The Keystone Advantage: What the New Dynamics of Business Ecosystems Mean for Strategy, Innovation and Sustainability
By Marco Iansiti and Roy Levien
Harvard Business School Press (August 1, 2004)

Summary

This book presents a framework for thnking about business ecosystems. It puts forth a model that categorizes firms as either Keystones, Landlords, Dominators or Niche organizations and shows the different ways firms operate within their ecosystems to enhance (or destroy) themselves and/or their ecosystem. Example companies such as Microsoft, Li & Fung, e-Bay, Enron, Worldcom illustrate their points and provide a good background for presenting their thesis.

Rating and opinion

The topic of business ecosystems is not new but it has been getting increasing interest in the past few years as people have realized the parallels between business and natural environments, ecologies and evolution. The Keystone Advantage presents an excellent framework and model for thinking about the dynamic relationships between organizations using ecosystem, network and market-based metaphors.

Chapter 10 on Market Design, Operation and Competition presents an excellent perspective on how markets work to influence business success and how businesses can form, influence and use markets to their advantage and how markets can hurt them is improperly managed.

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Footprint

304 pages
Time to Read: 3 nights
Content Density: 30% (Good)
Interest Factor: (High)