TaskForceReport_Section_3

Section 3 - Connectors

Entrepreneurship in the Globalized Era: Instilling Innovation through Policy,

Competition, and Networks

Occidental College

School of the Liberal Arts

Task Force Report 2012

�1

Section 3 - Connectors

Task Force Advisor

Sanjeev Khagram

Task Force Evaluator

Rebecca Hwang

Task Force Members

Adam Guarneri

Harneet Kaur (Editor)

Alexander KeatLauren Mahoney (Editor)

Samuel Pastor (Coordinator)

Ashley QuintanaZack Del Rosario

Christina Seyfried (Coordinator)

Fay Walker

�2

Section 3 - Connectors

The Role of Connectors in Fostering

Entrepreneurial Ecosystems

Samuel Pastor

Introduction:

The role and importance of the connector is increasing as a result of globalization.

Rolodex model connectors played the role of leveraging resource for entrepreneurs (for example

helping them to find investors and mentors.) The increase in economic liberalism broadens the

number of innovative and entrepreneurial communities. The ITC revolution universalizes the

role once played by a few specific individuals. Email, social media and social networking sites

do not replace the importance of the connector they just widen their scope. Connectors must

focus on taking a much more active role in bringing entrepreneurs, tribes and communities

together. Connectors form bridges between different pieces of the ecosystem: the public sector,

the private sector and the third-estate. Connectors also have an important role to play diffusing

information to drive innovation. The rise of the internet puts new tools at the disposal of

connectors and this is why supporting connectors is the best way to foster entrepreneurship.

In the previous two sections we have differentiated between micro and macro level

connectors. The first section in this chapter focused on individuals as connectors. At the

individual level connectors rely heavily on personal connections. The section also noted the

essential characteristics of connectors like curiosity, the ability to foster trust, the ability to

�3

Section 3 - Connectors

promote open conversations and the ability to act as an impartial arbitrator. The second

section in this chapter focused on the unique functions of institutions as connectors: the ability

to connect communities, provide forums and provide conferences and competitions. Both

micro and macro-level connectors function as hubs of information. The big difference between

micro and macro level connectors is that micro-level connectors are better at fostering

connections where trust is an issue. Macro-level connectors facilitate connections based on

shared interest. Thus macro-level connectors and micro-level connectors need not be substitutes,

they can be complements. In this sense, macro-level connectors provide the tools which

empower micro-level connectors. This chapter looks at how connectors can support the growth

of healthy entrepreneurial ecosystems and contribute to the diffusion of information which is

central to the process of innovation.

In the rolodex model of entrepreneurship and innovation connectors relied on

primary connections to bring people together and to spread ideas. In the IPhone model

connectors have tools at their disposal which significantly increase their reach. Social

networking sites create forums which provide a space for micro-level connectors to reach a wider

audience. To illustrate how macro-level connectors expand the purview of micro-level

connectors we employ the case study of LinkedIn. On one level it shows how macro-level

connectors are more efficiently doing the job of the Rolodex connector. On another level it

empowers micro-level connectors by providing them with new tools. Macro-level connectors

do not replace micro-level connectors, they complement them. Both macro and micro level

connectors play key roles in the diffusion of information. First we look at the Rolodex model of

the connector. Second, we look at the IPhone model. In particular we are concerned with how the

�4

Section 3 - Connectors

ITC revolution increases the reach of the connector. This leads into the discussion of the role of

the connector in entrepreneurial ecosystems and in diffusing innovation. To conclude we discuss

some of the ways the connectors can support the growth healthy cultures of innovation and

entrepreneurship.

Rolodex Model of the Connector

In the Rolodex model connectors played a specific role, to add-value to social

interactions. To illustrate the characteristics and limitations of the Rolodex model a thought

experiment is useful. Betty is a connector. She goes to a conference and meets John. John is a

recent graduate of a prestigious school with a great idea. Betty loves John’s idea so she tells her

friend Jim who is a venture capitalist. She gives John Jim’s contact information and, later on, Jim

contacts John and they set up a meeting. Betty’s work is done.

