Birth of a Game

The partners we work with are very large corporations that have a wealth of experience, knowledge, and insight into aspects of our industry that we sometimes do not. It's therefore important we listen to them when they offer to share such knowledge. I've seen other businesses treat their business partners as the enemy and I wonder how any business gets done at all under such adversarial tension. Typically these relationships are one-off and disintegrate at the conclusion of the project. Our philosophy from the start has been quite the opposite. Our strategy is to be the best partner we can possibly be in all relationships so that repeat business is not just possible, but desirable from both ends.

We showed our game recently to one of our partners and got some feedback that, if acted upon, would probably set us back a month or two in production, add risk/scope to the project, and possibly just not work at all. The changes did not mesh exactly with the vision, but we saw that with some effort it could be made to work. We had a choice; we could dig in our heels and preach the vision in hopes to convert, or we could put on the Captain hat, listen to our partner, and course correct the vision. Their feedback was coming from a source of experience and data that we did not have access to. Our intuition told us their numbers were off, but by how much was an unknown. We decided to trust our partner, take the calculated risk, and course correct. In the end, I believe we have a better game because of it. It would have been easy for us to dig in and possibly even get offended by the suggestion to alter the vision, but I'm proud of our flexibility and our willingness to do what it takes to take a game from good to great.

A spirit with a vision is a dream with a mission. – Neil Peart

I've been thinking about the balance between vision and practicality, and how
a dream with a mission can blind and deafen even the most intelligent
and well intentioned. To achieve any mission you need both a Dreamer to provide vision and
a Captain to provide leadership. As a Dreamer
it's your responsibility to embody the vision and preach it as gospel
in order to embolden your team and convert the nonbeliever. As Captain you ensure there exists a realistic possibility to execute the
mission, chart the course, and keep the ship from running aground.

In
some organizations these responsibilities are divided among
individuals, however in many others a single person is burdened with
these often diametrical roles. The Captain overcomes criticism with
facts and reasoning; the Dreamer overcomes criticism with powerful
conviction. Success is multiplied when the roles reinforce each other.
When the Dreamer can trust the Captain has the compass, map, a clear
destination, and the ability to navigate he doesn't need to pull up
charts and graphs to make his case. If he can communicate his vision
with clarity and passion he can persuade. Likewise when the Captain can
rely upon the Dreamer to communicate the vision effectively, he can
focus on the plan, charts, and graphs to provide the foundation
required to even get a deal. Think of it from an investor's
perspective; they're not going to invest in a dispassionate business
owner no matter how good the numbers look, and they're not going to put
their money with the charismatic visionary who has no demonstrative
means of executing.

Great entrepreneurs are both Dreamer and
Captain. Every day I strive to improve in each area, but it's easy to
get so wrapped up in one that you lose sight of the other. I look to
the greats for inspiration. Watch a Steve Jobs presentation during a
major product launch. He seamlessly blends conviction and reasoning to
communicate a vision in a way few are able. For execution, he relies on
Jonathan Ive, Apple's design guru. Mr. Ive plays a major part of the
Captain role by realizing the physical manifestation of Jobs' vision
flawlessly. With my strengths and weaknesses in mind, I've done my best
to surround
myself with brilliant people who, replace my limited skill in some
domains with expertise, fill in completely missing gaps (you should see me try to draw or animate), compliment
each others skills, and act as productivity multipliers on the business. My goal is to make everyone at Uber believe in the mission and have confidence we'll get there as a team, which is not hard because this place is full of Dreamers and Captains.