Restructuring below here
whilst maintaining, or improving, the survivability of the innovator and/or ecosystem
Just as an innovation must be seen as beneficial to a Seeker, it must not be un-beneficial – threaten the survivability – to the Helper (which might be an ecosystem).
Here I look on survivability as the Helper attracting enough service exchange, of sufficient sizing, so that it can cover the effort it needs to exchange in providing the service (plus what it requires for “profit”).
For simplicity of discussion, this is a progress economy reframing of cashflow if we assume service credits are implemented by cash.
Venture capitalism providing survivability in early stages?
This reframing is subtle but important. When we think in terms of service exchange rather than simply “value-in-exchange,” new business model innovations become easier to see. Subscription models (shifting from one-off exchanges to recurring flows), subsidised models (freemium or cross-subsidisation), or ecosystem models (where one Helper absorbs costs so others can flourish) emerge naturally from a progress-first perspective. These designs are often invisible if we frame survivability only through transactional cash exchange.
At an ecosystem level, survivability must extend beyond the firm. Amazon Web Services, for example, created an infrastructure platform that not only ensured Amazon’s own survivability but also underpinned the growth of thousands of start-ups. Siemens’ MindSphere, its industrial IoT platform, similarly strengthens the ecosystem by enabling partners and customers to co-innovate in ways that benefit all participants.
Who innovates?
A Seeker may arrive at one or more of these outcomes on their own. Perhaps they combine capabilities they have access to already in new ways; or they might make a leap of knowledge through trial and error. They might become a progress helper if they look to use their new capabilities in acts of service exchange.
Whereas A Helper looks to innovate in order to capture more, or larger, service exchanges. They might innovate an existing proposition – bundles of supplementary capabilities carried by a proposition specific resource mix – that offers to help a Seeker make better progress. Or they might create new to firm, market, industry, world propositions.
Some interesting innovations happen inside the Helper organisation itself. Here, the Seeker can be reframed as the organisation, with internal departments acting as Helpers. The progress sought might be greater efficiency, resilience, or adaptability. Innovations such as robotic process automation (RPA) in finance departments, Toyota’s production system on the factory floor, or DevOps pipelines in IT all serve to help the organisation make better progress. They may not change the progress offered to external Seekers directly, but they strengthen the organisation’s ability to keep doing so.
And an interesting observation surfaces. The goal of innovation is enable better progress, and the goal of sales is essentially the same (convincing a Seeker your proposition helps enable the best progress). We find that innovation and sales are two sides of the same coin.
Wrapping up
Shifting our mindset from adding value to enabling progress is essential to solving the innovation problem, revitalising sales, and reigniting growth.
By grounding innovation in an actionable definition we align with what Seekers truly want – best progress (functional, non-functional, and contextual), with lowest progress hurdles and fastest value recognition.
This shift surfaces a coherent set of progress levers that make innovation more systematic and targeted, giving you the ability to design for progress rather than depend on chance – turning Christensen’s call to “compete against luck” into a practical reality.
And an interesting observation surfaces. The goal of innovation is enable better progress, and the goal of sales is essentially the same (convincing a Seeker your proposition helps enable the best progress). We find that innovation and sales are two sides of the same coin.
- B2C: Streaming platforms did not just add “value” over DVDs – they removed friction from the progress of accessing and enjoying entertainment.
- B2B: Cloud infrastructure providers did not simply offer cheaper servers – they enabled businesses to scale without owning data centers, shifting capital expenditure to operating expenditure and reducing operational risk.
- Public sector: Digital identity programs don’t just improve “efficiency” – they help citizens progress through life events (opening a bank account, accessing healthcare) with less administrative friction.
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Let’s progress together through discussion…