Return on Investment

There has always been, in many industries, tension between management and labor, investors and creators, suits and talent. Therefore, it is little wonder that the best managers were once creators, and the best creators understand the needs of managers. Is there a way to increase this beneficial mutual understanding, allowing creators some flexibility to nurture and exercise their talent (to the benefit of the company in increased productivity, loyalty, and of course talent), while allowing the company to not only stay afloat but prosper?

Portal

 Consider the following model. The creators devote ten percent of their time (every other Friday) to a small download-only project of their own. All resulting intellectual property would belong to the company. If successful, the download-only game would be followed by a big-budget sequel. In this way, companies could continuously develop original I.P. with minimal resources at risk, and creators could indulge their risky conceptual ideas without the pressures attached to triple-A titles. Also, morale would increase, and burnout would decrease.

VVVVVVVV

The ten percent sacrifice of creator and manager time (not even ten considering it is a Friday, and many creators will be staying for unpaid over-time to work on their baby) will be outweighed by the increased understanding, communication, original IP, mitigation of risk, productivity, talent level, education of junior employees, and loyalty to the company.

One likely drawback is that crunch, the burst of productivity before significant deadlines, will raise tensions about the model. Creators will fight tooth and nail for the lifestyle to continue during crunch when it is arguably needed the most. Investors will consider the practice a perquisite and waste of money when it is arguably needed the least. These tensions should be addressed beforehand.



Additional concepts to tailor the experience:

• Limit team sizes so creators wear many hats. Allow a team size of one for unparalleled personal growth.

Canabalt

• Tenured creators could retire to "the farm," where they would spend all of their time doing what other creators only spend ten percent of their time doing.

• Force corporate management to play titles outside their comfort zone to completion during these Fridays in order to gain more appreciation for creator and player perspective.

• Allow even junior creators ownership of the management of big-budget sequels as a reward for their success.

• Allow for exhibitions of pet projects one Friday a quarter for cross-pollination purposes.

• Monitor participation to identify high-value talent early.

• Target different demographics than usual to create a robust company. More than just different genre demographics, consider targeting businesses rather than individuals.

Hydorah

• Allow creators to attempt and fail a completely new job description.

• Make budgeting and forecasting a large part of creator responsibility. Identify possible crossovers to management early.

• Set a simultaneous time limit for a final up or down vote on each project based on company needs. Conversely, allow each project its own life cycle. A culling plan should be very clear, and company expectations should be communicated well before any work begins, because rejection of personal work is difficult no matter how mediocre the product. Consider democratizing the culling process.

Spelunky

• Present awards.

• Offer financial incentives to both suits and talent associated with success.

• Have creators pitch their projects to management.