Gaming the System

Do you like to play games? Did you play games as a child? Do you still play games?

I love playing games; anything from Monopoly (which my family wont play with me any more because I’m such a rubbish loser) to the personal space shuffle (email me if you don’t know this game)

Why is this relevant to Business I telepathically hear you thinking?

Well, some of the most successful people I know are gamers. Not the nerdy computer games type gamers but the successful entrepreneurial type of gamers.

What do George Soros and Guy Levine have in common for example?

They have both made a lot of money from gaming the systems.

George Soros is fondly remembered in the UK for Black Wednesday where forced the UK out of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM) making himself a reputed $1bn in the process and in my opinion saving the UK from the Euro (thank-you George).

Guy Levine is a Google Guru and has found a way to use Google to generate him a passive monthly income of £50k+. Not quite the £1bn George made but £50k each and every month cant be sniffed at. Ask Guy how he does it – it’s very simple.

So what’s the point I’m trying to make here.

Ok, firstly, how can you game the system for your personal benefit or the benefit of your company/employer and secondly, what systems have you created that people are gaming to their benefit?

Are you the hoover company who suddenly sold lots of appliances when people realised the value of the bonus gift was greater than the equipment cost.

Are you the telecoms company who couldn’t understand why you had calls from phone boxes without matching payment records only to discover people to tap the phone number instead of dialling it?!

I know, I still haven’t made the point!

The point is two fold; what money can you save by gaming other peoples systems and also what money are you loosing from people who are gaming your systems?

Do you need an answer? Ask your business geek.

J.