Make hard decisions quickly, learn from them, and then move on. The only way you collect data in life is by running experiments. Just making a choice early is better than waiting for a situation to resolve itself.
Well, I’m a much better manager! I’ve learned a lot along the way and have a much better system of management in place with OKRs, 1:1s, weekly standups, and more. With respect to clients, I’m much more patient with their needs than when I started. While it’s important to be an authority, when I encounter frustrating scenarios, I have a better sense of where a client comes from.
I try to work out, pray, meditate, and play video games.
We made a decision earlier this year to be a remote-first office. We invested in tools and technology. That’s made remote work much more palatable for the team. I do miss having face-to-face communication, but I’d rather be able to give my team the flexibility they need to perform well. Working remotely isn’t about your needs.
I try to read a lot before I jump into solving a problem. Fortunately, I also make decisions quickly, so I don’t get analysis paralysis. But I’m definitely a big fan of learning from the experiences of others first.
Starting my own company. I’ve been working for myself for over 10 years now. I’m worried I wouldn’t make a good employee now!
I actually try to keep these separate. If I connect hobbies to my work, then I view them through a functional lens. That said, I started bird watching last year.
My dad talks a lot about concordance. The person you are in your business life should be the same as your personal. We often focus on success in a business context but ignore the toll that might take on one’s family, relationships, or health. Success means holding these things in balance.
My decision to go out on my own, ha! I started my company just after the Great Recession and in the media space before Facebook and Google ate that business. I’ve gone through several iterations of my current business, but I’m glad I trusted my instinct to cut out on my own.
It hurts! I have many days where I feel like my failures outnumber my successes. I think entrepreneurs try to pretend that failure is a good thing, and there’s no emotional cost. Failure stings. The thing I have to remind myself is that I am not my business.
I like curious people who like to share new information and interests. I appreciate people who are good listeners, not because I like to talk, but because listeners are active conversationalists. I also really need emotional honesty with friends.
Rick Webb’s Agency was what got me started down this path. I really like Scott Belsky’s The Messy Middle.
I started as a reporter at the Wall Street Journal covering games before leaving to start my own gaming media company called Killscreen. After a couple of years, we started getting more calls from brands and agencies interested in doing more with games and spun out Twofivesix as a consultancy.
Where to start! There are two I run into; First, gaming as an activity is different from gaming as an identity. As an activity, everyone plays games, but as an identity, not everyone calls themselves a gamer. People then assume that everyone who calls themselves a gamer is the whole of the market. That couldn’t be further from the truth.
The second is that there is one game that everyone plays. Minecraft is huge. Grand Theft Auto V is huge. League of Legends is huge. Animal Crossing is huge. Super Mario Bros. is still huge. All these universes can exist simultaneously.
Lots of things. I think we’ll see fewer major esports than we do now. I also think the only consoles left will be from Sony and Nintendo. Microsoft will be dominant in a different way through subscription services. Someone will figure out that VR requires a Netflix-style infusion of cash into content. We’ll start seeing our first generation of retirees that played games in their youth and multi-generational play communities.
I listen to podcasts on 1.5x speed for information as well as audiobooks. I recently organized my Twitter feed around lists with experts, which helps.
Remodel.
They already are! Mobile is half of the gaming market globally.
Nope!
PC
IAdventure
Not really, I am not too good at FPS games
Easy to say Fall Guys
Usually not! We're very forgiving of older games because of nostalgia, but they were expressions of gaming as a young design medium. Part of the reason they were so hard was that game makers were still figuring out their craft.
Like! I wish there was more new content.
Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality. It's an "oldie" but goodie. Even though it's a licensed title, it does so much with VR with respect to scale.
