February 2012
6 posts
2 tags
BRYCE DOT VC: Talk to Us About Your Problems →
brycedotvc:
Before lean startups there was lean manufacturing. And Toyota was the laboratory where many of these lean principles were tested for the first time at scale.
So, I’ve been reading up on some of the first hand experiences that came from that formative time that these lean principles were being implemented. In doing so, I came across an exchange between a Toyota manager, James...
5 tags
“Games need to become a project-based ecosystem rather than a company-based...”
– Jamin Warren - http://killscreendaily.com/articles/fund-razing
“It’s really hard for charity and art to sit side-by-side. So if you’re saving...”
– Yancey Strickler, co-founder of Kickstarter (via beautyinbreakdown)
Matter Anti-Matter: A Lesson in Compromise from... →
ensignau:
Recently, Pinterest was asked by officials from Mitt Romney’s campaign to change the name on the account of a user who had created a satirical board poking fun at Romney’s, how shall we say, epicurean tastes.
While it’s clear the Pinterest team appreciated the commentary and creativity…
2 tags
5 tags
Kickstarter & Records
The fundraising record on Kickstarter could very well be broken within 65 hours. The Elevation Dock is only a couple tens of thousands dollars away from breaking the $970,000 record set by LunaTik (interestingly enough also an Apple product project). Now, a few short hours after reading a post on how the funding record might be broken this month on Kickstarter a new project emerges - Double Fine...
January 2012
1 post
December 2011
1 post
3 tags
Fab's 2011 Timeline: A Year of Change & Success →
In one year Fab pivots their business and succeeds. This timeline is a great showcase of how they made it happen and their story along the way. It’s visual, it’s highly contextualized, and it has some damn good numbers in it.
November 2011
5 posts
6 tags
Tasting Menus & Designers
Tasting menus are meticulously designed by chefs to give diners the best culinary experience possible. Nothing is left to chance. Each item listed on the menu is chosen specifically to present an overall theme or cuisine from start to finish. There are no substitutions, there are no “May I have this on the side?” There is just what the chef wants you to eat and sometimes even drink. You drink...
5 tags
“well. I hope they fix this experience. I would have filed 100 radars by now if I...”
– http://twitter.com/#!/zaphodgjd/status/136617564804624386
10 tags
Finding The Charm (In Video Games)
When we first set out to make a game we think about what we want the game to be composed of. What is the world that we’re creating? How does it act to us? What does it feel like? We answer these questions and then we go off and try to find the fun (read @danctheduck’s post The Cutest Kindle Game Ever: Panda Poet specifically, the Long Lesson: First Prototypes Always Suck section) by...
October 2011
2 posts
2 tags
The Darkly Brilliant Porsche →
September 2011
2 posts
6 tags
Sunday Edition: Gamification
Since I’ve seen the great gamification debate pop up in Twitter discussions, forum boards, and unfortunately real life conversations I’ve always politely bowed out. Okay - perhaps not politely but regardless, I’ve bowed out. But there’s always a straw that breaks the camel’s back - or in this case a news article that won’t let me keep my opinion to myself.
...
6 tags
Steal Like You Mean It
Theft isn’t an easy thing. It requires a great deal of thought, meticulous planning, courage, and creativity. And it doesn’t end there. If your theft is successful you then have to figure out what you’re going to do with what you just stole. Copying on the other hand is easy. You take a look at an original, do the same thing to imitate it and you’re finished. But...
August 2011
4 posts
The Cold Drip
I used to have a cup of coffee ready in about five minutes. The process was simple. Pour ground coffee into a filter, add water, press a button. Five minutes later presto - I had hot coffee. It was sufficient in the sense that it gave me a caffeine buzz. But as I went out and started experiencing other blends of coffee and different preparation methods I soon discovered that my knowledge of coffee...
“Sometimes the best way to create is by not creating at all.”
Birthday Fear
My clock is really loud these past couple of days. It’s digital though. There are no gears. There are no ticks or tocks and there are certainly no bells chiming. But yet, it’s been really loud these past couple of days.
I suppose it’s loud because my birthday is in 7 days. A week. In one week another 365 days would have passed. It’s tough for someone to think about that....
June 2011
2 posts
3 tags
The Lost Features & Services
Over a year ago I tried using Evernote. Everyone who spoke of it said it was a great service and that I should give it a shot. I was rather impressed with it’s ability to OCR my writing from a whiteboard and that was enough to keep me interested. The problem though was that I didn’t know how to use it so my sporadic Evernote use quickly turned into no use at all. At the time I...
“Fortune favors the bold.”
– Facebook
April 2011
1 post
“You’re always right about something. You’re just not always right...”
March 2011
1 post
5 tags
Game Design In The Kitchen
This post is inspired by Swery’s (www.twitter.com/swery65) GDC talk “Design Is In The Coffee” which was a very insightful talk and inspired me beyond belief. For that Swery, I thank you. Cooking is one of my favorite hobbies. Recently, I’ve been doing a lot more of it. In the past, I have gone on “cooking streaks” where I would cook non-stop for a week and a half and then hit a wall. But...
February 2011
1 post
1 tag
We Are The Space We Are In
It seems like only a few moments ago I was contemplating questions of what I would think to be of great importance inside my mind. I was looking at the works made by the hands of brilliant men and women. I stood up and appreciated them. In turn, the perception of my surroundings heightened. The Art Institue of Chicago transformed. It was no longer a buildling but rather a vessel. Its sole purpose...
January 2011
5 posts
Facebook Is A Console
The “new kid on the block” always gets talked about the most. They’re for starters new, and that can be exciting, scary, and confusing all at the same time. For the past year, “social games” have been the “new kid on the block”. Quotes such as “Social Games aren’t games!” or “Social Games aren’t social!” and “You can’t put title X on Facebook because it...
Meme To Success
Working in a small team is amazing. There’s a lot of collaboration, you build close knit relationships with your fellow co-workers, and everyone feels like they’re part of a small little dysfunctional family. It’s definitely a great experience. However, sometimes when you’re part of a small team it’s really easy to get into all work and no play mode, especially when...
Mass Transit Remembered
There is nothing more peaceful than the loud hum of a train on the track, the melodic voice of street peddlers, and the empty comfort of surrounding strangers. While some might despise mass transit I remember it fondly. Taking mass transit was always for me a time of reflection and exploration. One of the few environments where you can find solitude and comfort in the masses. Amongst 30 other...
Hiring Is The Hard
What is the one thing that you absolutely need to continuously develop and advance a company? People. But not just any type of people the best type of people. The type of people which will suit your company and will help elevate it to the next level. People who will share the same beliefs and passions you hold about your industry. So how do we go about finding said people? By listing...
1 tag
What I Am Playing In January
Most of the time I find myself working on a lot of the games we’re working on at the studio or playing games for research. When I get to play games for fun it’s a real treat and I enjoy every second of it. So here’s a brief overview of what I’m playing in January and some quick thoughts on each title. Battlefield 2 Bad Company After being persuaded by several co-workers...