CHANGING LANDSCAPES

We live in a world of interconnected landscapes, or spaces of possibility, that are always changing due to the action of others, like ourselves, attempting to climb various peaks, or explore and exploit the same spaces of possibility. As competing entities climb various peaks, they alter the landscape. Some peaks are developed, thus making them higher; in turn, other peaks decline -- maybe the one we're climbing. As we work with the analogy of fitness landscapes, it's important not to think about them as fixed, physical landscapes. They are made up of diverse and rapidly changing technologies, marketplaces, products, organizations, and industries. The phenomena of fitness landscapes are created by the actions of the entities climbing them.

The development of technologies, such as integrated circuits and micro-technology, made the personal computer possible. Each development created new peaks within its own technology; in addition, whole new ranges of peaks were created in the manufacturing of computers and the development of software. Almost single-handedly, IBM created a landscape (market), but in the long run, it provided no advantage for exploring the space of possibility of the larger landscape that emerged.

Changing landscapes requires the pursuit of a balance between settling down and creating or searching new peaks. A great aid to our success in this delicate balance will come from understanding the principles of the development of complex adaptive system. Our competitive environment is a complex adaptive system comprised of property, products, codes of conduct, policies, and the interaction of its participants. These can all be found in all living systems -- at least metaphorically. The various elements of any living system behave, communicate, and trade in such a way that a "return on investment" occurs. The form it takes is more energy being created than is required to produce that energy.