Conversation

Gap between median and outlier payoffs for some activities has a huge range Making $: making a living vs making billions Operating vehicles: riding a bike vs piloting a spacecraft Others, range is small. Eating: diff between median meal vs best meal possible is small (for me)
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What are some other activities besides money and operating vehicles where the payoff range is that huge? Some KPI must span orders of magnitude (money and velocity in those 2)
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Hmm. Collection hobbies. The median stamp collecting kid collects some common stamp. The extreme outcome person collects a really rare stamp that might be the only example of its kind in the world. In general, rarity of payoff is the meta-KPI for many activities.
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"Leveling up" can be a kind of exceptional payoff. The distribution is normal at each level because the extremes either drop out or level up. Competitive levels often represent order of magnitude payoff increases.
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There was some academic article on the structure of elite performance that I can't find now, focusing on swimming improvements as you go up levels. Something about how when you level up the training mode qualitatively changes.
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Observation capabilities. Median person is naked eye or binoculars vs. even small telescope. Astounding difference in payoff, a large chunk of it due to Saturn's rings. Of course, not everybody appreciates it. Most of my near family owes Saturn ring views to me. Most are "meh."
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I feel like making a distinction between payoffs you can spend (like money, fame, power) that you must spend in some way over an extended period of time vs. those that you can only enjoy (like being in space or playing an instrument).