September 7, 2025 • 18 mins
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The chaotic world of video game development demands more than hope and talent—it requires strategic planning and robust backup strategies. Leadership coach Christopher Mifsud dives deep into why the adage "no plan survives contact with the enemy" is painfully relevant to production pipelines, marketing schedules, and funding milestones—yet planning remains essential for success.
Discover why effective plans serve as frameworks for confidence rather than illusions of control. When a mechanic fails in testing or a key team member leaves unexpectedly, the difference between studios that thrive and merely survive often comes down to their contingency preparations. Learn practical techniques like working backward from outcomes, scheduling decision dates, integrating financial planning with production roadmaps, and building three-scenario forecasts that prepare teams for various possibilities.
Beyond technical considerations, Mifsud explores the profound psychological value of planning in reducing anxiety and creating structure. Teams develop resilience when backup plans are normalized, as they stop fearing failure knowing systems exist to catch them. The podcast outlines common planning pitfalls—like planning too much while executing too little or refusing to adapt when conditions change—and offers lightweight tools to improve your planning process without overcomplicating it.
Whether you're leading an indie studio or managing AAA development, this episode provides actionable strategies to align your team, communicate with stakeholders, and navigate the inevitable chaos of game creation. Planning isn't just about spreadsheets and timelines—it's an act of respect for your team's time, players' expectations, and partners' trust. You can't control everything in game development, but you can lead with intention, creating clarity that helps your studio not just survive but thrive.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Press Start Leadership.
Hey there, press Starters andwelcome to the Press Start
(00:23):
Leadership Podcast, the podcastabout game-changing leadership,
teaching you how to get the mostout of your product and
development team and become theleader you were meant to be
Leadership coaching and trainingfor the international game
industry professional.
Now let me introduce you toyour host, the man, the myth,
(00:46):
the legend, christopher Mifsud.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Hey there, press Starters, and welcome back to
another awesome edition of thePress Start Leadership Podcast.
On today's episode we'll bediscussing planning and backup
plans and video game developmenta leader's guide to studio
success.
Why proactive planning andcontingency strategies are
(01:11):
essential for studio managementIn video game development.
There's always a well-knownsaying borrowed from military
strategy no plan survivescontact with the enemy.
The same rings true forproduction pipelines, marketing
schedules, feature roadmaps andfunding milestones.
Yet that doesn't mean planninghas no value.
Quite the opposite.
In an industry where creativitymeets constraints and technical
(01:33):
challenges are inevitable,structured planning and
thoughtful backup plans can bethe difference between shipping
and shelving a project.
This podcast explores whyleaders in the video game
industry must treat planning notas an illusion of control, but
as a framework for confidence,risk reduction and adaptability.
Whether you're running an indieteam or managing a growing
(02:05):
studio, planning and backupstrategies create shared
understanding, clarifypriorities and give your team a
way forward when the unexpectedhappens.
The myth of the perfect plan.
Some leaders fall into one oftwo traps.
Either they assume everythingmust go to plan or they give up
on planning altogether, citingchaos as inevitable.
Both approaches are flawed.
There is no perfect plan invideo game development.
No-transcript.
(02:55):
The strategic purpose of a plan.
A well-structured plan alignsleadership and departments
around shared goals, identifiesmilestones and decision points
that influence budgets andtimelines.
Surfaces potential risks earlyenough to mitigate them.
Creates structure for feedback,retrospectives and iteration.
Provides investors andpublishers with confidence in
your operation.
In other words, a plan is atool for focus.
(03:15):
It aligns effort with intentand helps leaders steer the
studio even when conditionschange.
Why back-up plans aren'toptional?
Backup plans, often treated asafterthoughts, are critical in
creative industries like gaming.
When a plan fails without afallback, panic takes over,
morale drops.
(03:35):
Scrambling replaces problemsolving, but with a backup plan,
you swap chaos for contingency.
Backup plans allow teams topivot to an alternative feature
set when a mechanic doesn't work.
Swap resources betweendepartments when someone leaves
unexpectedly.
Push a marketing beat when aplatform update causes delays.
(03:56):
Reframe scope and budget iffunding closes later than
expected.
Smart leadership is not aboutavoiding all problems.
It's about solving them fasterand with less damage.
Actional step one work backwardfrom the outcome.