Several important characteristics of the role played by the Rolodex connector in

supporting entrepreneurship are illustrated by this simple thought experiment. First, Betty is

using her primary connections to bring like-minded people together. If Betty had forgotten about

her friend Jim the connection would never have happened. Thus memory is an issue. Second,

Betty is vouching for John. If Betty thought that John’s idea was a bad one she would never have

called Jim. Jim trusts Betty, without her he would never have talked to Jim. Third, Betty receives

nothing for the interaction. Although she has added-value to her social interactions she doesn’t

reap any of the benefits. Section I suggests a number of reasons why she would play the role of

connector in the Rolodex paradigm, including intrinsic curiosity. Connectors continue to play

many of the same functions in the IPhone model; however, the relative importance of each

�5

Section 3 - Connectors

activity is rearranged. Vouching becomes increasingly important while passively connecting

individuals considerably less so.

Social Networking and the IPhone Model of the Connector

Hardware from the ITC revolution increases the number of tools available to connectors

to support entrepreneurship and innovation. Armed with IPhones connectors are more powerful

than ever before. They have their contact lists at their disposal 24/7 and add-value whenever, and

wherever, they find it. At the same time software, like social media sites, fills a hole traditionally

played by connectors. At the conference the majority of participants cited email as their primary

form of communication. Email is important to the work of connectors because it allows them to

connect directly and instantaneously with people from around the world. Why then, according to

Konstantine Guericke co-founder of LinkedIn, does LinkedIn “cuts out” the old connector by

allowing people to directly access the individuals in their connections networks? To understand

what he means we must first be acquainted with the structure of Linked-In networks.

Below is a visualization of a Linked-In network. Nodes on the graph designate particular 1

individuals. Lines between nodes indicate connections between individuals, the bigger the node

the more connections that individual has within the network. There are two distinct clusters. Both

are relatively small (N<150) and they are deeply interconnected. These are tribes. There are 2

Visualizations of LinkedIn networks are provided by the website: http://inmaps.linkedinlabs.com/ 1

According to Logan “fish school, birds flock and people tribe.” Tribes are groups of people, between 20 and 150 2

who are connected to an idea, a leader and each other. When they get much larger they split into different tribes. For more information on corporate tribalism see Logan, David, John Paul King, and Halee Fischer-Wright. 2008. Tribal leadership: leveraging natural groups to build a thriving organization. New York: Collins. For more information on how to find a niche and lead a tribe: Godin, Seth. 2008. Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us. New York: Portfolio. and Godin, Seth, and Jessica Hagy. 2010. Linchpin: Are You Indispensible? New York: Portfolio.

�6

Section 3 - Connectors

multiple bridges between the clusters; these are “alternative pathways.” LinkedIn allows people

in the “red tribe” to directly contact the people in the “blue tribe.” Thus the connector does not

need to play an active role bringing these individuals together. Rather, anybody on LinkedIn can

find themselves passively playing the role of the connector. The conclusion is clear: LinkedIn 3

cuts out the necessity of the role of the connector by allowing people to contact each other

directly. Perhaps surprisingly, the importance of the micro-level connector is heightened, not

diminished, as connectors still have valuable roles to play acting as bridges between tribes.

Another way to understand how LinkedIn changes the paradigm of innovation and

entrepreneurship is to imagine that an employee of Corporation A wants to do a partnership with

Corporation B. How would he figure out who he needs to talk to? Today, he can go on LinkedIn

and search for the VP of

marketing at Corporation B.

Not only could he find him and

send him a personal message

but he can see all the paths

which connect them to each

other. These paths may be

singular or they may be

multiple. First, institutional

This dynamic has been modeled by researchers at Columbia University. They have found equilibrium models for 3

both passive and active influencers which are consistent with Gladwell’s model of the connector. Galeotti, Andrea and Goyal, Sanjeev 2009 “The Law of the Few” Columbia University and Malcom Gladwell’s The Tipping Point: See Gladwell, Malcolm. 2000. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. Boston: Little, Brown.

�7

Section 3 - Connectors

connectors are entrepreneurs looking to fill a specific position. Like Jim, the employee of

Corporation A is an entrepreneur. Second, in a sense LinkedIn cuts out the old connector as

Betty’s role is now played more efficiently by a social networking site.

This is what Konstantine meant when he said that LinkedIn “cuts out” the role of the

connector. Third, since you can see the connections of your friends it is impossible for

connectors to “hide” or “forget” about their connections. In the first example Betty was the only

path between Jim and John. In the second example the employee of Company B can see all the

different paths which connect him to the VP of marketing at Company B. He can use the

connections not only of the archetypical connectors but also the connections of his connections

who do not choose to play the active role of connector. Thus LinkedIn empowers both

independent and institutional entrepreneurs.

