Imagine a very interesting scenario. Six years ago, in an elementary school math exam, Xiao Ming scored 90 points, Xiao Gang scored 60 points—clearly dominated. Now, taking the elementary school math test again, Xiao Ming scores 99 points, Xiao Gang scores 95 points—can we infer that Xiao Gang is catching up with Xiao Ming?

Obviously not. The reason is simple: they have entered a new stage. Using a six-year-old elementary school test paper as a benchmark to measure is outdated in itself. The market has new standards and new benchmarks to assess true ability.

This principle also applies to market evaluation. When ecosystems iterate and stages update, the old comparison framework becomes invalid. It’s necessary to reassess using current standards and the current competitive landscape, rather than rigidly applying outdated data. In plain terms, only with the latest benchmark can we truly see who is leading and who is falling behind.