Good planning starts withclarity.
Ask what must be true in 12months for this year to be a
(04:17):
success.
Once you define your end goalgame launch, demo delivery,
funding, milestone, team growthwork backwards Nine months out.
What needs to be in progressand completed to hit the
12-month goal?
Six months out.
What foundation must be laid bymid-year?
Three months out.
Where should your productionteam health and pipeline stand
(04:39):
Monthly?
What must move forward thismonth to avoid falling behind
Weekly?
How are you ensuring feedbackloops, sprints or tasks
contribute to these largerobjectives?
Reverse engineering timelinesensures your day-to-day connects
to your long-term strategyAction rule.
Step two schedule decision dates.
(04:59):
There are key moments indevelopment where you must make
informed choices.
These are your decision dates,instead of waiting for pressure
to force your hand.
Proactively identify Hiringdecisions.
When do you need more supportto avoid crunch Funding
timelines?
When must you secure investmentto hit production milestones?
(05:19):
Platform lock-ins?
When do you commit to targetconsoles or features?
Marketing beats?
When is your content ormessaging due to external
partners?
Add these dates to yourproduction calendar.
Create checkpoints around them.
Being proactive about decisiontiming reduces stress and
increases creative freedom.
(05:42):
Actual step three alignfinancial planning with
production planning.
Many studios split businessdecisions from creative
timelines.
This creates friction whenfunding needs don't match
development progress Instead.
This creates friction whenfunding needs don't match
development progress Instead.
Integrate your burn rate andcash flow into your milestone
calendar.
Understand when runwayintersects with production
(06:05):
cycles.
Track how feature scope impactsexternal funding needs or
marketing potential.
Build financial forecasts thatinclude variable risk ranges for
scope creep or delays.
When business plans reflectreal production conditions, you
avoid last-minute overhauls andearn more trust from partners
and team members.
(06:25):
Actual step four identify redlines and flex zones.
Not everyone in your plan isfixed and not everything is
negotiable.
The key is to define both Redlines, non-negotiable
deliverables, budgets ortechnical requirements.
Flex zones features, visual,polish or marketing moments that
(06:46):
could scale up or down based onconstraints.
Your team should know what'scritical and what can shift.
This builds confidence whenpriorities change, because
everyone knows what can bend andwhat must not break.
Actionable step five buildbackup plans into the original
roadmap.
Treat backup plans as part ofyour production architecture,
(07:08):
not just emergency responses.
Create alternate marketingmessages for events in case of
delays.
Build timelines that allow for10 to 20% slip space without
major derailment.
Identify fallback tools,contractors or platforms before
you need them.
Maintain scope variations likevertical slice versus full
feature set to adjust up or downwithout compromising vision.
(07:30):
You don't need a backup foreverything, but if something
would seriously disrupt yourgoals, a plan B is not optional.
Actual step six use scenarios,not single forecasts.
Instead of one plan, buildthree.
This technique, often used infinance, works beautifully for
game development leadership.
Best case everything goesbetter than expected.
(07:52):
Team efficiency is high, nomajor blockers, feature growth
is possible.
Realistic case progress issteady.
Some unexpected delays, someiteration is needed.
Worst case key person leaves,feature fails in testing.
Funding is delayed.
Having three versions of yourroadmap helps you course correct
faster.
It also trains your team toadapt rather than panic.
(08:15):
Correct faster.
It also trains your team toadapt rather than panic.
Actionable step seven debriefand adjust.
Frequently Even the best laidplans become outdated.
Make a habit of reviewing,debriefing and adjusting.
Run monthly or bi-weekly reviewmeetings focused on progress
versus plan.
Celebrate wins.
Flag risks.
Adjust timelines as needed.
Capture lessons learned forbetter planning next time.
(08:38):
Encourage team members tocontribute insight.
They see details leadershipmight miss.
Consistency in review is moreimportant than perfection in
forecasting, understanding theemotional value of a plan.
Plans aren't just technicaltools.
They serve an emotional andpsychological purpose for your
team.
In uncertain industries likegame development, ambiguity
(09:00):
breeds anxiety.
A clear plan gives peoplestructure.
It communicates that leadershiphas thought through things.
It builds trust.
It also reduces the cognitiveoverhead of constant reactive
thinking.
