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Originally Posted by Andrew Schreiber
I would disagree Jane, the real world doesn't care about being GP it cares about being profitable.
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That's not the whole story. There are many examples of companies with "multiple bottom lines" where profit is only one of the goals. Ben & Jerry's comes to mind immediately. There are also many examples of groups being set up to promote cooperation, where profit is an explicit non-goal -- the entire concept of a not-for-profit organization, for example.
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It would be great if the real world were more like FIRST, competitors helping each other out, but it won't happen. No, it isn't just unlikely, it plain out WON'T EVER happen.
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It won't necessarily happen on its own, or due to Adam Smith's "invisible hand". But when people in power have experience with the global optimum that can be achieved when selfish local maxima are recognized as not being the best possible outcome, it can -- and does -- happen.
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Sorry for the rant but frankly students should know that the real world is nothing like FIRST.
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FIRST aims to change that. People tend to act to meet expectations. Telling them it is an impossible target is counterproductive.