Ecosystem-Led Growth: Unlocking Exponential Potential
Welcome to For Starters.
I’m Chris Crosby, and today we’re diving into ecosystem-led growth (ELG)—a key focus for us in 2025. ELG is all about unlocking exponential potential by connecting systems, ideas, and people in ways that amplify value creation for customers and the market. Moving from linear growth to something transformative.
Growth Comes from Friction
True growth isn’t easy—it’s born out of friction. One of the most powerful areas where friction creates value is partnerships. However, the way ecosystems and partnerships are typically built often creates more problems than solutions.
The Problem with Traditional Ecosystems
Hub-and-Spoke Models
Big platforms (e.g., CCaaS providers like NICE, Five9, or Zoom) build marketplaces of siloed applications.
These apps don’t integrate with each other, leaving customers with the headache of stitching them together.
The result? Budget competition, fragmented systems, and operational complexity.
Data-Connector Models
AI platforms boast hundreds of connectors, aiming to become central orchestration layers.
In reality, these connectors are often “dumb pipes,” creating another silo for customers to manage.
Customers face the same issues: integration, budgets, support, and rollout burdens.
What True Ecosystem-Led Growth Looks Like
Instead of building silos, ELG fosters interconnected systems where complementary applications come together to create composite value. This approach requires:
Collaboration between competitors where overlaps exist.
Integrated data flows that enhance both products.
A shared focus on customer outcomes.
Example: EndeavorCX in Action
At EndeavorCX, we’ve embraced this interconnected approach:
Generative Insights and Analytics: We integrate with CX vendors and participate in their application marketplaces.
Symbiotic Partnerships: Instead of competing with specialized tools (e.g., automated QA or coaching platforms), we partner with them to create seamless solutions.
By combining products in a meaningful way, we deliver outcomes customers actually care about—lower overhead, easier deployments, and integrated solutions without the burden of manual integration.
Why It Works
Composite Value
Customers don’t want standalone applications—they want solutions that work together to deliver better outcomes.
Partnering creates more compelling offerings, eliminating the need for customers to choose between competitors.
1+1=3
Joint customers find new ways to integrate products into their enterprise workflows, amplifying value for everyone involved.
Friction Becomes Growth
While partnerships can create initial tension (e.g., deciding who takes the lead in AI), the outcome is undeniable: better solutions that drive growth.
The Big Takeaway
Customers don’t care about the technical silos or the competitive jockeying behind the scenes. They want outcomes: solutions that simplify their workflows, reduce overhead, and deliver results.
Ecosystem-led growth isn’t just about building connections; it’s about creating value that no single player could achieve alone. When you focus on solving for the customer, that’s where true growth begins.
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