The Long Game Operating System
Making great games is hard.
But running a great game company doesn't have to be.
Introducing: The Long Game Operating System
The Long Game OS is the company management framework I use with all my clients.
I developed it on the basis of 15 years of games industry experience, 2.5 years of coaching game companies, and a 2 year MBA program (well, parts of it, anyway).
It is all but guaranteed to let you run your company with better results and less hassle.
Here's how it works.
The system is built on the belief that, to be truly successful, all companies need to create and uphold
focus, alignment and accountability
across the domains of
strategy, management and self-leadership.
The system comprises a collection of tools and and principles that do just that.
Each part of the system is both simple and practical, so that they can be easily applied in any company trying to make it in our turbulent industry.
And all parts have been pre-fitted to align with the overall system, creating an integrated whole that lets you run your 100+ person scale-up as easily as it does a 3-person indie outfit.
So what are these tools?
If you follow me here, you've already seen almost all of them.
Here's a quick rundown of the all the major parts:
Strategy
BHAG: what is the long-term ambition of your company? When will you have achieved it?
3-year snapshot: what needs to have happened in 3 years to be on track towards your BHAG?
Core purpose: why does your company exist? What does it add to the world?
Core values: what does your company and team value above all other things? how do you work?
Marketing strategy: what are the core components of your marketing strategy? Who do you serve, and why should they choose to buy from you?
Management
Year goals: what are the 5-7 company goals for the year?
Quarterly rocks: what are the 5-7 priorities for the quarter?
Meeting rhythm: are you meeting each week, quarter and year, to plan your goals and track progress?
Scorecard: are you tracking 5-15 leading KPIs that allow you to track company health on a weekly basis?
Right people, right seats: are all people on your team the right people, and are they all in the right seats?
Problem solving: are you actually solving the most important problems on a weekly basis, or are you just discussing them?
Core processes: have you mapped out the handful of processes that drive value delivery in your company?
Self-Leadership
Conscious leadership: Is your leadership team aware of how they show up, and how they can shift their awareness to be more collaborative and open?
Feedback: Is your leadership team able to give, invite and receive feedback in a constructive manner?
Continuous improvement: Is your leadership team committed to continuous improvement, and are they keeping themselves and each other accountable for this?
Personal productivity: Is everyone on the leadership team spending their time and energy on the right things - the things that have the biggest leverage and impact in the company?
Nothing fancy, just simple principles and practical tools to stay focused, aligned and accountable.
And the best part?
It takes only 90 days to fully adapt and implement this, in a process that one of my clients has called "quick, painless, even fun."
But I'll share more on the process later.
For now, check out the Long Game Performance Assessment to see how well you're set up for long term success.
Or send me a message to discuss how The Long Game OS can help your company.
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Right Now
Playing - I'm completely captivated by Balatro right now. I'm watching Balatro streams daily, and almost every spare moment I have is spent working my way up to the gold stake challenges. Definitely a GOTY contender.
Reading - Co-Intelligence by Ethan Mollick. Mollick is a Wharton professor who has been doing research into AI since the first version of GPT was publicly accessible. The book is a great practical introduction to AI, and is extremely helpful for understanding how to think about AI, and how to use it in your daily life.
See you in two weeks!
Martijn
Whenever you're ready, here are 3 ways I can help you:
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