Supercharge your studio ambitions
Success doesn’t come from thinking small or taking tiny, safe steps.
It’s built by looking far beyond what feels possible in the moment.
If you’re only planning one step ahead, you’re limiting what your team can do. And what your studio can be.
Real growth comes when you set goals so ambitious they force you to think differently.
To break old patterns. To take risks.
And that’s where a Big Hairy Audacious Goal, or BHAG, comes in.
The BHAG was first coined by Jim Collins in Built to Last.
It functions as the long-term mission directive for your team. It's the reason they show up when things are hard. It's what keeps them energized long after the excitement of a new project fades.
In today's newsletter, I want to unpack why a BHAG matters, and how you can create your own to supercharge your studio ambitions.
The Power of a BHAG
Think of NASA in the 1960s.
Their BHAG? Put a man on the moon by the end of the decade.
Clear, audacious, and just achievable enough to believe in.
That one goal inspired unprecedented innovation and collaboration.
A BHAG can do the same for your company.
It rallies your team around a shared mission. It aligns their efforts.
And most importantly, it forces everyone to level up in the process.
Here’s what makes a BHAG special:
- It’s a stretch, but doable. Think 50-70% achievable. Too easy, and no one cares. Too impossible, and it feels like a joke.
- It’s clear and compelling. No jargon. No vague corporate buzzwords. Just a goal so vivid your team can picture it.
- It expands your capabilities. You can’t stay the same company and expect to hit your BHAG. It’s a forcing function for growth.
- It’s measurable. At the end of the timeline, there’s no room for debate. You either hit it or you didn’t.
Types of BHAGs
Not all BHAGs are created equal. Collins outlines four types, each tailored to different kinds of companies:
- Target-Oriented BHAGs: These focus on a measurable outcome, like i3D.net's goal to serve 1 billion users by 2025.
- Competitive BHAGs: Aimed at beating a specific rival, Collins' example is Nike's goal to "crush Adidas". Nowadays, companies seem more focused on their own customers and less on their direct competitors as a driving force. More often, companies set out to disrupt entire industries, as in the examples of Uber, Stripe, and yes, OpenAI.
- Role Model BHAGs: These focus on emulating greatness. There was a time when everyone wanted to be the "Uber of [insert industry]", and in games we had a brief window were multiple companies were vying for the title of "Neftlix for games", before Netflix got into games itself.
- Internal Transformation BHAGs: Focused on reinventing the company itself, we might look to Tencent as an example of a traditionally mobile and China focused company expanding to become a major player in AAA and international markets.
No matter which type you choose, the key is alignment. Your BHAG has to reflect your company’s DNA and long-term strategy.
Setting Your BHAG
Defining your BHAG isn't something to take lightly. After all, it will function as the ultimate goal for the entire company.
Here's how to get started:
Step 1: Write the Future
Have each leadership team member write a fictional news article dated 5-10 years in the future. The headline? Your company has achieved something remarkable.
Answer these questions:
- Where is the article published? Are we talking gamesindustry.biz or Forbes?
- Why did they write it? What achievement was the reason for the article?
- What has your company accomplished? What road led you there?
This exercise forces you to articulate your vision in concrete terms.
Step 2: Look for Patterns
Share the articles with the team and discuss.
Are there common themes? Any surprising divergences?
Look for the vivid ideas that resonate most.
Step 3: Draft and Refine
Combine the best ideas into a single BHAG. Map it against the four types and see which type best fits your ambitions.
Play with the wording until it feels inspiring yet grounded.
Step 4: Test the BHAG
A great BHAG passes this simple test: 66% of your team should answer “yes” to these questions:
- Is it exciting?
- Is it clear and easy to grasp?
- Does it require significant growth and development?
- Can we measure it?
Step 5: Finalize the BHAG
In addition to the BHAG statement, write a brief paragraph that further fleshes out what it would look like when you hit that goal.
Is everyone playing your game on the subway? Will you win certain prizes or accolades?
Make your envisioned future tangible.
Then, share the BHAG with the rest of the company.
Why a BHAG Matters
Without a BHAG, your team risks drifting.
Ambition wanes. You get stuck in the day-to-day grind. Decisions become reactive instead of strategic.
But with a BHAG, every decision becomes clearer.
Does it move us closer to our ultimate goal? If yes, proceed. If no, skip it.
A good BHAG isn’t just a goal.
It’s a tool for focus. A source of inspiration. And a reason for your team to believe.
When the going gets tough—and it will—a compelling BHAG is what keeps the tough going.
And when you achieve it, the satisfaction is unmatched.
But don’t stop there. After you've celebrated, you'll know exactly what to do next:
Dream up an even bigger, hairier, more ambitious goal.
P.S. Defining a compelling BHAG is just one of the things I help companies with when we implement the Long Game Operating System for better studio management. Curious to hear what else it includes, and how it can help you lead your studio with more confidence, better results, and less hassle? Let's talk!
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Got this for my birthday from my brothers. I'm about 6 hours in, and starting to get a feel for the world of Euchronia. Mostly though, I'm wowed by the absolute capital S Style of this game. Everything from the monster designs to the anime cutscenes to the character portraits are just So Damn Stylish. Gonna see how the story plays out, but it's on track to be my favorite Atlus game.
Reading - not sure
I'm still halfway through like 5 different books, and not really committed to any one at this point. Planning to pick this up again when things quieten down a bit.
Watching - Blue Eyed Samurai
Gorgeous Emmy-award winning show about a mixed-race female warrior on a quest for revenge in feudal Japan. The story is well done and earns its emotional beats, the animation is fantastic, and the fight scene choreography is some of the best I have seen in any medium.
See you in two weeks!
Martijn
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