Without a plan, every change orissue feels like an emergency.
With a plan, changes becomeadjustments.
This simple mental reframingimproves morale, engagement and
(09:22):
even creative output.
And when backup plans are bakedinto your culture, teams become
more resilient.
They stop fearing failurebecause they know there is a
process to catch them.
In high-pressure environments,that sense of safety and
direction is priceless.
Building a culture thatsupports planning and
adaptability.
Leadership's job isn't just tobuild the plan.
(09:44):
It's to make the culturebelieve in it.
Here's how to embed planninginto your studio's DNA.
Talk about planning openly.
Don't hide timelines orstrategies.
Make planning part of yourinternal communication so
everyone understands howdecisions are made.
Normalize change.
Make it clear that deviationfrom the plan is expected.
(10:05):
Create rituals like sprintreviews, roadmapping, updates
and postmortems that emphasizeadaptation over rigidity.
Reward strategic thinking.
Celebrate moments when teamsprevented failure through
planning, foresight or having abackup option in place.
This reinforces the value ofpreparation.
Document process improvements.
Each time you adjust yourproduction schedule, log what
(10:28):
changed and why.
Over time, you'll build betterforecasting models and improve
estimation accuracy.
Make planning collaborative.
Your best plans won't come fromthe top down.
Involve producers, leads andteam members in building
roadmaps.
They'll feel more ownership andyou'll get better insights,
incorporating external eventsinto your planning framework.
(10:51):
Game development doesn't existin a vacuum.
Your planning process needs toinclude external milestones and
industry events.
This can shape everything frommarketing to pitching to feature
readiness.
Ask these questions duringroadmap planning.
Are you attending GDC, gamescomor Tokyo Game Show?
Will you have a vertical slicerdemo ready?
Do you need marketing assets ortrailers?
(11:12):
Do you plan to run acrowdfunding campaign or public
playtest?
What does your production needto deliver to support these
efforts?
Do you have contingency plansif a beat slips?
Are publishers, investors orplatforms expecting updates?
Are you aligned on whatmaterials they need and when?
Are there major competitorlaunches or industry shifts
(11:33):
ahead?
Should you avoid or align withcertain market timing?
When you proactively integrateevents into your production plan
, your external efforts willfeel more coherent and less
reactive.
Financial planning your plan isonly as good as your budget.
You can't plan in a vacuumwithout understanding your
financial constraints.
Aligning your game developmentroadmap with cash flow and
(11:54):
fundraising timelines iscritical.
Here's how to stay in sync.
Tie major milestones tofundraising needs.
If your next prototype isneeded to raise a seed round,
your plan must reflect that as anon-negotiable milestone.
Your plan must reflect that asa non-negotiable milestone.
Track runway regularly.
Create monthly burn rateforecasts with buffer space for
unexpected costs.
Build in budget flex zones.
(12:16):
Have a list of things you couldpause, delay or cut in a
worst-case cash flow scenario.
This prevents desperation-baseddecision making.
Coordinate closely withbusiness development.
Make sure your productionleaders know what the business
team is planning and vice versa.
Silos kill alignment.
(12:37):
Common pitfalls in planning andhow to avoid them.
Even experienced leaders fallin the traps.
Here are the top mistakes toavoid Planning too much,
executing too little little.
It's tempting to build theperfect plan before doing any
work, but development isiterative.
Plan in three to six monthwindows and then refine from
what you learn.
Here's a fix.
(12:57):
Use lightweight tools likenotion trello or click up to
create living plans.
Don't let documentation becomethe work.
Two refuse the replan.
Once a plan is made, someleaders resist revisiting it,
even when conditions change.
A fix for this is schedulereplanning windows.
Make them expected, not a signof failure.
(13:18):
Three planning in isolation.
If leadership plans everythingwithout team input, the plan
won't reflect on-the-groundreality.
Fix include producers, leadsand senior members in roadmap
creation.
Use collaborative templates orshared dashboards.
Four Not planning for teammorale.
Plans aren't just aboutmilestones, they're about people
.
Burnout is often a sign of poorplanning.
(13:40):
A fix for this is add capacityplanning to your roadmap Track
hours, pto, holidays andemotional bandwidth.
Simple tools for betterplanning and backup strategies.
You don't need complex softwareto improve your planning
process.
