Quote:Original post by tribal_warrior
You have to keep in mind that the more companies you get on board just from meetings and talking basic details before you even begin putting down the official business plan on paper, means it will be much easier to get qualified people on board. In fact lining up experienced developers, designers, producers is quite easy when you have experience and have next generation technology lined up for licensing as well as studios ready for porting, outsourcing and other tasks among many things. However- Im not looking for designers, programmers or producers.
Im looking for businessman (visionaries) who are looking for an opportunity to get in at ground level in what will be a large independent studio.
Like Tom and Odin, I am a quite confused by conflicting information in your posts.
- You said you already have "started [your] first indie game development studio [that] is thriving successfully today".
- Your name is listed under "Founder" of Reverie.
- That implies that you (the plural you, meaning you personally and your other founding friends) already have access to skilled developers and contacts within the industry.
- It implies that you know what it takes to create a new business and bring it to success.
- It implies that you have qualities of an entrepreneurial leader, able to find a direction, see opportunity, and take it.
- It implies that you are able to manage people and game projects successfully.
- It implies you know how to work with a budget, make proposals to VCs and publishers, and manage people.
- And most importantly, it implies that you have money from your earlier ventures.
If those are true, it seems that you would be best served looking for experienced managers (not developers you say) with a relatively inexpensive job listing.
But your posts seem to imply those are not true. That's the source of the confusion.
- You have a rough estimated budget in Word. I know I don't keep my personal books in Word, and I know the accountants at my current job don't keep them in Word, either. I would imagine a successful business owner would use something more tailored for tracking money and numbers.
- You are looking for a quality team of people -- and for some reason you are turning your back on the existing, successful, experienced people at Reverie.
- You want people to work for free on the promise that a venture might someday make some money and give a portion to them.
- You want a "unique company concept", which implies a lot of risk that a company owner wouldn't usually take.
- You want an "extremely ambitious multi platform premiere title", something that is also very risky and expensive, and again a risk that experienced business owners rarely take.
Finally, you said...
>> this post however is focused on locating individuals to help develop these business plans, overviews, pro formas etc.
And that one, more than anything else, strikes me as odd.
I don't know of ANY game developers who have titles under their belt AND are independently wealthy (don't need to get paid) AND want to work for somebody else. Generally these people start new companies of their own with their trusted business friends who are similarly successful rather than hoping to find some new person who will become successful. Unpaid positions are the realm of high school and college kids who are looking for an 'in', not something for experienced professionals.
Assuming you have already created successful businesses before, I cannot fathom why you would search for unpaid, hopefully skilled workers and trust the future of the business to them.
While writing and editing this post, I realized what I believe is the true reason.
After a bit of thought I can think of exatly one reason for this. You want a business venture that won't cost you if it fails. By your own description, it is a "very unique studio working on an extremely ambitious multi platform premiere title." That is a VERY risky business venture, and can be expensive.
Now I think I understand:
You want other people to take the majority of the risk, and you get the majority of the profit.
That is not a new and unique business model.
