[Orson Welles in “The Third Man” - via https://medium.com/@ConwayHall/the-third-man-dda88abdb96]
I’ve been part of several different conversations and events recently around the shape of Economic Development, “Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Building,” and a Responsible Tech/Innovation/Civic Future. For the most part, they’ve left me encouraged and sometimes inspired.
One element I find hopeful is that the future many of the people involved want and are pursuing is more human. Where the individual entrepreneur, family or audience or community member is not only the focus of the work, but also an active participant in shaping it.
Several years ago, I participated on a regional workforce board. I remember feeling how disconnected it was, but I don’t think I fully understood why. I believe my takeaway was that it was mostly helpful when you could see some macro trend and could address skills and training needs at some kind of scale. Entrepreneurship and the specialized skillsets sometimes needed for new and innovative business were far from that room.
[The ‘Dots’ in “The Third Man” - via https://medium.com/@ConwayHall/the-third-man-dda88abdb96]
When workforce, housing, and transportation topics come up it is useful to have that sense of scale. And necessary too to take a systems - even ecosystem - approach to trying to understand the whole problem, places we might make interventions, and ways we can seek to learn and adjust based on what we discover.
However, it feels necessary to also keep the individual and groups in mind:
Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Building and Entrepreneurs First
One principle in the emerging field of “Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Building” is its focus on supporting individual entrepreneurs, including a recognition that most entrepreneurs are different. Field development efforts are focused on the builders themselves, but the intended beneficiary of that work is the entrepreneur, with benefit to the ecosystem coming as a result of entrepreneurial success and entrepreneurship community growth.
Civic and Public Interest Tech: Build With
Through the evolution of Public Interest Tech, what may have started as a white/male/tech savior approach to solving other people’s problems toward more of not only a human centered design approach but true partnership among technologists, policy makers, and intended beneficiaries to design, test, and implement tools and systems that people will really use to improve lives.
Mutualism and the Dazzle
Zebras Unite has taken what I’d consider a healthier approach to entrepreneurship, employees and team members, as well as the communities around them. Their framework recognizes not only the individual entrepreneurs and the many different journeys their ventures may take, but also, the advantages of mutualistic approaches both within teams and larger communities.
From an economic development perspective, I think you do need both, but I do think we can adjust our behavior and results by flipping the priorities to think about, talk, work, and feel with community members so we have that understanding when we look at the anonymized numbers.
Humans First, Numbers Also.
[Note: I’m starting to lean in on more regular posts to process thoughts and feelings around Community, Economic, and Ecosystem Development. I’d appreciate any feedback.]