Sure, there is an optimal meta-solution if you're able to define which set of trade-offs represent a "winning" solution. But that's different from other proble

Sure, there is an optimal meta-solution if you're able to define which set of trade-offs represent a "winning" solution. But that's different from other problems where you can simply try to optimize the result itself directly. For example, we probably don't need to have hard discussions of trade-offs when it comes to, I don't know, infant mortality. There's almost no upside to babies dying (assuming you aren't heartless enough to consider less overpopulation to be an "upside"). But with business size, there are many desirable factors and improving any of them reduces another directly opposed but also desireable factor. Competition is good. Cooperation is also good. Increasing one by definition lowers the other.