BATNAsta

BATNAsta is a term that has emerged in certain online communities, particularly those focused on negotiation and conflict resolution. It is a portmanteau derived from "BATNA," which stands for Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement, and "asta," a suffix often used in informal language to denote an exaggerated or slightly humorous version of something. Therefore, BATNAsta can be understood as an exaggerated or hypothetically improved BATNA.

The concept of BATNAsta is not a formal concept within academic negotiation theory but rather a conversational tool. Individuals might use BATNAsta to playfully describe a hypothetical scenario where their alternatives to a negotiation are exceptionally strong, perhaps even unrealistically so. This can serve various purposes, such as to lighten the mood during a discussion about a difficult negotiation, to illustrate a point about the importance of having strong alternatives, or to express frustration with a current situation by imagining a dramatically better outcome.

For example, in a discussion about a low job offer, someone might jokingly say their BATNAsta is "being scouted by three competing companies, each offering double the salary and a corner office." This is not a genuine alternative but a rhetorical device to emphasize how far the current offer is from an ideal outcome. The term highlights the subjective and often aspirational nature of imagining one's best possible outcomes outside of a given negotiation.