Opportunity is rarely zero-sum

If you're in business, you're in competition.

Because most of the competitions we get an opportunity to engage in are finite games, I think we can fall into the trap of thinking all competitive environments are finite games. However, just because it's possible to lose at tennis, chess, or netball, doesn't mean it's possible to lose at life.

In case you're unfamiliar with James P. Carse' book Finite and Infinite Games, a finite game is one where "participants obey rules, recognise boundaries and announce winners and losers. The infinite game... exists solely for the purpose of continuing the game."

The problem with finite game thinking is that the human mind is wired to care more about the fear of losing than about the possibility of winning. Finite game thinking is zero-sum, and is accompanied by a particular mindset; at once fearful, aggressive, and defensive. By definition, it operates from a place of scarcity, where there is a finite supply of opportunity and resources, and that the capture and defence of those resources is fundamental to winning the game.

Life, however, is an infinite game.

There is more opportunity and more resources in the world than you could ever need or know what to do with. You don't in any sense need to gather as much of the world's resources as you possibly can. You're a mere speck of animated mud on a truly immense ball populated by untold squillions of similarly lively beings.

In such an infinitely complex space, opportunity is rarely zero-sum.

My wife loves Hugh Jackman. I'm not offended. I love Hugh Jackman too. The guy seems to be a genuinely lovely human being. If you haven't listened to his episode on the Tim Ferriss show recently, I recommend it.

Recently, Mish showed me some Youtube videos of Hugh and Ryan Reynolds advertising each other’s brands. By virtue of their respective profiles, each of them could do a great job of promoting their own brands by themselves. By doing a series of videos together, however, they each effectively double their audience.

Most importantly, by giving each other opportunities, they're not costing themselves opportunity. And not just because they're in different markets either; Hugh is selling coffee and Ryan is selling whiskey. Even if they were both selling coffee, I think you'd find that they would both gain more opportunity by working together.

Business is competitive, but unlike most competitions it's an infinite game. Players in an infinite game are much more likely to succeed when adopting a mindset of abundance and generosity.

Whatever corner of the global market you live in, be generous. Creating opportunity for others creates more opportunity.