Build the Fort: Simplifying Startup Community Building with Chris Heivly

On today’s bonus episode, I’m speaking with Chris Heivly. 

Chris has over 40 years of experience working as, for, and with entrepreneurs and I was delighted to talk with him about why he wants to see more ecosystem and community builders come together and build a fort.

Chris Heivly is a life-long entrepreneur and multifaceted investor who spent forty years working as, for, and with entrepreneurs. Prior to becoming a successful startup community builder and consultant, Chris co-founded MapQuest—which sold to AOL for $1.2 billion. He currently serves as a managing director of The Startup Factory and is a highly sought-after public speaker. His first book, Build the Fort: Why 5 Simple Lessons You Learned As a 10 Year-Old Can Set You Up for Startup Success, was inspired by his widely acclaimed TEDx talk in 2014.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• Why Chris uses the metaphor of building the fort when addressing ecosystem builders and entrepreneurs
• How the fluidity of complex adaptive systems benefits entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders
• Why you have to identify and speak with as many of the actors in your ecosystem as possible
• Why collaboration and partnerships are vital to creating a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts
• How to identify the gaps in your ecosystem and bring the right people together to fill them
• How adopting a short term mindset can help ecosystem builders dive in, get stuff done, and build momentum
• Why you can’t wait for a permission slip to get involved
• How leaders and influencers set the tone for the culture of an ecosystem

Learn More About Chris Heivly:

• Website
• The Startup Factory
• Connect with Chris on LinkedIn
• Build the Fort: The Startup Community Builder's Field Guide
• Building the fort -- a metaphor for starting anything

Learn More About Anika Horn:

• Website: www.socialventurers.com 
• Instagram: SocialVenturers
• Newsletter: Sign up for Impact Curator

Resources:

• The Rainforest: The Secret to Building the Next Silicon Valley, Victor Hwang and Greg Horowitt
• Startup Communities: Building an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Your City, Brad Feld
• The Startup Community Way: Evolving an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem, Brad Feld and Ian Hathaway
• Ecosystems for Change Season Two: The Slow and Complex Nature of Ecosystem Change
• S05E05: Start. Hand over. Repeat. The Cycles of Ecosystem Building with Larkin Garbee
• S04E06: Investing in the Lives of Founders with Todd Nuckols
• S04E08: Succession Planning: Transferring Social Capital To The Next Generation with Rick Turoczy
• EcoMap Technologies