One of the characteristics of social networking sites is that they cut out the necessity of

the traditional connector while at the same time increasing the power of connectors to bring

together tribes and communities. The biggest limitation of macro-level connectors is a direct

result of “cutting out” the micro-level connector. Members of the “red tribe” have significantly

less reason to trust the “blue tribe.” Restoring trust should be a priority for macro-level

connectors. This can be done through exclusivity and by providing incentives for individuals to

act ethically.

Entrepreneurial ecosystems and innovation require the participation of many tribes and

many communities but overcoming the boundary of trust or finding mutual interests can be hard.

How do connectors support tribes and communities? Leadership is important to a tribe because a

�8

Section 3 - Connectors

tribe without leadership is only a crowd. Connectors can provide crowds with purpose and 4

direction. The unifying idea or common sentiment is integral because it is the glue that binds the

individuals together. It gives them a shared identity and a common purpose. The difference

between a tribe and a community is that while all the members of a tribe know each other,

members of a community do not. Members of a community are held together by shared interest,

a shared identity and a common culture. Silicon Valley is a community, YouNoodle is a tribe. 5

Micro-level connectors are better at connecting tribes while macro-level connectors are better at

connecting communities. Tribes and communities are important because they are the level of

social organization that mitigates between the ecosystem and the individual.

When prompted about the underutilized resources on Facebook the most vocal of the

team-leaders responded: “the groups.” Facebook groups, like groups on other platforms, are a

powerful force for bringing together tribes and communities. By creating a forum for social

interactions based upon shared interest macro-level connectors enable micro-level connectors.

For this reason it could be argued that Facebook. Twitter, LinkedIn and the multitudes of other

social media sites are connectors because they create a space for social interaction. In addition

to groups and email, connectors can use blogs to disseminate information. These three online

platforms offer connectors new tools that empower them to reach unprecedented numbers of

people. In short, smart phones and new software make connectors more powerful than ever

before. Everyday new technology is emerging which adds to their tool kit. In the IPhone model

Godin, 24

Communities are held together by shared interest. They share some of the characteristics of what Benedict 5

Anderson has calls Imaginary Communities. See Anderson, Benedict R. O'G. 1991. Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism. London: Verso.

�9

Section 3 - Connectors

connectors should be less concerned with connecting particular individuals than with connecting

groups of individuals. The most powerful connectors are likely to act as bridges between tribes,

communities and ecosystems. By creating strong linkages they will play an instrumental role in

the diffusion of best practices. As a result, connectors have an important role to play fostering

entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Connectors and Entrepreneurial Ecosystems

Section I explored entrepreneurial ecosystems. We found that governments can support

the growth of healthy entrepreneurial ecosystems by creating a policy environment conducive to

entrepreneurship and innovation. In Chile the government played an active role supporting the

growth of an entrepreneurial ecosystem. In Israel the government invested $500 million in

venture capital funds. In California the government played a less important, but no doubt

significant, role in the formation of the Valley. Civil-society and the private sector also have

important roles to play in entrepreneurial ecosystems. The third-estate includes academia and the

litany of incubators and accelerators which connect entrepreneurs with the mentors, investors

and other resources necessary to spur success. In terms of theories of entrepreneurship, as the

speaker at Skydeck , (Find Name) an accelerator associated with UC Berkeley put it, instead of 6

thinking about clusters we need to start thinking about “clusters of clusters” because the cluster

model cannot describe why industries have popped up in completely unexpected places. The idea

of entrepreneurial ecosystems is the new model. The overarching theme of this section is that the

http://skydeck.berkeley.edu/ 6

�10

Section 3 - Connectors

cluster model of economic development is dead. The new model is of clusters of innovation. 7

The shift from the Rolodex connector to the IPhone connector is related to the shift from the

cluster model to the entrepreneurial ecosystem model.

“Clusters of clusters” are similar to entrepreneurial ecosystems. David Isenberg argues

that we cannot create a cause and effect model for the development of entrepreneurial

ecosystems because they are too complex. At the same time he argues that we know enough

about entrepreneurial

ecosystems to create

them for ourselves.

