share in early 2024 and revenue falling to $2.8 billion in 2023. Peloton’s rise and fall mirrors Miles Morales’ journey through the Spiderverse. At first, Miles seems unstoppable after finally harnessing his powers, just like Peloton when it became popular within at-home fitness spaces during the pandemic. But as Miles faces new challenges, like the Spider Society’s secret dark side and the growth of The Spot making him a major threat, he realizes that being Spider-Man isn’t only about having powers — if he is truly going to save everyone, he is going to have to be different than all the other Spider-People and adapt. Similarly, Peloton’s early success was fueled by a unique moment in time, but as gyms reopened and competition from Apple Fitness+ and other fitness platforms increased, it struggled to evolve. Miles must redefine what it means to be Spider-Man on his own terms just like companies must continuously innovate to stay ahead or risk being left behind.
Both Across the Spider-Verse and investing highlight the power of disruption and adaptation. Just as Miles Morales redefines Spider-Man, new innovations reshape industries. Recognizing potential early, whether in heroes or markets, can lead to great rewards, but long-term success depends on the ability to adapt, not just disrupt.
Cam Chicko is from Londonderry, New Hampshire, and is currently pursuing a degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance. This semester, he is interning at 603 Brewery in Londonderry, where he works in a finance and marketing role. On campus, Cam is looking to get involved with the Real Estate and Entrepreneurship Club, as well as competing in intramural flag football and basketball. In his free time, he enjoys staying active through lifting, skiing, and playing pickleball. Cam’s passion for business is driven by the success he has seen his family achieve, inspiring him to build a fulfilling career in the field.
