Episode 17 - Dynasty Purgatory: Why Your Team Stays Stuck
Are you stuck in Dynasty Purgatory, the multi-year trap where mediocrity rules and nothing you try seems to work? Learn the reasons why your team won’t break through.
In Episode 17, Jeff kicks off a two-part exploration of Dynasty Purgatory — the multi-year trap of mediocrity where teams hover around .500 but never meaningfully compete. This episode focuses on diagnosis: understanding why your roster isn’t progressing by examining four essential questions about reinforcements, luck, expectations, and your reasoning process.
Using your roster’s history, performance patterns, and decision-making habits, Jeff helps you uncover the structural issues holding your team back. Part 2 next week will chart your path out.
Key Takeaways
Dynasty Purgatory is defined by multiple mediocre seasons, not a single down year.
Internal reinforcements — injured players and Developing Talents — often fail to deliver the lift managers expect.
Luck may be artificially inflating your competitiveness.
Your Cornerstones and Set-and-Forgets may not be performing at the levels you assume.
Decision-making traps (evidence blindness, outdated narratives, sunk cost, false insurance) compound over time.
Diagnosis comes before escape — and this episode provides the tools to pinpoint what's going wrong.
Timestamps
00:00 – Cold Open: Dynasty Purgatory
00:45 – Introduction
03:10 – Diagnostic Overview
03:45 – Did the Cavalry Actually Come?
09:58 – Am I Relying on Luck?
13:36 – Did Expectations Match Reality?
17:18 – Was My Reasoning Sound?
26:58 – Wrap-Up & Next Steps
Related Links & Tools
Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
Ep. 11: Are They Who We Thought They Were? (Midseason Review)
Ep. 7: Trade Winds, Part I
Ep. 18: Escape from Dynasty Purgatory
