4 ms·

None of those markets are really zero-sum. People value different things in all of those markets (jobs etc). Zero-sum is an edge case.

petra 7y ago
Interesting answer. The people aiming for a certain position or role mostly care about similar things though. So don't they play a zero sum game ?
- closeparen 7y ago
  The most effective person gets hired into a role. The firm performs well, moves more product, lowers prices for customers, sends larger orders to its suppliers, invests some surplus in R&D, grows its payroll, generates return for shareholders who then invest their gains in other enterprises, etc. Or an ineffective person is hired and the opposite happens. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lump_of_labour_fallacy https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lump_of_labour_fallacy
- TTPrograms 7y ago
  If you had two job offers, one salaried at $100,000 and one at $100,001, I assume you would pick $100,001 with zero consideration for any other factors?
- lukejduncan 7y ago
  It assumes there is only one fixed org chart and role. This isn’t true everywhere under all circumstances, but my personal experience in tech has been that companies make space for talented people who have a real impact. If you’re fighting over a title, you’ll stagnate. If you’re growing the business and building useful things roles will invent themselves. Especially in the case of competing with an individual over a role, making each other look good is far more valuable than being competitors.
biql 7y ago
In dating market, attractive people get most of the attention [1], thus it would be safe to assume that attractiveness is highly valued by the majority and they compete with each other, knowingly or not. [1] https://web.archive.org/web/20170127222943/https://blog.okcupid.com/index.php/your-looks-and-online-dating/ https://web.archive.org/web/20170127222943/https://blog.okcu...
- TTPrograms 7y ago
  Attractiveness is not a one-dimensional scale, it is a two-party phenomena.
- jacques_chester 7y ago
  The zero-sum here depends on who is who. The competition is zero-sum, but the relationship is not. If the market is to exchange affection, it's positive-sum. If the market is a status good, it's zero-sum.

petra 7y ago

Interesting answer. The people aiming for a certain position or role mostly care about similar things though. So don't they play a zero sum game ?

closeparen 7y ago
The most effective person gets hired into a role. The firm performs well, moves more product, lowers prices for customers, sends larger orders to its suppliers, invests some surplus in R&D, grows its payroll, generates return for shareholders who then invest their gains in other enterprises, etc. Or an ineffective person is hired and the opposite happens. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lump_of_labour_fallacy https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lump_of_labour_fallacy
TTPrograms 7y ago
If you had two job offers, one salaried at $100,000 and one at $100,001, I assume you would pick $100,001 with zero consideration for any other factors?
lukejduncan 7y ago
It assumes there is only one fixed org chart and role. This isn’t true everywhere under all circumstances, but my personal experience in tech has been that companies make space for talented people who have a real impact. If you’re fighting over a title, you’ll stagnate. If you’re growing the business and building useful things roles will invent themselves. Especially in the case of competing with an individual over a role, making each other look good is far more valuable than being competitors.

biql 7y ago

In dating market, attractive people get most of the attention [1], thus it would be safe to assume that attractiveness is highly valued by the majority and they compete with each other, knowingly or not. [1] https://web.archive.org/web/20170127222943/https://blog.okcupid.com/index.php/your-looks-and-online-dating/ https://web.archive.org/web/20170127222943/https://blog.okcu...

TTPrograms 7y ago
Attractiveness is not a one-dimensional scale, it is a two-party phenomena.
jacques_chester 7y ago
The zero-sum here depends on who is who. The competition is zero-sum, but the relationship is not. If the market is to exchange affection, it's positive-sum. If the market is a status good, it's zero-sum.