Startups need the ability to move quickly and easily.

Whether forming a new government, initiative, company, or personal project being agile is necessary as you find your footing in a constantly shifting landscape.

A successful company in one city may not work in another. A business model that was profitable for one leader might be the wrong answer for others. Differences in attitudes, culture, vision, economic and social conditions, and leadership and managerial skills can contribute to the failure of projects.

Recreating something that works well in one place and getting it to work in another is a challenging task. It requires a deep understanding of context. Understanding the underlying factors at work in an organization, city, or region, and will enable you to better align your vision and values to those conditions.

It is encouraging to see the efforts that metropolitan areas are making to create their own version of Silicon Valley. These centers of innovation that are being formed around the world will drive not only people forward, but entire economies. An open-armed approach to change is often the best approach to charting the path forward.

As people, business, and government figure out new ways of collaborating and creating value, it’s important to consider your place in that ecosystem. With innovation centers forming in small towns and large cities alike, and often in conjunction with universities and local governments, opportunities abound. Keeping your options open, but also staying focused on your goals, is necessary to negotiate a quickly moving economy.