lesson 1: Be Entrepreneurial
Develop a deep pool of technical expertise and innovation, fostered by post-secondary education powerhouses that churn out spinoff companies.

lesson 2: Innovate
Build networks of visionary business and government leaders who collaborate on big community changing projects.

lesson 3: Network
Recognize the area's strengths in industry and education - and build on them to create a distinctive regional brand.

lesson 4: Build on Strength
Waterloo supports and provides networks for business, which keeps drawing people back to the community.

lesson 5: Diversity
The Mennonites' sharing culture helped breed Waterloo's mutual insurance companies in the 19th and early 20th centuries, providing a steady balance to cyclical manufacturing.

lesson 6: Attract Smart People
"People who live here really like it," says financial author and guru David Chilton, who has lived in Waterloo for 44 years. "They don't move."

lesson 7: Build an Outsider Mentality
Historian John English says the economic prosperity of K-W was built on people operating outside the mainstream of Canadian business and society.

lesson 8: Get on with It
When companies are under pressure, there is a Waterloo tradition of just adapting and surviving.

lesson 9: Generate Venture Capital
Proximity to Toronto has historically given Waterloo good access to capital sources, but it is far enough away from Toronto to avoid being unduly influenced by Bay Street's short-term thinking.