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Lecture

Building a startup shouldn't be a zero sum game.

Y Combinator
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  • Participants in failed "positive sum games" consistently derive value even without winning, typically gaining lessons or advancements that leave them better off.
  • In contrast, participants in "zero sum games" only possess the option to "cash out" or exit; failure to do so results in total loss with no accumulated value.
  • Unlike the incremental learning ("little dabs") experienced in childhood or positive sum scenarios, lessons in zero sum games arrive abruptly and severely at the end.
  • The ultimate consequence of playing zero sum games without an exit strategy is catastrophic failure described as being "blown up."