Ok, we know that the game industry is possibly one of the single most fun industries to be involved with. There's just a constant stream of energy, creativity and just plain cool stuff that comes out of the people involved in it at all levels. However, I'd like to share some lessons I learned during my 4 years as a indie studio owner. No, you never saw anything we did or have ever heard of us. You will sometime in the next 5 years, but right now you wouldn't know us. My rules are written specifically for the game industry, but much of what I say here I think is very applicable to any and all businesses.
So take this experience and advice for what it is worth to you. A lot of what you'll read here is my own personal philosophy on business and the industry, and I'm sure it's not going to be ground breaking stuff since there have been so many successful people that have come out and started talking about this stuff. I am, however, hoping that it will add something to the thought process of the person out there that wants to run their own shop.
So let's get right into my list of rules.
My first rule is to Breed Success In Your Employees. Ok, what does that mean? This is something I hold very dear to my own business philosophy, which is why I listed it first. Challenge your people to grow. Challenge them to find ways to improve their lifestyle without depending on you and your checkbook. In my organization, I give weekly classes on success mindset training as well as content training on investing and business. I WANT my employees to become millionaires on their own. I WANT them to be able to quit and retire if they so choose.
Why would I possibly want that? It is simply because I want people that are on my team because they're passionate about what we're doing, not because I'm paying them. People that are successful and don't have the stress of their bills hanging over their head and the heads of their family members are happier, more energetic, more positive, and generally much more productive. Plus fostering that entrepreneurial spirit within them will make them more confident and they'll be more willing to share ideas that could make your project even better than it already is. Teach them how to find freedom and you'll build a team of truly passionate members, which will absolutely translate into the final product.
My second rule is Don't Burn the Fire Too Hot. Ok, it's absolutely a reality that in any creative industry, whether it's games or movies, you're going to have a "crunch time" period as the delivery date approaches. It's just going to happen. However, don't push your people too hard too quickly. If you're cracking the whip and your employees are working 55-60 hour weeks all the time, you're going to annihilate any chance of success you may have had.
People cannot work those conditions indefinitely. Once they've hit that eight hours, it's time to call it a day. In fact, if you keep pushing them to ten hour days, you're going to find yourself REGRESSING in the project rather than finding progress. People that are fatigued and burning out make way more mistakes and ultimately the quality suffers in a major way. If you treat them fairly under normal circumstances, they won't complain or burn out when the project is really on the line.
Third, Create a Rich Environment. Listen, working in a cubicle SUCKS. I know it does, I've done it. Your work area is vitally important and you want to make sure that you're building one that nurtures creativity and stimulation. I've always loved Pixar's approach to their project environments. Sure, they have cubicles and such, but Pixar goes to great lengths to create a fantastic environment internally for their people. So take the initiative and put the money into making a really cool environment. Something related to your project, and do it special for each project. Too many people overlook this and think it'd be too expensive, but the returns you'll get from your people in their attitude and creativity will more than make up for it.
Fourth, Study Your Subject Hands-On. This is another area that Pixar is a fantastic example. How can you expect a 3D modeler to make a proper sword if they've never held one? How can you expect your environment team to create a beautiful ocean environment if they've never been in one? Take money and invest it into hands-on education. Whatever it is, somehow get your people into the moment of what you're trying to do. If you're making a World War I flight combat game, go find somewhere that gives bi-plane rides. If you're working on some kind of fantasy RPG, take a trip to a museum or have a sword smith visit the office and let them handle the real deal. The details that will come out from these experiences may not appear visually to you or to them, but the end result will feel much more authentic and the attention to detail will get noticed.
Fifth, Protect Your Company's Reputation. This is HUGE. Never let anyone come out and make your business look bad publicly. You need to counter and rebut all accusations that might make others look at your company askance. Your reputation is everything. Remember, every single person working under the name of your studio is tied to its reputation. If someone comes out and makes a public claim that hurts your reputation, it hurts the reputation of every person under your roof. Defend it and defend them. That's one of your main jobs as a leader. Stand up for your people, they'll absolutely respect it and it's just the right thing to do.
So these are five of my rules. Like I said, there is nothing breathtaking or revolutionary here, just some basic, solid guidelines that I use in all of my business endeavors. Whether it is my online businesses or my game studio, those are values that I hold very close and are a road map that guides everything I do. Take it for what it's worth.
--Jeremy Heesch is a small indie game studio CEO, and an online business coach and entrepreneur that specializes in helping people harness the power of automated systems and the internet to create passive income streams from their home office. If you'd like to see the system he is currently using, go to http://www.NewCollegeMillionaires.com and see what he considers to be the strongest automated income system on the internet today.
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