Find the Right Ecosystem for Your Start-up
The closer you keep something to your chest, the less breathing space it has. Imagine your start-up is a bird, one which you dearly love and want to protect, one you keep in your almost completely closed fist: it cannot grow, it can’t understand the environment surrounding it, it doesn’t understand how it fits in, it doesn’t know what is a danger and what is an opportunity, nor does it know how to use its wings and fly.
You are afraid that if you open up your fist, the bird will be gone, possibly attacked by predatory birds and, probably, you will never get to see it again.
Many start-up founders have a similar approach when it comes to their business: the more they keep the outside world out, they think the safer their start-up will be, and no one will come and steal their ideas.
Nothing, nothing can be further from the truth. We learn from our interactions with others. We pick up ideas for growth or improvement from our conversations with like-minded business owners, especially other start-up founders who either are or were like us. To thrive, we need to be part of an ecosystem – just like our own biological life is: a vast network of anatomical processes.
Some start-up founders may be afraid that, should they collaborate with each other, they would lose their competitive advantage. Collaboration does not imply competition: it implies creativity, the drive to create something better and faster (not just in terms of a product or service, but in terms of wider societal use), and a new leadership ethos.
Ecosystems become particularly important in any and all circular economy initiatives and sustainability driven businesses: alliances and partnerships for mutual development and growth, for creating additional supply chain avenues, for ‘piggy-backing’ on what is already there and making it better for everyone, not just for you.
There is a very true and timely adage circulating these days across various social media channels: ‘what got us here won’t get us there.’ And it is surprising, once you find your ecosystem – your place of creative entrepreneurial safety and growth – how many opportunities suddenly open up to you.
Your start-up needs other start-ups to learn from, corporate clients to interact with, and various investors to keep close to. And, if you have not found your ecosystem yet, you can start with ours (providing your application to join meets our criteria): and the sky will be your limit.
You can also have a look at our Business Configurator that is solely dedicated to sustainable start-ups. We help you configure your start-up for both profit and purpose and, after 12 modules of intensive business coaching, mentoring, dry-pitching, and networking with industry experts, angel investors, venture capitalists and other start-ups in the community, you will see the enormous difference we make to your business: we optimise your business to be investment-ready.
Join our Business Configurator to scale-up your product, and be confident about what it can deliver to your customer base. Apply now