Stop trying to change the game. Create your own instead.

Why Creating a New Game Beats Changing the Old One

So many companies claim they’re “changing the game.” But here’s the reality: changing an existing game is tough. And, at best, it leads to incremental gains. Incumbents and customers are trained to play a certain way, so you’re constantly fighting against the status quo with no real market incentives to adapt to your new rules.

Now, creating a new game? That’s where things get interesting.

When you create a new game, you’re not bound by the old rules. You define how it’s played, invite the first movers, and if you do it right, they’ll start bringing others along. Suddenly, you’re not just improving something that already exists — you’re shifting the entire market until the old game is obsolete.

Look at pickleball. It didn’t try to tweak tennis or reform badminton. It became its own thing, with its own rules and its own appeal. And now tennis courts are being converted to pickleball courts because people don’t want the old game anymore — they want this new thing. That’s the power of creating something fresh. You don’t just nudge the needle; you move the entire playing field.

This isn’t just about sports; it’s a market reality. Incremental change keeps you stuck in someone else’s court. But creating something new? That’s where you win. People leave the old game behind because, frankly, why stick with it when you’ve built something that makes it irrelevant?

In the end, the real victory doesn’t come from fighting the old system — it comes from making it obsolete. Change the game if you want, but creating a new one? That’s how you actually win.

Don’t try and fix Wimbledon, be the next Pickleball.