Isenberg is a veteran

entrepreneur and the

foremost academic in

the field of

entrepreneurial

ecosystems. He is a

veteran of the Israeli

high-tech industry where he worked first as an entrepreneur and then as an investor. He has

taught at Harvard and the Technion (Israel’s foremost science and technology academy.) Isenberg

Reviewing the cluster model in detail would take us beyond the scope of this paper. Recently, Michael 7

Porter has made adjustments to his model to accommodate entrepreneurship. For more information seeL Delgado, Mercedes, Porter, Michael E., and Stern, Scott. 2011. Clusters and Entrepreneurship. Oxford University Press. 2010

�11

Section 3 - Connectors

is an advisor governments on how to start entrepreneurial ecosystems. He is a consultant for 8

Goldman Sachs on their 10,000 small business program. Currently, he is a professor at from

Babson College where he no longer researches entrepreneurial ecosystems; he “creates them.”

The Isenberg model of entrepreneurial ecosystems has six domains and thirteen

component parts (Figure 2): policy, finance, culture, supports, human capital, and markets. As 9

pointed out in section two, all the domains are interconnected and they function on the three

different levels of the individual, the organization and the ecosystem. For our purposes the model

is useful because it highlights two important roles of the connectors. First, connectors leverage

resources and create linkages between members of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Micro-level

connectors foster trust to build social connections. Macro-level connectors bring communities of

stakeholders together based upon mutual interest At both levels the role of the connector is to

bring together the different domains of the entrepreneurial ecosystem using trust and mutual

interest as unifying forces. Second, connectors bring entrepreneurs, tribes and communities into

the fold of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Connectors are capable of breaking through the cell

wall of the ecosystem to bring in new ideas and groups of people. Thus, connectors create both

intra-ecosystem and inter-ecosystem ties. For our purposes we have chosen, instead, to look at

the role of the connector as it relates to the three primary actors in entrepreneurial ecosystems:

the public sector, the private sector and the third estate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQDcRNR_sQ0 Isenberg talks to leaders of Ireland about Entrepreneurial 8

Ecosystems as Policy.

Isenberg, Daniel 2011 “Introducing the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem: Four Defining Characteristics” 9

Forbes

�12

Section 3 - Connectors

The single most important actor in entrepreneurial ecosystems is the government. With

regard to entrepreneurial ecosystems government have three important roles: they create policy,

they provide infrastructure and, in some cases they invest directly in entrepreneurial activities

either by starting competitions or through direct investments. Immigration policy, in particular,

limits the people who a connector can physically bring into the entrepreneurial ecosystem. 10

Lack of physical infrastructure and funding can also hamper the abilities of connectors to support

the growth of healthy entrepreneurial ecosystems. While government can play a role by directly

funding ecosystems this is not preferable. In the end, sustainable ecosystems are privately

funded. Maintaining ties with governments is the most important connection a connector can

have in the early stages of building entrepreneurial ecosystems.

The private sector is the second most important element in entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Firms can provide the finance and access to markets that budding ventures desperately need.

However these ideas, in the words of Egyptian Investor, “need to be world-class” and they are

not easy to find. Examples of successful companies with unexpected origins include DropBox,

Skype and Angry Birds. At the conference, investors in developing markets spoke about

promising companies that connectors had brought to their attention. They used the example of a

movie theater chain in Mexico and a cellphone directory service in India. Neither company

innovated, instead they took an idea from one place and planted it somewhere else. In doing so

they found a niche in their domestic market. Investors need connectors to sort through the muck.

They need them to find high-profit companies in developing markets. These are connectors who

In Chile the government combines all these elements. They supply $40,000 to entrepreneurs to start a business. 10

The only string attached is that they must set up a company in Chile. (For more information on Start-Up Chile Section I, Chapter ?)

�13

Section 3 - Connectors

“won’t waste (their) time” when they vouch for particular companies. Thus connectors can be the

eyes and ears of investors on the ground. The internet expands the reach of connectors. Using

email and social media connectors can reach a larger audience than ever before. This increases

their value to investors. Second, large firms have the capital to buy-out smaller firms. The ability

to exit markets is very important to serial entrepreneurs. Once a start-up has reached a particular

period in the lifecycle of the firm and growth rates begin to decrease it is time for them to be

bought out. Connectors are needed to find buyers. In time, a macro-level connector might solve

the buy-out problem by constructing a platform with well-defined parameters to help investors

find successful under-the-radar companies abroad. However, such a platform would need to

solve the problem of trust. In the meantime firms and investors are likely to rely primarily on the

ability of micro-level connectors to vouch for entrepreneurs.

