Endgame

The ultimate agenda or desired consequence of a planned series of events (often elaborate and unknown to outsiders).

In the business world its ideally an ingenious business strategy for the purposes of market domination. In movies its often nefarious and the secret objective of a super villain.

However, an Endgame scenario does not need to be bad, it may ultimately be a miraculously good outcome for all, though usually a major component is the acquisition of power by the party who planned it, irrespective of the larger consequences to others, good or bad.

Informally, people may ask "what's your Endgame" after listening to your plans but not getting what the point of your plan actually is.

It's best used in relation to an ingenious plans that are in progress where the overarching goal (the Endgame) may not be obvious. Originates from the idea of playing lots of small games (or completing lots of tasks) in order to achieve a larger result.

Poor (or boring) use: the Endgame of a degree is to get a high paying job.

Okay use: the Endgame of a degree is to get yourself deeply involved in the universities alumni network, build relationships with specific people that otherwise would be difficult, and leverage all possible resources to launch a great business.

Great use (see example below).

Google's Endgame is to develop super machine intelligence and take over the world.

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