The best in the world is a local problem

On a good day, my bongo score looks like this:

Compared to all the people who have played this morning, it’s right at the top. That could be great…

Except I’m not being compared to every player in the world. The first graph is built to compare every player who has never previously won the competition.

Here’s the curve of all players, including the 500 previous champions. To win the day, you need to get through that dip that most players don’t achieve.

Same score, different ranking.

Here’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce running against the other parents at a school picnic:

I’m sure she deflated the egos of quite a few parents, the ones who usually win at these sorts of things.

Choosing our competition is the most productive decision we make each day.

The internet has made the world smaller, and the universe of competitors larger. But it’s still local–awareness, trust and convenience drive choice.

To be chosen, we need to be seen as the best in the world. But we get to choose which world.

October 12, 2026