What Game in Business and Life Are You Playing?

In both business and life, understanding the game you're playing is crucial to success. When you observe people who have reached the pinnacle of their fields, it becomes clear that there are four key "games" people tend to engage in, each requiring a different mindset, strategy, and network to excel. Whether you're a creative professional, a business entrepreneur, or a startup investor, knowing your game can help align your efforts, build stronger partnerships, and unlock more efficient paths to achieving your goals.

The Lifestyle Game

This is the game where your business exists primarily to fund your ideal lifestyle. For many location-independent entrepreneurs, the goal is to reach a level of financial security that allows them to live anywhere in the world, enjoying an excellent quality of life. In this game, work serves as a means to an end—a life of freedom and personal satisfaction.

If you’re playing the lifestyle game, it’s important to align yourself with others who share similar goals. Their advice and strategies will resonate with your desire for balance between work and life. Those in the lifestyle game focus on consistency and sustainability rather than constant growth or scaling.

The Artist Game

The artist game is all about creating, expressing, and perfecting your craft. Whether you're a photographer, writer, designer, or musician, your aim is to maximise the time spent on your art while minimising the distractions of administration and business management. Here, success isn't measured solely by revenue or scale, but by the ability to create freely.

To thrive in this game, having a strong support system is crucial. By delegating tasks like logistics and operations, and even marketing to a capable team, artists can dedicate their energy to their creative process. Removing the friction of day-to-day business tasks allows the artist to flourish and focus on what they do best—creating.

The Performance Game

The performance game is about pushing your limits and seeing what you're truly capable of. If you thrive on competition, recognition, or simply love the challenge of hitting ambitious targets, you're probably playing this game. It's a test of endurance, skill, and adaptability. Success here is measured by growth, accolades, and financial performance.

In this game, aligning with high performers is essential. If you're getting advice from someone playing the lifestyle game, it might not resonate because their priorities are different. Performance players want to see results, be it in revenue, awards, or career milestones.

The Build-It-and-Sell-It Game

This is the most transactional of all the games. Your focus is solely on creating a business with the intention of selling it for a profit. Unlike the other games, the build-it-and-sell-it approach is finite, the end goal is a clear and profitable exit. It requires a specific kind of mindset: one focused on growth, scalability, and ultimately, handing the reins to someone else.

If this is your game, you need to be laser-focused on scaling, marketing, and aligning with potential buyers from the start. It’s about building something of value that can live on without you—leaving you free to move on to the next venture.

Why This Matters

Understanding the game you're playing and connecting with others in the same game provides valuable insights, resources, and guidance. Misalignment can result in frustration and inefficiency. For instance, advice from someone in the lifestyle game may not suit a performance player’s ambitions, just as a build-it-and-sell-it entrepreneur won’t resonate with an artist’s need for creative freedom.

Drawing from my experience across both the creative and business worlds, whether launching tech startups or creating visually compelling photographic art, it’s evident that identifying your game clarifies your path and helps you build a supportive, relevant network. By recognising and aligning with your game, you streamline your efforts, avoid unnecessary pitfalls, and ultimately enhance your chances of success. This clarity not only optimises your personal and professional growth but also fosters a more purposeful and fulfilling journey in both your life and career.

So, what game are you playing? Are you building your business to fund a dream lifestyle, or are you pushing your boundaries to see how far you can go? Are you an artist perfecting your craft, or are you building a business to eventually sell and exit?