Economic systems are ecosystems
Economic systems are not are not merely similar to ecosystems: they are ecosystems, driven by the same types of evolutionary forces as ecosystems.
In an economy, as in any ecosystem, innovation is the result of evolutionary and competitive pressures. Within any given competitive environment--or what's called a "fitness landscape--individuals and groups cooperate to compete, to find solutions to problems and share the gains from those solutions. The most successful strategies for cooperation spread and multiply. Throughout, minor initial advantages get amplified and locked in--as do disadvantages. Whether you are predator or prey, spore or seed, the opportunity to thrive compounds and then concentrates. It bunches. It never stays evenly spread.