Spiky World vs Flat World

Context

John Hagel of the Edge Perspectives blog, at http://edgeperspectives.typepad.com/edge_perspectives/2006/11/no_spike_is_an_.html

contrasts the concept of a spiky world, with that of the Flat World posited by Thomas Friedman in his book, The World is Flat.

"Spikes are where economic value gets created – the flat world is full of challenge while the spiky world is full of opportunity. If you want to make money, concentrate on playing in the spikes while never forgetting that you will be playing in a flat world.

Spikes create a powerful image, but at the same time the image can be misleading. Spikes often suggest dense urban areas. Spikes tend to be static. Spikes tend to be isolated. These elements of the spike image can be deceptive and undermine efforts to create and capture value from spikes.

Spikes - concentrations of specialized talent, economic activity and innovation – often are associated with dense urban areas. Urban areas represent significant spikes of economic activity but spikes of specialized talent and innovation can be found outside major city centers. Sometimes, these latter spikes can generate major urban centers over time – witness the transition of Silicon Valley from orchards to dense settlement.

Here’s the paradox – in the flat world, spikes are where the action is, even when they are way out in the middle of nowhere." (http://edgeperspectives.typepad.com/edge_perspectives/2006/11/no_spike_is_an_.html)