People talk about businesses having "moats" but I think a better metaphor is a reef. A reef can protect and foster an ecosystem while keeping bad players out, or serve as treacherous and impassable protection. They also grow fractally. Grow a reef.
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That’s a good description of mob-controlled businesses
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How do you define mob-controlled business?
I'm assuming this term is related to network effects, not cement shoes.
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No I mean literal mafia, like New York construction
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Wait what about this makes it specifically a good description of a mob-controlled business?
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They have literal hostile defenses that have nothing to do with the thing being defended — muscle to hurt you with/intimidate you. There are rules/contract law/appeal to courts for competing with normal businesses, but mob ones have outlaw defenses. The reef has no rules either.
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Ah. I suppose the rules of engagement would represent a system of laws/contractual obligations in the moat metaphor?
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Precisely. Password challenge lowers the drawbridge = antitrust maybe. Known and designed defenses like patents = crocodile.


