Welcome to the BBG podcast, episode 70! In today’s episode, Ben dives deep into the concept of flow with Kevin Scheepers, founder of FlowMade and GameWell. If you’ve ever wondered how to enhance collaboration in your dev teams or struggled with balancing a chaotic calendar, this episode is for you. Kevin shares his passion for creating high-functioning game studios by focusing on organizational flow.

Key Points:

Understanding Flow:

• Flow is an optimal state where individuals perform and feel their best.
• Kevin highlights that it’s an active state, merging awareness with the activity.
• You won’t ALWAYS be in flow.

Individual vs. Organizational:

• Individual flow requires focus and uninterrupted work.
• Organizational flow needs team alignment towards a shared goal.

Triggers and Blockers:

• Flow is triggered by a balance between challenge and skill.
• Blockers include stress and distractions; “eustress” can enhance performance.

Creating an Environment:

• Leaders can foster flow by setting clear goals and reducing distractions.
• Balancing team and individual needs is crucial for maintaining flow.

Compliment:

• Ironically, compliments can disrupt flow by shifting focus to the self.
• Kevin suggests praising the work rather than the person to sustain flow.

Leadership:

• Leadership is key to nurturing flow, requiring clear communication.
• Understanding the organization at both macro and micro levels supports flow.

Kevin Scheepers leaves us with valuable advice on designing game studios that thrive on flow, encouraging leaders to map out their team’s strengths and challenges. By understanding the unique makeup of your team and the processes that drive flow, you can unlock new levels of creativity and productivity in game development.

Don't forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell for more episodes. Your feedback and support are greatly appreciated, and we look forward to bringing you more valuable content. See you next time!

To learn more about Kevin Scheepers:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-scheepers-96229428/

• FlowMade Website: https://flowmade.org

• GameWell Podcast: https://flowmade.org/gamewell

Our discord community is live! Join here to engage with leaders and producers in game dev looking to make our industry a better place that makes better games: https://discord.gg/ySCPS5aMcQ

If you’re interested in an online course on becoming a better game producer, head here: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/succeeding-in-game-production
Subscribe to our newsletter for more game development tips and resources: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/newsletter

Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingbettergames

Welcome to another episode of Building Better Games! Today, we are thrilled to have John Cutler, a capable and experienced product leader with a background in tech (with some game development and music thrown in). John will share his insights on fostering a healthy product culture, maintaining vision, and avoiding common pitfalls in the industry.

Key Points:

John Cutler's Journey:

• Started with a video game studio.
• Transitioned from music to software product management.
• Writes, consults, and leads product organizations.

Product Thinking:

• Importance of product managers alongside talented designers and engineers.
• Focus on product viability and market fit.
• Balancing craft excellence with overall vision

Diminishing Returns:

• Maintain momentum while ensuring quality.
• Internal motivation is key for team success.

Role of Product Managers:

• Act as partners, not overseers.
• Importance of involvement in daily standups and retrospectives.

Leadership and Culture:

• Create environments fostering creativity and coherence.
• Address issues harming team dynamics and productivity.

Feature Factory Approach:

• Avoid treating development as a feature factory.
• Focus on sustainable growth and internal culture.

Complex Adaptive Systems:

• Balance process-centric and variable approaches.
• Embrace uncertainty as an opportunity.

Ideal Prioritization:

• Effective prioritization is crucial.
• Example of a CTO refocusing by deleting the backlog.

Aspiring Product Managers:

• Key traits: curiosity, problem-solving, team orientation.
• Gain hands-on experience before diving into product management.

Culture and Leadership:

• Leadership behaviors impact performance and creativity.
• Address performance asymmetries within teams.

Thanks for joining us! We explored John's journey, highlighting the importance of a healthy product culture and clear vision. John provided advice on the role of product managers, effective prioritization, and fostering creativity within teams.

Don't forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell for more episodes. Your feedback and support are greatly appreciated, and we look forward to bringing you more valuable content. See you next time!

To learn more about John Cutler:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpcutler/

Twitter: https://x.com/johncutlefish

Newsletter: cutlefish.substack.com

Our discord community is live! Join here to engage with leaders and producers in game dev looking to make our industry a better place that makes better games: https://discord.gg/ySCPS5aMcQ

If you’re interested in an online course on becoming a better game producer, head here: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/succeeding-in-game-production

Subscribe to our newsletter for more game development tips and resources: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/newsletter

Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingbettergames

Graham McAllister Returns! We dive deeper into the challenges of vision alignment in game development, helping you improve vision at your studio. Discover practical advice for game dev leaders, the impact of misaligned visions, and strategies to foster better communication and unity within teams. Whether you're a developer or a publisher, this episode offers valuable insights to enhance your game development process.

Key Takeaways:

Advice for Frustrated Game Developers:

• To Do: Gather team leads and discuss their interpretations of the game vision.
• Focus on the 'why' behind the game, not just the features.

Understanding the Struggle with Vision:

• Most developers can articulate what they are making but struggle with why they are making it.
• Misalignment often stems from not having a unified understanding of the game's unique experience.

Importance of Experience Design:

• Game design is about creating experiences, not just features or mechanics.
• Discussing and aligning on the experience is crucial for successful game development.

Challenges in Team Alignment:

• Teams often default to discussing tangible features rather than the intangible player experience.
• Misunderstandings and misalignments are common due to varied interpretations of the game vision.

Publisher and Developer Relationships:

• Trust and clear communication between publishers and developers are vital.
• Alignment of vision and expectations can prevent project failures and funding issues.
  
  

Thank you for joining us for Part 2 of our discussion on vision in game development with Graham McAllister. We hope these insights help you and your team achieve better alignment and success. Don't forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell for more episodes. Your feedback and support are greatly appreciated, and we look forward to bringing you more valuable content. See you next time!

To learn more about Dr. McAllister:

https://grahammcallister.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/teamsync-ltd/

Graham’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grahammcallister

Our discord community is live! Join here to engage with leaders and producers in game dev looking to make our industry a better place that makes better games: https://discord.gg/ySCPS5aMcQ

If you’re interested in an online course on becoming a better game producer, head here: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/succeeding-in-game-production

Subscribe to our newsletter for more game development tips and resources: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/newsletter

Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingbettergames