What are Ecosystems?

“Ever-changing networks of people, resources, organizations, & other assets united by a common characteristics, and the activity and relationships between them” doesn’t quite roll off the tongue. We’ll break down exactly what ecosystems are, where they appear, and summarize why they matter

The Ecosystem Structure

Ecosystems are complex adaptive networks made up of assets and the relationships between them. That’s awesome - but what does it mean? We break down the fundamental structure of an ecosystem to help you understand how this structure creates many of the characteristics common to ecosystems

Why do Ecosystems Matter?

Ecosystems are everywhere - from our personal networks to the industries we work within, we operate within dozens of ecosystems every day. But why do these ecosystems matter? What do we gain by understanding them as ecosystems? We break it down.

What is Ecosystem Mapping?

Ecosystems exist all around us - but how do you know who is doing what, or what is going on within them? That’s where the process of ecosystem mapping comes in - we break down what an ecosystem map is, why they are hard to build, and how having one can transform an ecosystem

The Assets of Ecosystems

Ecosystems are made up of different "things", including Organizations, Resource, People, Jobs, Events, and News. These "things" are called Assets, and they are the nodes of every ecosystem. There are both Primary and Secondary Assets, and we break them down here.

Relationships: The Edges of Ecosystems

If Assets form the nodes of an ecosystem, what forms the edges? Relationships! How different assets relate to eachother form the core network that underlies an ecosystem - we break down the different types of relationships and what we can learn from them

Attributes of Ecosystems

We know now that Ecosystems are made of Assets and Relationships, and that each of these components have characteristics of their own. But what attributes define ecosystems as a whole? Here, we discuss Ecosystem Attributes such as their Unifying Factors, Size, Interconnectedness, and Stage of Development

Structural Causes of Ecosystem Challenges

Why do so many diverse ecosystems face the same challenges? The underlying structure of ecosystems makes them prone to certain challenges, such as silos, misalignment, and sustaining momentum. Here, we take a look at why the structure of ecosystems creates these challenges

Types of Ecosystems (Coming Soon)

Entrepreneurial Communities, Industries, Supply Chains, Partner Networks, and Impact Initiatives are all different types of ecosystem - but what constitutes a "Type"? While all Ecosystems share the same underlying structure, ecosystems of the same type also have similar network makeups, including density and cluster structures

Entrepreneurial Communities (Coming Soon)

The word “Ecosystem” really took off from the field of Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Building, or the practice of building stronger economies through fostering entrepreneurship - whether for tech, small businesses, arts, or beyond

Industries & Sectors (Coming Soon)

You may have heard “The Crypto Ecosystem” or the “Supply Chain Ecosystem” - but what do these phrases mean? We’ll take a look at Industry & Sector ecosystems, how they are structured, and how the ecosystem framework can be used to understand them

Partner Networks (Coming Soon)

If you’ve ever used the phrase “engage our organization’s partner network”, you’re talking about an ecosystem! Partner Networks are a unique form of ecosystem that center around a core node - typically an organization. We dive into them here

Breaking Down Silos (Coming Soon)

Silos - clusters of assets working separately from the broader ecosystem - are one of the most pervasive problems that ecosystems face. How do silos form? Are they inherently bad? We break them down conceptually, providing actionable ways for you to break them down actually

Preventing Misalignment (Coming Soon)

Whether we like it or not, our ecosystems are bound together. So what happens when one part of the ecosystem wants to go up, and another part wants to go down? We examine common causes of ecosystem misalignment, and provide strategies to mitigate and prevent it within ecosystems small and large

Maintaining Momentum (Coming Soon)

When it comes to driving change in your ecosystem, it can be easy to get people excited - but keeping it that way? That’s the hard part. Maintaining momentum in an ecosystem is challenging because of how ecosystems are structured - learn how to combat it using the same principles

Introduction to Ecosystem-Led Development (Coming Soon)

Ecosystem-Led Development is a paradigm for developing effective solutions to complex, systems-level problems by leveraging the characteristics of ecosystems to create more effective, efficient, and equitable change initiatives.