The Dartboard of Business: A New Perspective

The Internet: A Dart Game with No Clear Target

The internet can be likened to a massive dart game, where the objective is simply to hit the board. Each hit translates into points, and these points equate to dollars. Sounds simple, right? However, imagine a scenario where 30 million people are simultaneously throwing darts. The darts are flying in all directions, colliding with each other, sticking into everything, and completely obscuring the dartboard. The result is a chaotic scene with a dart-covered area of about 100 feet in diameter. Few people know the exact location of the dartboard, and even fewer have seen the bull's-eye.

The Three Common Tactics

In this chaotic game, players resort to three common tactics:

• They throw blindly, hoping to eventually hit the target.
• They recruit others to throw on their behalf, thereby increasing the total number of darts thrown and the chances of hitting the mark.
• They abandon throwing and start selling darts, "how to throw darts" manuals, and maps to locate the dartboard to those still convinced that throwing is worth the effort.

This raises the question: does anyone really remember what we started throwing darts at in the first place? And how do people obtain 'maps to the dartboard' if they haven't seen it themselves?

The Paradox of the Dart Game

The situation is paradoxical. People who have never thrown darts or have given up are selling information on how to throw darts to those still in the game. Those still throwing darts are acting blindly on the information they buy and recruiting others to throw blindly along with them. Regardless of your dart-throwing tactics, you're not guaranteed to hit anything due to the sheer number of competitors.

A New Approach to the Game

So, what's the solution? It's simple. Set up another dartboard and charge people to throw at it. In other words, think beyond the regular game. Innovate. Create. Re-think. You can't always replicate others' success if their success still dominates the market. Learn the principles and then re-define them to work with your own plans.

In the end, the dart game of business is about more than just hitting the bull's-eye. It's about understanding the game, adapting to its challenges, and finding innovative ways to succeed.