Ecosystems: Riding on Them, and Creating Them

An ecosystem is a system of interdependent organisms. In business, it’s the network of relationships, platforms, and communities that sustain and amplify what you do.

Most people ride on ecosystems without realising it. They benefit from existing communities and the work others have done to create the conditions for their success. This is fine. But it creates dependency.

Creating your own ecosystem is harder, slower, and more valuable. It means building the conditions in which others can thrive – and in which you thrive alongside them.

What I’ve learned about ecosystem creation:

1. Start with a genuine shared interest. Not a market segment – a real thing that real people care about.
2. Create conditions, not just content. The ecosystem needs space for others to contribute.
3. Celebrate others. An ecosystem where one person is the star isn’t an ecosystem. It’s an audience.
4. Be patient. Ecosystems take years and thousands of small interactions to develop.
5. Stay in service. The moment you start extracting more than you’re contributing, the ecosystem weakens.