The best government technology solutions don’t come from brilliant startups working alone. They come from networks of companies, agencies, and partners working together in ways that make everyone stronger. Matt Engle has spent 15 years figuring out how to build those networks. As a GovTech ecosystem builder and civic resilience futurist, he’s led everything from product launches to post acquisition integration at Tyler Technologies, where he currently serves as senior director of strategy and operations in the public safety division.
Build With, Not For The Public Sector
Here’s the thing about government technology that most people miss. You can’t just drop a product into an agency and expect it to work. “Too often GovTech solutions are dropped into agencies without a clear operational fit,” Engle explains. He’s watched this play out more times than he can count. The difference between products that take off and ones that collect dust comes down to who you talk to before you build. “Growth happens when technology is co-designed with stakeholders, from first responders to frontline staff,” he says. Those frontline workers know things that nobody in a conference room could guess. “When we listen early and iterate often, we unlock real-world adoption that scales.” Seems obvious, but it’s surprising how many companies skip this step.
Turn Partnerships Into Platforms
Most companies think they’ve built an ecosystem when they’ve got a few integrations running. Engle sees it differently. The real value comes from something deeper than just connecting systems. “In GovTech, a strong ecosystem isn’t just about integrations, it’s about orchestration,” he points out. What separates good partnerships from great ones? It’s about becoming infrastructure that others want to build on top of. “That means building distribution channels, co-investing with strategic partners, and enabling APIs that let others extend your core value.” When you get this right, other companies start treating your platform as essential. “The goal: make your solution the foundation others want to build on.” That’s when you know you’ve built something that lasts.
Use Market Intelligence Like A Product
Waiting for market trends to become obvious is a losing strategy. By the time everyone sees an opportunity, it’s already crowded. “Ecosystem growth isn’t guesswork, it’s pattern recognition,” Engle says. His approach borrows from how venture capitalists hunt for the next big thing. The key is looking at market signals the same way you’d look at product data. “We use venture-style market sensing to identify where demand is shifting and where new entrants are emerging.” But spotting patterns is just the start. “Then we turn those insights into action, adjusting our go-to-market strategy, evolving the roadmap, or even initiating M&A conversations before the market sees it coming.” Speed matters when you’re trying to stay ahead.
Government technology isn’t selling software to retail companies. The stakes are different because the impact goes beyond quarterly earnings. “Ecosystem growth in GovTech is more than business strategy. It’s civic infrastructure,” Engle explains. Every decision about what to build and how to build it affects how well communities function. Better emergency response systems mean faster help when people need it most. Smarter data platforms help agencies make decisions that affect real lives. The work might look similar to normal business strategy on paper, but the outcomes touch entire communities in ways that private sector software never does.
The vision here goes beyond helping one company win in the market. “If we get it right, we won’t just scale companies; we’ll strengthen communities.” That’s the measure of success in government technology. Building ecosystems where each new solution makes the next one easier to deploy creates compound effects that benefit everyone. Government moves slowly, and there are good reasons for that. But ecosystems can move faster than any single agency or company working alone. When platforms, partners, and policies all point in the same direction, change happens at a pace that surprises people. The next wave of civic innovation won’t be driven by a single product or even a single agency. It’s going to come from ecosystems working together in ways we’re just starting to figure out.
Follow Matt Engle on LinkedIn to explore more insights on GovTech ecosystems and civic innovation.
