Comments on: Starting a New Game Company The initial team (3 founders) worked for a couple of years before Unity got any real income. Fueled by one-shot short contract jobs, a tiny bit of money from FFF (frieds, fools & family) - it was like 20k euros or something, and bread leftovers from a bar one of them worked during the weekends. That's the story I'm told ;) So yeah, the usual ramen-fueled startup story, except they went for something like 2 years before getting any income. When I joined (they say I was the first non-founder employee but that depends how you count) the income was mouse balls; each month a thousand dollars here or there could make or break the company. We're <i>well</i> past that stage now ;) The initial team (3 founders) worked for a couple of years before Unity got any real income. Fueled by one-shot short contract jobs, a tiny bit of money from FFF (frieds, fools & family) – it was like 20k euros or something, and bread leftovers from a bar one of them worked during the weekends. That’s the story I’m told ;)

So yeah, the usual ramen-fueled startup story, except they went for something like 2 years before getting any income. When I joined (they say I was the first non-founder employee but that depends how you count) the income was mouse balls; each month a thousand dollars here or there could make or break the company. We’re well past that stage now ;)

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By: Szymon Swistun/2011/06/13/starting-a-new-game-company/#comment-5642 Szymon Swistun Tue, 14 Jun 2011 17:10:31 +0000 While this is totally applicable to a lot of cases, I think there are alternative ways. Without starting with a bit spectacular idea, thinking about investment returns, market sizes etc. For example, much of how Unity came to be was not some grand idea or "world domination plan" - the founders wanted to make games so they (ha ha!) created a tool to help them and later found out they like to work on the tool more than on the games. A lot of further decisions happened organically and without thinking much into market sizes, break even points and so on. Perhaps it was lot of good intuition, good timing or similar things, since after all Unity did transition from "no one knows about it" to quite a widely used toolset. Of course that way the path to success can be much longer (it took Unity 6+ years to arrive where it is now), and quite possibly higher risk of failure. On the plus side, potentially one could be much happier on the process since you just concentrate on doing what you love instead of thinking too much about markets. Reminds of me of this talk by github founder actually: http://tom.preston-werner.com/2010/10/18/optimize-for-happiness.html While this is totally applicable to a lot of cases, I think there are alternative ways. Without starting with a bit spectacular idea, thinking about investment returns, market sizes etc.

For example, much of how Unity came to be was not some grand idea or “world domination plan” – the founders wanted to make games so they (ha ha!) created a tool to help them and later found out they like to work on the tool more than on the games. A lot of further decisions happened organically and without thinking much into market sizes, break even points and so on. Perhaps it was lot of good intuition, good timing or similar things, since after all Unity did transition from “no one knows about it” to quite a widely used toolset.

Of course that way the path to success can be much longer (it took Unity 6+ years to arrive where it is now), and quite possibly higher risk of failure. On the plus side, potentially one could be much happier on the process since you just concentrate on doing what you love instead of thinking too much about markets. Reminds of me of this talk by github founder actually: Don't give up your job if you just have an idea, only do it if and when "the time is right". A company is built on the capital it owns, or in this case the games. If you've got awesome game(s) in the pipeline that you've been working on in the sidelines and they're coming close to completion, or you've already launched a game and it's a success, then you could consider leaving your job and starting a company, because then you have something stand on. I've seen lots of iOS devs take this route. The other point as Szymon mentioned is that *running a company* alongside a job is a bad idea. By all means work on your top secret game projects alongside, but running a business really does take 100% of your time, because now it's not just about making the games, it's everything else as well - administration, finance, marketing etc. Don’t give up your job if you just have an idea, only do it if and when “the time is right”. A company is built on the capital it owns, or in this case the games. If you’ve got awesome game(s) in the pipeline that you’ve been working on in the sidelines and they’re coming close to completion, or you’ve already launched a game and it’s a success, then you could consider leaving your job and starting a company, because then you have something stand on. I’ve seen lots of iOS devs take this route.

The other point as Szymon mentioned is that *running a company* alongside a job is a bad idea. By all means work on your top secret game projects alongside, but running a business really does take 100% of your time, because now it’s not just about making the games, it’s everything else as well – administration, finance, marketing etc.

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By: Szymon Swistun/2011/06/13/starting-a-new-game-company/#comment-5620 Szymon Swistun Mon, 13 Jun 2011 21:45:14 +0000 Unfortunately, for most people that's not very realistic though. We can't just give up our day jobs to pursue an idea, no matter how much we believe in it. And in fact, a lot of successful indie companies start-up whilst in full-time employee. Mod teams are another example. I work in the games industry so I agree it IS very demanding, especially if you're starting from scratch, but your approach is not the only one, and in my opinion not even the best one. Not saying it doesn't work though, especially if you enjoy the risk ;) Unfortunately, for most people that’s not very realistic though. We can’t just give up our day jobs to pursue an idea, no matter how much we believe in it. And in fact, a lot of successful indie companies start-up whilst in full-time employee. Mod teams are another example.

I work in the games industry so I agree it IS very demanding, especially if you’re starting from scratch, but your approach is not the only one, and in my opinion not even the best one. Not saying it doesn’t work though, especially if you enjoy the risk ;)

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By: Szymon Swistun/2011/06/13/starting-a-new-game-company/#comment-5605 Szymon Swistun Mon, 13 Jun 2011 15:53:11 +0000 I don't see anything here that's games industry specific, really. You just described the process that most contemporary tech startups go through. And this doesn't really apply to people going 'indie' or doing it alongside a day job, which is what I thought this would be. I don’t see anything here that’s games industry specific, really. You just described the process that most contemporary tech startups go through. And this doesn’t really apply to people going ‘indie’ or doing it alongside a day job, which is what I thought this would be.

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By: Mike Nicolella/2011/06/13/starting-a-new-game-company/#comment-5584 Mike Nicolella Mon, 13 Jun 2011 07:45:09 +0000