In the 1990s a lot of things changed. The cold war was over, the world was becoming smaller as our individual worlds expanded, and a little thing called the Internet was about to get really, really, really big. All of this change caused business philosophers to do some seriously deep thinking. The result of all this thinking expressed itself through radical new philosophies in books like The Cluetrain Manifesto, Predators and Pray, and The Innovator’s Dilemma. The books outline a business ecosystem philosophy that outline a tactical mindset which strengthens a companies strategy.
The largest structural change to business between the Baby Boom and the 1990s, other than the adoption of fax machines, had been the concept of telecommuting (Thanks Generation X!). What happened next was part Internet, part generational culture, and part gentrification but it amounted to nothing less than a total reinvention of the way businesses conduct their affairs on an international scale. The business ecosystem model, promoted by James Moore in the Harvard Business Review, was picked up by Cisco and became the touchstone of their “locally-global” mantra. It allowed them to thrive in an environment where others failed during the post dot-com bust at the end of the decade.
Business Ecosystem
The business ecosystem approach espouses a biological view of business relationships instead of a vertical (feudal) one. Understanding businesses as players in an interdependent system enables its members to move towards a shared vision, evolving their capabilities over time in a symbiotic way instead of every member company existing to support the mothership. It creates a durability that stands up well to economic cycles and allows partners to lean on one another when times get tough.
Whether or not you realize it, your company is almost certainly part of a business ecosystem. Learning to recognize your role in that business ecosystem is the first step towards evolving into something greater. It will bring you closer to your business partners and allow you to better understand your own strengths while letting your relationships reinforce your vulnerabilities.
Marketing Technology and the Business Ecosystem
At Mojo Creator, we believe that both your enterprise and ours are living, breathing parts of a greater organism. We believe the purpose of that organism is to do good in the world; to make lives better, easier, and more efficient. The goals of making money and making the world a better place are not mutually exclusive but, rather, interdependent.
Our marketing and technological capability will evolve to best serve your business ecosystem and, as a result, your business will evolve faster and see a greater return on investment. We look forward to learning more about how we can grow together over the next few years.
Read those three books and wondering what’s next? Mojo Creator recommends “The Lights in the Tunnel: Automation, Accelerating Technology and the Economy of the Future” (2009) by Martin Ford. You won’t regret reading it!
