Dug Song: A Recipe for Startup Ecosystem Acceleration

• The type of ecosystem startup tech companies cultivate is key to achieving success.
• The powerful tool of knowledge helps startups effectively run their innovation hubs rather than relying on themselves to know everything.
• The transfer of influence plays a powerful role in achieving international success.

View the full session recording below.

During the 2025 Detroit Policy Conference, Dug Song, Co-founder and President of Song Foundation, discussed how tech startups can achieve success—and do so at an accelerated rate. Song highlighted the different elements that make up a healthy startup ecosystem and shared practical steps entrepreneurs can take to turn their aspirations into reality. 

What a Healthy Startup Ecosystem Looks Like 

“It’s not just how we set a table, but how we invite folks to it,” Song said.  

From experience, Song knows that people can do everything right when building a startup, but if one doesn’t know how to foster a strong, collaborative community, achieving early success becomes significantly more challenging.  

So many startups make the mistake of “training the best, but keeping the rest,” Song explained, demonstrating a critical missed opportunity. If a startup company wants to succeed, it must go beyond simply training its internal talent and invest in the long-term growth of its employees. 

What Startups Can Learn 

Beyond the U.S., countries around the world have one thing in common: Culture and community. This raises an important question—how can you cultivate a positive culture and community of people within your startup?  

As Song aptly said, “startups need verbs, not nouns.” It’s not about having founders, capital, and talent—it’s about taking action: connecting, collaborating, promoting, and advocating. Hearing success stories, offering mentorship, and initiating early-stage funding are a few of the many ways startups can capitalize on the success of their company.  

“Founders want to be where founders are … founders want to want to do what’s right,” Song said.  

New founders often struggle with knowing where to begin or making the right decisions. To overcome this challenge, they must be surrounded by experienced founders who can offer valuable advice. This is where building a community and positive culture starts, with the people.   

Learning From Others Around the World 

Throughout Song’s experiences traveling around the world and learning from tech startups, he witnessed firsthand the influence and impact people can have on one another. When people connect worldwide, they increase their social and cultural capital, ultimately leading to a more shared understanding and commitment.  

Many startups outside Michigan are establishing strong partnerships, allowing them to grow and excel quickly. In contrast, as Song mentioned, Michigan has no exponential success trend. As a result, startups are losing their employees much earlier than intended, leading to a road where employees move out of Michigan to work with more successful startups.