Who gets hired.
Who gets funded.
Who gets seen, heard, celebrated.
Contests shape our lives.
From science fairs to dating apps, from college admissions to viral TikTok trends.
Sometimes the rules are clear.
Sometimes they're rigged.
Who designed this contest and why?
Can we make it better?
Most Contests Are Designed Poorly
Traditional contests focus narrowly:
One winner. One judge. One chance.
Everyone else leaves empty-handed.
Opaque criteria.
Unaccountable evaluators.
Wasted effort.
We feel it even in our schools and workplaces.
These contests so often burn creativity rather than fuel it.
They extract value instead of circulating it.
We deserve better.
Every Contest Has Two Sides
Contribution and evaluation.
One side submits. The other decides.
Sometimes evaluation is simple: a stopwatch in a race.
Sometimes it's subjective: a panel of judges critiquing art.
Sometimes it's democratic: votes from the crowd.
Two sides
One creative and the other discerning.
Both vital.
AI Changes Everything
Now, AI plays in both roles.
Generating submissions: art, code, strategies, music.
Evaluating submissions: sorting, summarizing, clustering, judging.
This isn’t the end of human contests, it’s an invitation to rethink them.
How do we produce the most meaningful outcomes in an age of endless generation?
Evaluation Deserves Recognition and Reward
Usually, we reward only winners.
In many contests, evaluation is equally valuable.
It decides what rises to the top.
Consistent good judgment builds trust.
Value can flow both ways.
To the creators.
And to those who help us see clearly.
Contests as Systems of Value Creation
Contests can just be fun games.
They can also be powerful protocols.
Coordinate effort, unlock creativity, and fairly distribute rewards.
We can design contests that feel playful and collaborative.
Contests that combine and build upon each other, with outcomes people truly value.
Games that evolve communities, not just crown winners.
We can reward both brilliance and discernment.
Effort, insight, and results.
The Future Is Full of Contests. Let’s Make Them Better
If life is a series of contests, let’s be intentional about how we design them.
Let’s move toward more fair, open, and transparent approaches.
Let’s create contests that uncover hidden genius, reward diverse excellence, and build culture rather than leaderboards.
Let’s not just select winners. Let’s create lasting value, and give everyone a reason to participate.
Run a contest.
Join a contest.
Redesign the rules.
Reward good judgment.
Experiment.
Encourage human and AI collaboration.
We don't have to settle for the contests we're given.
We can design better ones.
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