John Chisholm, by InSightFoto

In a column in Forbes, SFI Trustee John Chisholm asks whether the theoretical, scientific study of complex systems can inform the hardscrabble world of start-up firms.

"Yes," Chisholm writes. "To see how, meet the Santa Fe Institute. Founded 30 years ago in Santa Fe, N.M. by Nobel laureates in physics and economics, SFI is the worldwide epicenter of complexity science."

After he reviews a few of the underlying concepts of complex systems science, he applies them to the challenges of entrepreneurship, concluding: "They lied to us in Econ 101. The truth is that nothing in business or the economy is ever at equilibrium."

Read his article in Forbes (September 10, 2013)