For centuries, entrepreneurship has carried with it a certain mythology: the lone inventor in a garage, the fearless risk-taker who fights against the odds, the visionary who single-handedly bends reality to match an idea. While there is still inspiration in those stories, they no longer capture the full truth of entrepreneurship in our time.
The realities of the 2020s have rewritten the rules of innovation. Startups do not operate in a vacuum; they are embedded in ecosystems of technology, capital, policy, and social change. Global challenges — climate change, ageing populations, digital transformation, geopolitical instability — are far too complex for any single founder or company to solve alone.
As a result, the new entrepreneurial playbook looks very different from the old one. It demands a shift in mindset, from independence to interdependence, from competition to collaboration, and from narrow gains to broad, societal value. The entrepreneurs shaping the next decade will not be those who run the fastest alone, but those who build the strongest partnerships and master the art of alliances.
From lone inventor → To network builder
The traditional image of entrepreneurship is one of individuality. Think of Thomas Edison, tinkering late at night; Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in their California garage; or Elon Musk in his early PayPal days. These stories emphasize personal genius and resilience — but they obscure the reality that innovation is almost always a collective effort.
Today, more than ever, entrepreneurship depends on networks. Access to capital, technology, distribution channels, and talent comes not from isolation but from relationships. Entrepreneurs succeed by building bridges:
- With corporates: Startups bring agility and ideas; established firms bring resources and scale.
- With academia: Universities and research centers provide knowledge, data, and credibility.
- With governments: Policy frameworks, grants, and pilot programs enable startups to test and scale solutions.
- With other startups: Co-creation, cross-pollination, and joint ventures allow small companies to punch above their weight.
Network-building requires different skills than lone inventing. It is about listening, aligning, negotiating, and collaborating. The most valuable entrepreneurs are those who can hold together coalitions that span industries, geographies, and perspectives.
From zero-sum competition → To co-creation
Traditional business logic assumes competition as a zero-sum game: one company’s gain is another’s loss. In the startup world, this often meant secrecy, protective silos, and battles for market dominance.
But the landscape is shifting. Startups increasingly see that co-creation can generate more value than rivalry. Sharing knowledge, resources, and even intellectual property can unlock opportunities that would be impossible for a single firm.
Examples abound:
- Health technology startups are partnering with hospitals to test solutions in real-world settings, creating mutual value instead of fighting for access.
- Green tech innovators are collaborating with established energy firms to bring renewable solutions to scale faster than either could alone.
- Platform companies open APIs to allow other startups to build complementary services, expanding ecosystems instead of guarding boundaries.
This is not naïve idealism. Co-creation is strategic. By working together, entrepreneurs reduce risk, gain legitimacy, and accelerate growth. In fact, investors increasingly look for evidence of ecosystem participation as a marker of a startup’s viability.
From short-term wins → To long-term societal calue
The old playbook often glorified quick exits and fast profits. The narrative of “build fast, sell fast” dominated much of startup culture in the 2000s and 2010s. But the realities of our world — climate urgency, social inequality, demographic change — have raised the stakes.
Entrepreneurs today are judged not only by financial metrics but also by their contribution to society. This doesn’t mean abandoning profit, but it does mean aligning profit with purpose. Long-term success is tied to whether a venture improves lives, reduces harm, or contributes positively to communities and the planet.
Consider these trends:
- Impact investing is no longer niche — it is mainstream. Investors actively seek ventures that combine financial returns with social or environmental impact.
- ESG reporting (environmental, social, governance) influences corporate strategies, and startups are expected to be ready for those standards.
- Consumers, especially younger generations, prefer brands and services that align with their values.
Startups that prioritize societal value not only gain moral legitimacy but also long-term resilience. They are less vulnerable to reputational risks, more attractive to partners, and more likely to access new markets shaped by regulation and consumer demand.
The power of alliances
Taken together, these shifts point to a central insight: entrepreneurship in the next decade will be defined by alliances. Alliances that bring together the speed of startups, the scale of corporates, and the societal relevance of NGOs, governments, and communities.
Why alliances? Because no single actor holds all the keys. Startups move fast, but often lack reach. Corporates have resources, but struggle with agility. Governments provide legitimacy, but move slowly. NGOs understand social needs, but lack capital.
When these forces combine, the result is a more complete innovation engine. An example can be seen in the health sector: digital care platforms are scaling globally not because they operate alone, but because they build alliances with hospitals, insurers, policymakers, and patient groups. Similar dynamics exist in renewable energy, education technology, and urban mobility.
The future belongs to entrepreneurs who can design, manage, and sustain these alliances.
The skills of the new entrepreneur
If entrepreneurship is less about going it alone and more about alliance-building, then the skillset must change. Beyond vision and resilience, the new entrepreneur must master:
- Collaborative leadership
- The ability to inspire not just employees, but partners across organizations.
- Building trust across different cultures and incentives.
- Systems thinking
- Understanding how industries, policies, and technologies intersect.
- Designing solutions that fit into larger systems rather than isolated niches.
- Adaptive negotiation
- Creating win-win agreements that balance speed, scale, and impact.
- Flexibility to adjust alliances as markets evolve.
- Impact orientation
- Embedding societal value in the business model, not as an afterthought.
- Measuring success in multi-dimensional ways (financial, social, environmental).
- Global mindset
- Building with international collaboration from day one.
- Navigating cross-border regulations, partnerships, and cultural contexts.
These are not peripheral skills. They are central to the entrepreneurial identity of the 2020s and 2030s.
Case illustrations
1. Green alliances in climate tech
Startups developing new renewable technologies face enormous barriers to scale. By allying with energy companies, governments, and financiers, they can move from pilot projects to national infrastructures. Tesla’s partnerships with governments for charging stations, or offshore wind startups working with utility giants, illustrate how alliances accelerate impact.
2. Health tech & ageing populations
As societies age, no single actor can meet the demand for care. Startups offering digital health or active ageing solutions partner with municipalities, NGOs, and care providers. Motiview’s Road Worlds for Seniors is one such example, where collaboration with care homes and local authorities transforms a product into a global movement.
3. Fintech & financial inclusion
Fintech startups once positioned themselves as disruptors against banks. Today, many succeed by working with them — providing digital tools while banks provide compliance frameworks and trust. The result is faster adoption and broader inclusion.
These cases show a pattern: success arises not from isolation but from the strategic weaving of partnerships.
Balancing speed, scale, and relevance
One of the great challenges of alliance-driven entrepreneurship is balance. Startups must preserve their speed and creativity while gaining the scale of larger partners, all without losing societal relevance.
Too much dependence on corporates may slow innovation. Too little engagement with governments may limit legitimacy. Too narrow a focus on profit may erode trust.
The art lies in maintaining agility while leveraging alliances. The best entrepreneurs treat partnerships not as constraints but as accelerators. They know when to lead, when to share, and when to adapt.
The entrepreneur as connector
The entrepreneurial heroes of the next decade will not be remembered only for their inventions or IPOs. They will be remembered for their ability to connect — to bridge sectors, build ecosystems, and align innovation with the needs of society.
The new playbook is clear:
- From lone inventor → to network builder
- From zero-sum competition → to co-creation
- From short-term wins → to long-term societal value
Entrepreneurship is no longer a solo sport. It is a team effort played on a global field, where the winners are those who collaborate at the speed of startups, scale like corporates, and stay relevant to society’s deepest needs.
In this world, success depends not on who runs fastest alone, but on who builds the strongest alliances.
DREIESKIVA|Roald Kvam 
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