Contemporary theories regarding ecosystem firms often overlook the potential for emerging practices in which users or complementors disrupt the benefits of an ecosystem orchestrator. We discuss ecosystems’ “virtuous cycles,” driven by network effects, learning, and economies of scale. Simultaneously, we put forth the concept of ecosystems’ “vicious cycles,” arising from individual opportunism and collective action. We delve into how this vicious cycle can impede the virtuous one, emphasizing that factors such as product perishability, flexibility of use, and demand elasticity have varying impacts on this disruptive effect, especially when comparing vertical ecosystems to platform ecosystems.