Civil-society is the final major element in entrepreneurial ecosystems. First, academia is

one of the only places where knowledge can be pursued for knowledge’s sake. At the conference

we visited two Universities – UC Berkeley and Stanford – and spoke with a representative of

another – Singularity University. Singularity focuses on the biggest problems – “how do we

impact 1 billion people in a decade.” Universities are important because they can offer the 11

support (human and financial capital) to encourage both innovation and entrepreneurship.

Second, universities have business plan competitions which can be helpful to budding

entrepreneurs and are often connected to accelerators and incubators. The goal may not be to

Singularity University, based in the heart of Silicon Valley, is a new university. Our mission is to 11

assemble, educate and inspire a new generation of leaders who strive to understand and utilize exponentially advancing technologies to address humanity’s grand challenges. http://singularityu.org/about/overview/

�14

Section 3 - Connectors

create the next big company, but to give the next generation experience starting firms.

Connectors are important to civil society because they diffuse the knowledge which comes out of

universities and they help budding entrepreneurs find competitions that suit their interests.

Connectors also play a role bringing entrepreneurs into contact with key stakeholders in

accelerators and incubators. These may or may not be affiliated with the University.

Within the context of an entrepreneurial ecosystem connectors play the instrumental role

of connecting the public sector, the private sector and the third estate. Connectors also play an

important role by helping entrepreneurial ecosystems to become connected to each other and to

share best practices. IPhone connectors have new tools at their disposal - social media, social

networking, and email - which make it easier than ever before to foster personal connections and

to create communities based on common interests. However, spurring entrepreneurship is only

half of the job of connectors, they also have to support innovation.

Connectors and Innovation

"I think the [Ansari] X PRIZE should be viewed as the beginning of one giant leap..."

Dr. Buzz AldrinNASA Astronaut

Apollo 11

Section II explored the ways in which innovation can be supported. The R&D model for

supporting innovation is dead. However, the most important actor/stakeholder for spurring

innovation continues to be large firms. Case studies of Shell, Intel, Goldman Sacks and others

lead us to suggest that the “open-firm” is the key to maintaining a competitive edge. We also

suggest that large firms can use well designed competitions to great effect. The advantage of

�15

Section 3 - Connectors

competitions is that solutions often come from unexpected places; the hard part is getting

information about the competition to those who can solve the problem. In this context,

connectors are needed to help bridge the gap between stakeholders. They do this by transferring

information through their networks. Thus, connectors have a key role to play and those interested

in innovation should be watching them.

While firms have the greatest incentive to invest in innovation, governments and civil-

society also have important reasons to be involved. Competitions and challenges can be used to

create new products, or elements of products, and to find unexpected solutions. Examples of

government led challenges at the federal level include NASA’s Centennial Challenge and at the 12

local level, SFCiti. Civil society can also spur innovation by promoting challenges like the 13

Ansari X-Prize. YouNoodle provides a platform which enables firms, governments and civil-14

society to organize and run competitions. This is a good example for macro-level connectors of

how to enable competitions. In sum, connectors play the role of diffusing information about

competitions and other programs which are promoted by both the private and the public sector.

By getting information to the people who need it connectors support entrepreneurial ecosystems.

The Centennial Challenges seek to: 12

• Drive progress in aerospace technology of value to NASA's missions • Encourage the participation of independent teams, individual inventors, student groups and private companies of all sizes in

aerospace research and development • Find the most innovative solutions to technical challenges through competition and cooperation

http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oct/stp/centennial_challenges/index.html

SF Citi “ Leveraging the collective power of the tech sector as a force for civic action in San 13

Francisco” http://www.sfciti.com/

http://space.xprize.org/ansari-x-prize 14

�16

Section 3 - Connectors

How do connectors get information to the people who need it? What are their limitations?

Email and social networking are the primary tools cited by connectors at YN1K to get

knowledge out about their competition. The key role of the connector in fostering innovation is a

product of their ability to aid in the diffusion of valuable information. Connectors know a lot of

people. They can use their network to move knowledge or to block it. However connectors are

not the innovators. It follows that the primary limitation for connectors in this context is a lack of

good ideas. They are also hampered by not knowing enough, or perhaps more importantly the

right, people.

Regardless, connectors play a critical role in the diffusion of information. Theoretically, a

connector of connectors in Silicon Valley could have a network so large that he could access the

whole world through his secondary network. (This is a goal for which YouNoodle should strive!)

