An interesting discussion for sure.
My 2 cents:
Back in 1999 when Lassie was still a puppy we got started in FIRST with team 311. That year there were 8 Regionals in TOTAL. Not in just in one weekend and then Champioships.
The team signed up built a robot for “Double Trouble” and off we went to Philadelphia for the Regional.
When we got there we uncrated and started making last minute adjustments to our machine. That’s when we noticed many other teams taking apart their machines and installing different mechanisms. Being Rookies we realized later that they were installing upgrades based on information they had found out from attending a prior Regional.
Thinking back to that first FIRST competition for us, we did not perform well overall but we sure learned a lot about what to do and what not to do. 15 years later working with teams we still follow some of the basic things we learned on that trip and from very year since then.
OK enough ancient history.
Look at FIRST robotics, Bag & Tag and the differences between the “have” and “have not” teams as a reflection of real life:
There will always be teams/companies/people with MORE resources than you have. Aspire to be like them IF they are indeed good role models.
In real life not everyone that wins or is good at something is a good role model.
There will always be other with LESS resources than you. Reach out to them and Inspire them to learn and grow.
In both your personal and business life there will always be the have’s and have not’s . The answer to this is to make the best use of whatever resources you have.
If you want to build cars and be like FORD. Great, but it takes time. Nobody ever started at the top.
Just ask Elon Musk!
Do you think Dean Kamen started where he is now? Do a little research and find out how long he’s been inventing, how he started as a teen in Rockville Centre NY. What he initially designed and built to fund what he REALLY wanted to do.
It’s OK to be frustrated when you think that life, or a competition isn’t fair. But instead of taking a stance of “let’s change the rules” as your only suggestion.
Take a line from another successful organization:
Improvise, adapt and overcome. *
In the end you will be better for it.
* USMC