# To Get Good, Go After The Metagame - Host: [commoncog.com](https://links.thingelstad.xyz/hosts/commoncog.com/) - Saved: February 26, 2020 (2020-02-27T03:57:20Z) - Record: https://links.thingelstad.xyz/links/54d61909fcdc/ - JSON: https://links.thingelstad.xyz/links/54d61909fcdc.json ## What Jamie wrote This is such an interesting thought. What is the thing *about* the thing that you are doing that can allow you to exceed normal capability in that. > Every sufficiently interesting game has a metagame above it. This is the game about the game. It is often called ‘the meta’. This transfers to other domains? Sure. > Like simpler games, real-world metas come in roughly two flavours: ones that are defined by external changes to the rules of a game, and ones that are shaped by a dynamic equilibrium of competition within a stable system of play. Unlike games, however, real-world domains have no set rules: they are vastly more complicated and interesting, because the rules change only when *someone notices the rules have changed*. Many technologists do this without knowing. The game isn't the code, the metagame is learning new syntax and languages, or learning patterns. Those that excel, figure that out, and apply as needed. 🤓 ## Facts - Kind: [Page](https://links.thingelstad.xyz/kinds/page/) ## Appears in - [WT137: Weekly Thing #137 / Let's Encrypt, Fraidycat, Metagame, Real-Flame what?](https://weekly.thingelstad.com/archive/137/), Must Read ## Same host - [So Good They Can't Ignore You](https://links.thingelstad.xyz/links/6c17547c6c1d/) (commoncog.com, September 18, 2018) - [The Skill of Org Design - The Commoncog Blog](https://links.thingelstad.xyz/links/64f28419777a/) (commoncog.com, October 21, 2021) - [Focus Is Saying No To Good Ideas - Commoncog](https://links.thingelstad.xyz/links/0d11427a520f/) (commoncog.com, October 26, 2022) - [The Games People Play With Cash Flow - Commoncog](https://links.thingelstad.xyz/links/d09924ec62d0/) (commoncog.com, August 20, 2024) ## Saved the same week - [The Agile Organisation: Changing our Worldview | AWS Cloud Enterprise Strategy Blog](https://links.thingelstad.xyz/links/aa41d75e3db5/) (aws.amazon.com, February 26, 2020) - [First Impressions of the Canon EOS R – The Sweet Setup](https://links.thingelstad.xyz/links/a57f9d06e08e/) (thesweetsetup.com, February 26, 2020) - [Introducing Dispatch - Netflix Technology Blog - Medium](https://links.thingelstad.xyz/links/482441208b78/) (medium.com, February 26, 2020) - [2019 Mac Pro (28-core) Review](https://links.thingelstad.xyz/links/4beda02b691f/) (hrtapps.com, February 26, 2020) - [A Text Renaissance](https://links.thingelstad.xyz/links/331a65df1e91/) (ribbonfarm.com, February 26, 2020) ## Elsewhere - Wayback Machine: https://web.archive.org/web/*/https://commoncog.com/blog/to-get-good-go-after-the-metagame/