Here are a few lightweight andeffective tools Planning canvas,
miro or FigJam.
(14:00):
It's a visual map of goals, teamconstraints, timelines and
backup paths.
A roadmap with layers Main path, conservative path, accelerated
path.
Tools like Airtable or Notioncan visualize these paths
clearly.
A risk register A shared docwhere risks are logged, tracked
and ranked by severity.
Assign ownership to each risk.
A pre-mortem template Imagine aproject failed.
(14:24):
Ask what could have caused this,then address those risks before
they happen.
Failed ask what could havecaused this, then address those
risks before they happen.
Decision lock Document majordecisions with context, options
considered and backup rationale.
It helps during postmortems andreduces second guessing.
Resource load chart who's doingwhat and when.
Helps prevent overloading teammembers or over-compromising
(14:45):
capacity.
Creating accountability withoutcreating fear.
One of the biggestmisconceptions about planning is
that it's about control.
In reality, it's aboutcommunication and expectation
management.
As a leader, your job is to setclear expectations.
Provide visibility into the whybehind timelines.
Invite feedback when things gooff track.
(15:05):
Avoid blame and instead focuson learning.
If your team fears telling youthat something is delayed, your
planning culture is broken.
Planning only works when peoplefeel safe sharing changes and
concerns.
Create a structure where teamsupdate progress without fear.
Celebrate accurate statusupdates, even when they include
bad news.
That's how planning becomes astrength, not a punishment.
(15:30):
Planning for leadership,transitions and unexpected
absences Good planning alsoextends the leadership.
What happens if the producergets sick for two weeks or if a
key engineer leaves mid-project?
Every studio should includebackup roles and cross-training
in their plans.
Secession planning have one ortwo deputies per department who
can step in temporarily.
Knowledge handover docs Eachlead should keep a simple
(15:53):
document with links, goals,risks and open questions.
Onboarding playbooks For newhires.
A 30, 60, 90-day plan reducesramp-up time and avoids
knowledge loss.
You're not planning for peopleto fail.
You're planning for humans tobe human.
Planning as a signal tostakeholders.
Plans are also communicationartifacts.
(16:15):
A well-documented plan is apowerful signal to investors,
publishers and partners.
When a studio presents adetailed roadmap, a budget tied
to milestones, risk mitigationstrategies, scenario planning,
marketing alignment, it showsmaturity, increases trust, but
also differentiates your studiofrom teams that wing it.
If your plan changes, the factthat you had one is evidence of
(16:37):
strategic thinking.
Final thoughts why planning isan act of respect.
Planning is more than aspreadsheet or calendar.
It's a leadership act ofrespect.
It respects your team's time,it respects your players'
expectations, it respects yourstudio's vision and it respects
your partner's trust.
When you build thoughtful plansand prepare for what might go
(17:01):
wrong, you give your team thebest chance to do their best
work.
You can't control everything,but you can lead with intention.
Best work.
You can't control everything,but you can lead with intention,
and when you do, your studiowill not only survive the chaos
of development, it will thrivebecause of the clarity you
created.
All right, and that's thisweek's episode of Press Start
Leadership Podcast.
Thanks for listening and, asalways, thanks for being awesome
(17:24):
.
Press Start Leadership.
Hey there, press Starters andwelcome to the Press Start
(00:23):
Leadership Podcast, the podcastabout game-changing leadership,
teaching you how to get the mostout of your product and
development team and become theleader you were meant to be
Leadership coaching and trainingfor the international game
industry professional.
Now let me introduce you toyour host, the man, the myth,
(00:46):
the legend, christopher Mifsud.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Hey there, press Starters, and welcome back to
another awesome edition of thePress Start Leadership Podcast.
On today's episode we'll bediscussing planning and backup
plans and video game developmenta leader's guide to studio
success.
Why proactive planning andcontingency strategies are
(01:11):
essential for studio managementIn video game development.
There's always a well-knownsaying borrowed from military
strategy no plan survivescontact with the enemy.
The same rings true forproduction pipelines, marketing
schedules, feature roadmaps andfunding milestones.
Yet that doesn't mean planninghas no value.
Quite the opposite.
In an industry where creativitymeets constraints and technical
(01:33):
challenges are inevitable,structured planning and
thoughtful backup plans can bethe difference between shipping
and shelving a project.
