scrape_r_rational/data/cache2/7g9erg.md

## How would you rationally maximize your profits in a gold rush?

* Author: u/SnowGN *
* URL: https://www.reddit.com/r/rational/comments/7g9erg/how_would_you_rationally_maximize_your_profits_in/
* Score: 2

* Created: 2017-11-29T01:34:33

### Post:

[removed]

### Comments:

> **u/Kishoto** [+1]  (30 minutes later)
> 
> I'd acquire start up capital by conquering small bands and conscripting them or murdering them outright. I'd do this in secret as best I could. Once I've gathered up a large enough band, preferably the largest, I would continue my chain of conquering until I've established myself as a pseudo King of sorts. I would maintain control by incentivizing my closest advisors with money, power and the implicit threat of violence. 
> 
> Treachery is an obvious risk but I would both provide for my people and brutally stomp any treason I encounter. This becomes much more difficult in the sort of lawless scenario you've depicted. Once I'm the biggest bad ass around, I simply run things. I'd have workers that worked the river, soldiers that policed and protected them and I would ensure my people are well fed while also stomping out any signs of rebellion ad best I can. I would do my best to make my people see that, though I'm brutal, life under me is good and safe as long as you follow the rules. 
> 
> The new miners would be absorbed into my group or completely prevented from mining. Depending on the situation, this would be through simply blockading the river and forcing them to go back home. Or killing them if they tried to shoe in to my business. Of course it's not as if it would be "take a pebble of gold and get killed". There'd be some sort of decently civil way I'd tell them they need to fuck off before killing them. 
> 
> Basically. I would be Negan. 
> 
> P.S won't the model you imply hit critical mass very quickly considering it's only 15 km square? That's a bit small for a population of 10,000 that grows by a 1500 a month and only dies to violence. Or are we assuming the gold has  effectively infinite depth?

>> **u/SnowGN** [+1]  (36 minutes later)
>> 
>> It's intended to be somewhat crowded and biased towards violent solutions, but, yeah, 10km squared is probably still a bit small. 
>> 
>> ~1000 miners should be leaving a month, and perhaps 250-500 per month should be dying due to various causes.
>> 
>> Let's further assume that it's not so easy to set up a large company, for various reasons. Culturally, miners reject obeying 'middle management' bosses, and only listen to the CEO directly. There are no good long-range communications. Spreading thin opens up your turf to being taken. Etc. Let's basically assume you can't control more than ~20% of the gold fields, and that attempts at further concentration fail due to raids, theft, betrayal, etc.

>>> **u/Kishoto** [+1]  (2 hours later)
>>> 
>>> I still control a 5th. That's more than enough to have dominance, especially if the rest of the miners are as small minded as the rules dictate (e.g have issues working with others)
>>> 
>>> I'd do my best to sabotage any companies approaching our size but, other than that, I would continue on. I would supplant the various supply shops with my own puppets, whether through force or straight up purchase, since I have the most gold on the block. 
>>> 
>>> I would have control of the import of supplies at that point and would then proceed with the sort of bottlenecking that companies with monopolies have used for forever. I'd still be fair, as I don't want to be overthrown, but I would ensure that I was winning more.

>> **u/None** [+1]  (45 minutes later)
>> 
>> See also *The Prince*, by Niccolo Machiavelli.

> **u/PeridexisErrant** [+1]  *put aside fear for courage, and death for life* (46 minutes later)
> 
> Please read the rules in the sidebar; this is off-topic.

>> **u/SnowGN** [+1]  (50 minutes later)
>> 
>> Is that a new rule? Because this is definitely not my first time posting a 'brainstorm self post' here.

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