The world doesn’t run on value chains anymore.
Once upon a time, strategy was about building moats—protecting assets, guarding secrets, and optimising internal processes within a clearly defined corporate boundary. But that world is fading fast.
As Chris Fox put it in a recent #StratChat:
“People talk about open ecosystems rather than monolithic standalone businesses. That requires a different level of collaboration between organisations than the traditional Porter value chain.”
Value Chains still have a place. But we also need to be ready to look beyond them.
What's an "open ecosystem" in strategic terms?
Think Apple’s iPhone. While it may look like a single product, it’s really the result of thousands of partnerships across hardware, software, and services. Any one of these partners—manufacturers, developers, designers—could be a source of leakage. And yet, Apple manages to align them all.
Another participant noted:
“Think about how many tens of thousands of people and hundreds of companies Apple had to integrate with to produce the iPhone. Talk about the potential for a leaky sieve!”
Despite that, Apple shipped. That’s the paradox: the more open your ecosystem, the more critical your strategy execution becomes.
The death of strategic secrecy?
The group explored whether secrecy is even viable anymore.
Chris asked:
“Is deception more difficult in the commercial world than it was before?”
The consensus? Yes.
With AI and real-time data tracking, it’s increasingly hard to hide your moves. Another participant observed:
“If you use all this AI to generate insight, it becomes discoverable. But if the insight is a conversation in a boardroom with no recording, it’s not discoverable.”
And even then—leaks happen. Whether it’s Signal messages from defence ministers or documents left in public inboxes, the control of information is slipping.
Why open ecosystems are worth the risk
Despite these risks, openness offers unmatched strategic advantages:
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Speed through collaboration – Getting feedback early helps you iterate faster.
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Stronger value propositions – Cross-industry partnerships enable you to deliver more holistic customer experiences.
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Network effects – Open ecosystems grow faster as more players join and co-create value.
As one participant shared:
“There’s a school of thought that says build in public. What’s unique is your execution. You’ll have competitors anyway. Why not get there faster with help?”
So what should strategists do?
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Accept that strategy is no longer fully private.
If you’re not discussing your ideas openly, someone else is—and they may attract the partnerships, customers, or funding first. -
Balance transparency with “air-gapping” critical insights.
Not everything should be public. Critical competitive moats—like algorithms, pricing models or acquisition plans—may still require guarded spaces. -
Design ecosystems, not just business models.
Strategic execution today means aligning partners, suppliers, data systems, and even customers around a shared vision. -
Use StratNavApp.com to manage complexity.
With StratNavApp, you can model your stakeholders, track competitive intelligence, and keep everyone aligned without losing control of your IP.
Final Thought
The age of closed strategic planning rooms is giving way to collaborative networks, distributed intelligence, and transparent innovation.
Your competitive edge? It's not what you know—it’s how well you orchestrate those who do.
👉 Ready to align your team and partners in one strategic platform? Try StratNavApp.com for free today.
📅 Or book a demo to see how it works in your ecosystem.
See also:
- Shortly after this #stratchat and, I believe, completely independently, Mike Jones published Strategy as an ecosystem approach: navigating interdependence in a shifting landscape covering similar themes. It's worth a read.
