For decades, competitive advantage was associated with ownership: proprietary technology, patents, exclusive resources.
Today, advantage increasingly comes from connection.
Platforms dominate markets not because they own everything, but because they connect everyone. In a networked economy, sustainable advantage often lies in positioning within an ecosystem rather than controlling a single asset.
Companies like Apple, Amazon, or Microsoft do not simply sell products. They create systems where users, developers, and partners co-create value. Instead of competing firm versus firm, we increasingly see ecosystem versus ecosystem. The challenge becomes less about building a superior product and more about building a superior network. This also means competitive advantage is more dynamic.
The companies that survive are not necessarily those with the strongest product at a given moment, but those with the strongest adaptive ecosystem.
In the modern economy, advantage is no longer something you defend, but something you continuously have to change and rebuild.