The Cycle

Here's the map of the Idea Game:

                ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
                │                                             │
                ▼                                             │
         ┌─────────────┐      ┌──────────────┐                │
         │  RAW ORE    │ ───► │   REFINED    │                │
         │  (Insight)  │      │   CONCEPT    │                │
         └─────────────┘      └──────────────┘                │
                                    │                         │
                                    ▼                         │
                              ┌───────────┐                   │
                              │  APPLIED  │                   │
                              │  TACTIC   │                   │
                              └───────────┘                   │
                                    │                         │
               ┌────────────────────┼────────────────────┐    │
               ▼                    ▼                    ▼    │
        ┌────────────┐      ┌──────────────┐      ┌──────────┴──┐
        │  UNMINED   │      │    STOLEN    │      │  PROSPECTOR │
        │   VEIN     │      │    CLAIM     │      │    LOOP     │
        └────────────┘      └──────────────┘      └─────────────┘
               │                    │                    │
               └────────────────────┼────────────────────┘
                                    ▼
                            ┌──────────────┐
                            │  DEPLETED /  │
                            │   NEW VEIN   │────────────────────┘
                            └──────────────┘

The progression:

• Raw Ore → You have insights. Unrefined. Potential value, not actual value.
• Refined Concept → You've articulated the idea clearly. It can travel.
• Applied Tactic → You've found where it creates value. It produces results.

Then the fork:

• Unmined Vein → You never refine. The ore sits there.
• Stolen Claim → You refine but others capture the application value.
• Prospector's Loop → You refine partially but never complete extraction before moving on.

All paths eventually lead to depletion or new discovery. Ideas have lifecycles. What was insight becomes common knowledge. What was edge becomes baseline. The vein empties.

And then? New territory. New ore. The cycle continues.

The Idea Game never ends because ideas never stop. The question is whether you're building something that accumulates, or just processing ideas for other people's benefit.