Situational Psychology - 4) Open Situations

In open situations, competitors are in a race to find the best positions within an underdeveloped area. It is a “middle stage” situation because the area has already proven its value. This isn’t a contest among gold prospectors but among gold miners who buy up the prospectors’ claims. The new territory is wide open, but the challenge is creating a “complete” solution, getting to the undiscovered treasure. The race is to discover the most productive areas and the best methods for developing them.

The contest is a race because it is time sensitive. The winner or winners, if there are any, can usually develop dominant positions for the future. I say, “if there are any,” because one risk is that there is no complete solution, and everyone fails. Another risk is that others will figure out the winning formula first.

We can see a number of open situations in the world today. The AI race has just moved into an open stage. The direct satellite internet race is another open situation. However, there is one race that is the most fun of all: the “reusable rocket space race” among billionaires.

The Psychology Needed