This element explains the role of the CEO in maintaining and updating the internal selection environment and contributing to organizational evolution, as well as making fundamental decisions about organizational splits of the firm's business models as an ecosystem evolves.

We investigate how Salesforce’s key people used analogies and metaphors during the deployment of their (then) radical business model innovation. Our analysis shows how Salesforce’s entrepreneurial team skillfully used a mix of analogies and metaphors to communicate its innovations and...