Frontier Collective reposted this
Entrepreneur-driven ecosystems are the key to innovation success! As Brad Feld famously said, “Entrepreneurs have to lead the charge for a startup community to be successful.” Ecosystems thrive when the energy, ideas, and drive of entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders take center stage, not when governments or corporations try to dictate outcomes. The best ecosystems like Silicon Valley aren’t built by mandates but by fostering collaboration and reducing barriers. For regions outside Silicon Valley to compete globally, governments must rethink their role, not as top-down decision-makers but as facilitators of collaboration. This means investing in platforms that bring together entrepreneurs, startups, corporates, and investors to co-create. As Feld also noted, “You can’t control an entrepreneurial community, you can only participate in it.” Models like Station F in Paris and Newlab in New York show the power of this approach. These hubs aren’t just physical spaces, they’re ecosystem foundations, designed to break down fragmentation and foster thriving communities. They work because they’re entrepreneur-driven, with governments and corporates supporting instead of steering. Not to pick on the region I'm apart of. Here in Vancouver, we see incredible talent, startups and groundbreaking ideas, but fragmentation and silos hold us back. We need to unify our tech ecosystem, bringing everyone who is thinking about the future to the table: from visionary founders and bold investors to academic leaders and policymakers who understand their role is to amplify, not control or to play investor, cherry picking the wins. As Feld wisely put it, “Startup communities are fundamentally networks of people—not hierarchies of organizations.” For governments in emerging hubs, the message is clear: 🌍 Invest in innovation hubs (physical spaces with a platform, not co-working spaces but real places where innovation happens) that bridge gaps and foster collaboration. 🤝 Empower entrepreneurs to lead while ensuring stakeholders have a seat at the table. Don't empower the status-quo or mindsets that drag that down. 🚀 Prioritize ecosystem-building, not just funding individual projects, to drive sustainable growth. Fragmentation is the enemy of innovation. Collaboration, driven by entrepreneurs, is the antidote. Ecosystems of the future, where ideas and people thrive and flourish together.