Here’s a curious notion worth pondering: Co-oper-tition.
Not full cooperation, but not full competition either.
It applies where you and I are compete within a market, but where our market is in competition with another.
For example, the makers selling their goods on felt.co.nz technically compete. They’re competing for the consumer dollar. However, they could also cooperate, because they’re trying to establish a marketplace which is in competition with say, Kmart. Or the Warehouse. Or any other warehouse-based consumer goods reseller.
If you and I are property developers working to put wheels on a more ethical, sustainable and just property system, we might be competing. We compete for projects opportunities, property owners, media attention and finance. But as we strive to establish a market that competes with a prejudiced, unsustainable and unjust incumbent environment, we can cooperate. Your success is my success. Your successful projects adds leverage to my claim that different is possible. Your connections can help to align finance for my project.
Because ultimately, the outcome we’re seeking is change. For the better.
*Credit to Jason for coining the term “Coopertition”. Check out more of Jason’s work and thinking here.