BETA | START YOUR OWN STUDIO // THE LEAN START-UP
Lean, mean, developing machines
TIGA CEO Richard Wilson discusses the advantages of a lean beginning for your studio and the support available from trade associations
Richard Wilson (above) says attending networking events like TIGA’s GameDevNights (main) can be instrumental in forging relationships between new developers and potential partners
IT CERTAINLY ISN’T easy, but there is no question that building a successful development studio and/or digital publishing business in the UK today could be one of the most rewarding and fascinating goals one could set. In Eric Reis’ book, The Lean Startup, he talks about the principle of ‘Build, Measure, Learn’ – an approach that focuses on making something, releasing it, and learning from the market reaction rapidly so you can innovate at speed. This sums up the transformation that has happened in games development. It used to be you would launch the game and wait for customer reaction. Now the ‘games as a service’ model and the digital marketplace have lowered the barriers of entry for start- ups. The release date is just the beginning. Whether it’s Facebook, iOS, or the
forthcoming PS4, with every digital outlet comes the option – and expectation – to release post-launch content and continually evolve your product over time. You can significantly shorten development
cycles by experimenting with iterative products – let the consumer do your R&D for you. How quickly you measure feedback, implement changes and release an enhanced product will be critical; you must be able to continually evolve. It has been hugely encouraging to see
the increase in start-ups across the UK over the last year. In fact, TIGA’s own research shows that more than 50 per cent of UK games business started up less than four years ago.
BODY OF SUPPORT The most common causes of failure in many industries – aside from access to finance – are weaknesses in leadership and management. Fortunately, this is something TIGA and other trade associations, such as the Federation of Small Businesses and the Institute of Directors, can help with. As well as providing opportunities for businesses to raise their profile through free and open initiatives such as the TIGA Awards, trade associations should provide start-ups with access to expert business advice, both general and specific. For example, TIGA worked with David Smith at Interactive Selection and a number of developers to
16 | NOVEMBER 2013
publish a best practice guide to selection and recruitment. It is important for start-ups to have
connections with potential investors, and other people who offer commercial opportunities. These contacts can be picked up at information sharing and networking events, such as TIGA’s GameDevNights. As a start-up, you can’t do it all on your
own. The stronger your network and the more advice you can get, the better a leader you will become. A note of caution – strengthening your
contacts doesn’t mean attending everything under the sun. As a lean start-up, time is your most precious resource. Focus on which organisations offer the most contacts you really need.
THRIFTY START-UPS Whilst spending your time wisely is crucial, so is saving money. Good trade associations should provide you with access to a range of discounted services and professional business advice. Your own innovation is also a core part of saving cash. Again, the more you network with the right people, the more ideas you are likely to have. The last element I’d like to cover is the quality of your team. As an industry, we compete to a vital extent on the quality of our workforce, and the UK video games business has a lot of fantastic people – as
demonstrated by the attempts to poach them from abroad. Yet as a business owner you must invest in them wherever you can. Workforce development is crucial for business success. TIGA is working with Creative Skillset to help developers to make the most of the Skills Investment Fund, which makes leadership and management training available to start-ups, and helps address skills gaps and staff shortages. Two key funding schemes are particularly
relevant to games development start-ups: a Trainee Network and a Short Course Programme. The Trainee Network helps firms take on new trainees with financial support. The Short Course Programme provides match funding for approved industry training programmes. For more information please contact TIGA and Creative Skillset. Being lean isn’t about not spending
anything; it’s about spending wisely. Even a small investment in training can go a long way, as it shows your staff you really care about their development. Work hard, iterate fast, and invest in your
network, management skills and people. Good luck.
Richard Wilson is CEO of video games industry trade body TIGA, which is devoted to making the UK the best place in the world to do games business.
DEVELOP-ONLINE.NET
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68