Connectors and Culture

Measuring entrepreneurship and innovation is difficult. Innovation and entrepreneurship

require more than physical inputs and the results take a long time to show. Even then, they are

not entirely quantifiable. Measuring the impact of connectors is nearly impossible. In part, this is

because connectors have their most profound impact exactly where it is the most difficult to

measure, they support open, giving cultures which are support risk taking and are accepting of

failure. While as the speaker at Skydeck argued, the “entrepreneurial spirit” is universal there is

evidence that other cultural elements are not widespread. The following list should not be taken

as definitive. Indeed the characteristics may seem to describe Silicon Valley although many of

the characteristics are shared by multiple ecosystems. Nevertheless they are useful as a roadmap

�17

Section 3 - Connectors

for the ways connectors can enable entrepreneurial and innovative cultures. They do this by

diffusing information in their personal interactions and through their networks.

- Culture of Failure: “Failure is not just failure” said a participant from Argentina, “if your

moving forward.” Fear of Failure is the most well-known of the cultural factors inhibiting

innovation and entrepreneurship. Perception of fear of failure is included in most

measurements of entrepreneurial ecosystems. Connectors have an important role to 15

encouraging cultures which are accepting of failure and supportive of risk-taking.

- Culture of Exit: This requires that large firms or investment funds not “rape and pillage”

the companies they invest in but rather the deal should search for a “win-win.” Seasoned

entrepreneurs know when to get out. Connectors have an important role to play helping

investors find companies that are ready to be bought out and connecting young

entrepreneurs with potential mentors.

- Culture of Difference: Research shows that minorities are disproportionately involved in

American entrepreneurship. Silicon Valley is a hodgepodge of people. Israel, Singapore 16

and Chile have similarly diverse cultures. Connectors have an important role to play

bridging a diversity of cultures or tribes. As a result the most effective connectors are

likely to be bilingual, multicultural and have friends from many different places.

The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor measures “perception of fear of failure.” Bosma et al. “Global 15

Entrepreneurship Monitor 2011 Extended Report: Entrepreneurs and Entrepreneurial Employees Across the Globe” Babson College http://www.gemconsortium.org/

Kauffman Institute http://www.kauffman.org/entrepreneurship/minority-entrepreneurship-16

research-highlights.aspx

�18

Section 3 - Connectors

- Culture of Giving: In Silicon Valley the ethos is “pay it forward.” The community

believes in helping others out without thinking about return. This type of culture is the

most unique and takes the longest to cultivate. Further research may show that the culture

of giving is highly correlated with a productive ecosystem.

Conclusion: Key Findings and Recommendation

Today connectors have new tools at their disposal which massively increase their reach. In the

previous two chapters we examined the characteristics of micro and macro connectors. In this

section we have situated them both in entrepreneurial ecosystems and defined their role in

innovation. We have introduced the tools that make connectors more powerful than ever before

and advanced the argument that the best way to foster innovation and entrepreneurship is by

supporting connectors. The IPhone paradigm suggests that connectors have a valuable role

connecting tribes and communities both within entrepreneurial ecosystems and between them.

They are also critical to innovation because they play a central role in the new model of R&D by

diffusing information to various stakeholders.

1.) Connectors need to take leadership positions. Social networking sites like LinkedIn turn

everybody into a passive connector. The IPhone paradigm requires that connectors do more

than bring people together they need to connect the different domains of the entrepreneurial

ecosystem. Connectors also have a valuable role to play between entrepreneurial ecosystems,

helping them to share best practices and next practices. We recommend connectors take

leadership positions in tribes and communities.

�19

Section 3 - Connectors

2.) Connectors need to use the new tools at their disposal more creatively. Connectors are

critical to the diffusion of innovation. Connectors benefit from using blogs, “groups” and the

like to disseminate information to a larger audience. This could also be useful for helping

investors find promising ventures. We recommend connectors utilize social networking and

other technological tools more creatively to spread information and to bring individuals,

tribes and communities together in new and inspiring ways.

3.) Connectors need to support the growth of healthy cultures of innovation and

entrepreneurship. Cultural intangibles are factors which determine the success or failure of

innovation and entrepreneurship within a given community. While the exact mixture of

norms, ideas and beliefs is unique to each ecosystem and depends on a variety of local

factors there are some general guidelines. We recommend that connectors support “giving

cultures” which support risk-taking, understand failure and accept difference.

�20