Adam Mastroianni recently wrote a great post on strong-link vs weak-link problems. In short, performance on a strong-link problem is determined by the top results but weak-link problems are constrained by the worst results. It’s the difference between a javelin throw and a Survivor-style obstacle course. In a javelin competition, only the longest distance gets recorded, but in a Survivor game your team doesn’t win until your weakest member is across the line.