The Infinite Game

Play to play, not to win.

Every time I go to Chicago, there's a line out the door and around the corner to get into the Louis Vuitton store.

A few weeks ago in Spain, I saw a hundred people waiting in line to get into the Swatch store.

Every time I pass an Apple store it's jam-packed with excited customers and huge fans.

Most of us have brands we identify with that feel like an extension of ourselves in a sense. Our friends are even likely to gravitate to the same brands.

Simon Sinek differentiates between businesses that play an infinite game and those that play a finite game.

Those playing the finite game play by a certain set of rules in hopes of winning. They view the game of business as having an end and a winner. These companies may do well for a time, but they will not endure.

An example of a finite player was Blockbuster Video, the popular video rental chain. As streaming video took over, they did not adapt, or keep up with the change. They simply stayed the course and rode their sinking ship when the rest of the world had moved on to the world of online video.

Meanwhile, companies like Apple, Nike, LEGO, and Patagonia play the infinite game. They do not follow a particular set of rules and do not see an end. They are in it for the long run.

For them, there's a focus on experimentation, innovation, and adaptation. They are not merely keeping up with change. They are driving change.

In addition, they have built a brand people identify with. A brand people want to be a part of.

People buy these brands to feel a sense of belonging.

Nike doesn't drive its products down people's throats and try to get the quick buy. They draw people in through their products, their fans, super-fans, endorsers, and even their values and what they stand for.

While world-changing innovation often requires more resources than the bootstrapped founder has at their disposal, there's a lot we can learn by looking at how they build a sense of community and belonging.

In the online world of marketing there are two main approaches, for the sake of simplicity:

- The funnel approach: This is common in many types of online marketing, used in sleazy affiliate schemes but also by some well-respected brands. The idea is to drive a prospect from the top of the funnel from creating awareness through to purchase (and ideally on to subsequent purchases and advocacy). Here, brands are trying to define when the prospect buys.

- The world-building approach: This is where we create a world that our prospects are drawn to. One where they are attracted to what we have to offer, identify with it, are naturally inclined to talk about it with their friends, and can buy our products anytime they are ready. I like to think of it like a choose-your-own-adventure where the prospect can choose their path and be a willing, lifelong customer.

Clearly defining the type of business we want to build can help guide the decisions we make.

While it can be tempting to create whatever sort of lead magnet will get us the most email addresses, this isn't necessarily the best long-term decision for our business.

In building my business, I am in this for the long run and want to play the infinite game.

I'm doing this by building relationships, creating evergreen content, and fostering a sense of community. I'm doing this by clearly defining my values, and ensuring my decisions are led by those.

By leading with our values, we are making it highly likely that others will resonate with them and be attracted to them. Just as the people in our friend circle are attracted to our character and values, we can do similar with our business.

What kind of business are you trying to build?

-Mac