6. Business as a Game – For People Who Aren't Familiar with Business 

Business is not just products, services, or markets. It is social, competitive activity intertwined with human interactions, decisions, and goals. In today's rapidly changing world, this activity requires a more human-centered perspective, fewer rigid rules, and a better understanding of dynamics.

What Business Really Is

Business is broader than you might think: a network of people making decisions, competing, experimenting, and creating value together.

It resembles a game: there are goals, roles, rules, and strategies.

Goals can be self-defined – profit maximization has not been the primary objective for most actors for decades. Fair, participatory, and meaningful business is now mainstream.

Examples from Creative Industries

• Art and Design: Artists and designers create value and share expertise without focusing on maximizing profit.

• Media and Content Production: Podcasters, small media houses, and content creators set their own goals – audience engagement and meaningful interaction are central.

• Gaming and Startups: Studios and app developers build ecosystems where players, users, and developers together define value and success metrics.

Key Message: Business can aim for meaning, inclusivity, and fairness – profit maximization is rarely the primary goal.

Why Business Matters

Competition drives innovation: when people compete smartly, new ideas and solutions emerge.

Competition is an inspiring way to create meaning and develop new opportunities.

Benefits of Game-Based Thinking

• Frees entrepreneurial spirit and creativity: People can experiment with new roles, combine resources, and discover new ways to create value.

• Clarifies real dynamics: Markets are only part of the picture – true value emerges from interactions among people and roles.

Judging and Rules

As with any social activity, clear frameworks and a "game referee" are needed to keep participation fair and safe.

Rules provide structure for creativity, not constraints.

Old vs. New Thinking

• Old, mechanistic thinking: Focuses on products, services, and fixed markets; rigid rules and hierarchies limit action.

• Game-based thinking: Emphasizes roles, collaboration, and dynamics; brings business closer to broader society and social interaction.

Summary

The game model helps understand that business is not just about numbers or bureaucracy. It is a living, social, and competitive activity in which people, ideas, and roles create value together.

With game-based thinking, organizations and individuals can:

• Define their goals independently

• Unlock creativity and experiment with new roles

• Participate in meaningful value creation

The game model makes business understandable, participatory, and human – giving everyone the chance to contribute to value creation.