The Strengthening Host and Refugee Populations in Ethiopia (SHARPE) programme has used a market systems development approach in three refugee hosting regions of Ethiopia to foster greater economic inclusion and increase the resilience of both refugee and host community households. Implementation has been a journey of discovery, learning about economic and business opportunities in these remote, fragile settings; working with businesses to connect them to the refugee market; and aligning incentives to form and sustain mutually beneficial relationships. One of the most important lessons has been the need to continually learn and adapt to reach refugees and create opportunities for refugees to engage in commercial markets as producers, customers, entrepreneurs and employees. Using SHARPE’s engagement in the poultry sector as an example, this case study will illustrate the critical importance of informed and continuous learning and adaptation to increase refugee participation in markets.