Innovation-based companies don’t grow in a straight line. They grind for long stretches, then hit a moment where things start to take off. A new customer, hire or partnership can change the trajectory overnight. When that window opens, everything speeds up. If they don’t move, it closes quickly. That’s how opportunity works today.
You see it every day. A company gets a real shot at a major customer or contract and has to respond quickly or lose it. A company exploring an expansion or relocation is narrowing its list of locations before the selection process even begins. Decisions that once took months now happen in weeks, days or even hours.
For communities and their economic and entrepreneurial development organizations, that shift has real implications. To compete, you have to operate at that same pace. A founder needs attention this week, not next month. A company considering where to grow is watching who acts at the pace needed and who doesn’t.
That’s where the gap shows up. Most community-level systems aren’t built for that. Decisions that should take 48 hours get pushed to the next meeting. Approvals take time, and the focus shifts from acting to managing the process. While that happens, the opportunity moves on.
Part of the reason is structure. Innovation support is largely delivered through programs like workshops and events. Those matter, but big opportunities don’t show up on a calendar. They require a different capability, the ability to recognize when something real is in play and quickly bring the right people together to act.
That doesn’t fit neatly into a program, and in many communities it’s where things break down. Most communities don’t lose because they said no. They lose because they don’t move when it matters.
It can be simple. A founder signals a key decision or issue. Within 24 to 48 hours, the community brings together experienced founders, investors and operators to help. No program, no agenda. Just the right people at the right time. That’s real value while the moment is still alive.
The communities that move when it matters are the ones that win.
John Moore is a principal with Momenteum Strategies, an Upstate-based consulting firm specializing in helping communities and their economic development organizations build thriving, impactful innovation ecosystems.
