Coordinated behavior is a hallmark of development. If a cell expresses genes for one cell type, it should not also express the genes for another type. Signals that control an animal's growth should be uniform throughout the body, to prevent one part of the body growing faster than another. I will present two theoretical projects, driven by experimental work on the nematode worm C. elegans in our group, that point to depletion of a common pool of resources as a coordinating force. I will first discuss how depletion of gene expression resources can prevent erroneous induction of neuron fate in networks underlying C. elegans neurodevelopment. Next, I will discuss how stochastic pulses of insulin signaling can be synchronized by depletion of a common pool of insulins to ensure a uniform arrest of body growth in C. elegans under external stress.