As one wins, the other loses

Imagine a situation from our floor covering market when several companies go out to tender or negotiate for a large investment, such as 6,000 m2. Each company tries to win the order and gives the best possible terms, mainly focusing on price. In the end, one of the companies, driven by motivation known only to itself, gives such a price that the other companies drop all their limbs and walk away from the negotiating table. There is anger, pride, winning, losing and sometimes jealousy. The only question that remains is who has won and who has actually lost?

If one gains, surely another must lose. This kind of belief can sometimes be seen among some people. Is this the wisdom that reflects reality? It probably does in some areas of life, such as sport or politics. If one person wins a trophy or a position in an election, the other person will not have it. There, the zero-one situation is a reality. By contrast, in other spheres of life, such as the economy, which is particularly dependent on cooperation and association, the rules of the game are completely different. Therefore, if someone argues that if one gains, another loses, it implies a lack of fundamental knowledge of the market.
Going back to the example of winning a tender, I often wonder what the consequences are for companies after such a battle. I then come to the conclusion that not winning such a tender, is in the long run, very beneficial for the company. The competitor who gave a very low price will be busy for several weeks, and will recruit other companies to help, which will also drop out of the market for some time. All this at their own request, for a meagre payment or topping up the 'business'. Then other, wiser companies, can carry out the orders at fair market prices, so that customers can be guaranteed a good level of service and safety.
To summarise this example, if one's goal is to win tenders and realise one's ambitions over competitors, it is predictable that such a company, after some time, starts to limp along. If, on the other hand, a company's goal is to generate the kind of profits that allow it to offer good products and services to its customers, then such companies will be winners in the long run. I am convinced that it is thanks to such an approach that the other companies also gain, because it pulls the whole market and develops it in the right direction.