This podcast explores whyleaders in the video game
industry must treat planning notas an illusion of control, but
as a framework for confidence,risk reduction and adaptability.
Whether you're running an indieteam or managing a growing
(02:05):
studio, planning and backupstrategies create shared
understanding, clarifypriorities and give your team a
way forward when the unexpectedhappens.
The myth of the perfect plan.
Some leaders fall into one oftwo traps.
Either they assume everythingmust go to plan or they give up
on planning altogether, citingchaos as inevitable.
Both approaches are flawed.
There is no perfect plan invideo game development.
No-transcript.
(02:55):
The strategic purpose of a plan.
A well-structured plan alignsleadership and departments
around shared goals, identifiesmilestones and decision points
that influence budgets andtimelines.
Surfaces potential risks earlyenough to mitigate them.
Creates structure for feedback,retrospectives and iteration.
Provides investors andpublishers with confidence in
your operation.
In other words, a plan is atool for focus.
(03:15):
It aligns effort with intentand helps leaders steer the
studio even when conditionschange.
Why back-up plans aren'toptional?
Backup plans, often treated asafterthoughts, are critical in
creative industries like gaming.
When a plan fails without afallback, panic takes over,
morale drops.
(03:35):
Scrambling replaces problemsolving, but with a backup plan,
you swap chaos for contingency.
Backup plans allow teams topivot to an alternative feature
set when a mechanic doesn't work.
Swap resources betweendepartments when someone leaves
unexpectedly.
Push a marketing beat when aplatform update causes delays.
(03:56):
Reframe scope and budget iffunding closes later than
expected.
Smart leadership is not aboutavoiding all problems.
It's about solving them fasterand with less damage.
Actional step one work backwardfrom the outcome.
Good planning starts withclarity.
Ask what must be true in 12months for this year to be a
(04:17):
success.
Once you define your end goalgame launch, demo delivery,
funding, milestone, team growthwork backwards Nine months out.
What needs to be in progressand completed to hit the
12-month goal?
Six months out.
What foundation must be laid bymid-year?
Three months out.
Where should your productionteam health and pipeline stand
(04:39):
Monthly?
What must move forward thismonth to avoid falling behind
Weekly?
How are you ensuring feedbackloops, sprints or tasks
contribute to these largerobjectives?
Reverse engineering timelinesensures your day-to-day connects
to your long-term strategyAction rule.
Step two schedule decision dates.
(04:59):
There are key moments indevelopment where you must make
informed choices.
These are your decision dates,instead of waiting for pressure
to force your hand.
Proactively identify Hiringdecisions.
When do you need more supportto avoid crunch Funding
timelines?
When must you secure investmentto hit production milestones?
(05:19):
Platform lock-ins?
When do you commit to targetconsoles or features?
Marketing beats?
When is your content ormessaging due to external
partners?
Add these dates to yourproduction calendar.
Create checkpoints around them.
Being proactive about decisiontiming reduces stress and
increases creative freedom.
(05:42):
Actual step three alignfinancial planning with
production planning.
Many studios split businessdecisions from creative
timelines.
This creates friction whenfunding needs don't match
development progress Instead.
This creates friction whenfunding needs don't match
development progress Instead.
Integrate your burn rate andcash flow into your milestone
calendar.
Understand when runwayintersects with production
(06:05):
cycles.
Track how feature scope impactsexternal funding needs or
marketing potential.
Build financial forecasts thatinclude variable risk ranges for
scope creep or delays.
When business plans reflectreal production conditions, you
avoid last-minute overhauls andearn more trust from partners
and team members.
(06:25):
Actual step four identify redlines and flex zones.
Not everyone in your plan isfixed and not everything is
negotiable.
The key is to define both Redlines, non-negotiable
deliverables, budgets ortechnical requirements.
Flex zones features, visual,polish or marketing moments that
(06:46):
could scale up or down based onconstraints.
Your team should know what'scritical and what can shift.
This builds confidence whenpriorities change, because
everyone knows what can bend andwhat must not break.
Actionable step five buildbackup plans into the original
roadmap.
Treat backup plans as part ofyour production architecture,
(07:08):
not just emergency responses.
Create alternate marketingmessages for events in case of
delays.
Build timelines that allow for10 to 20% slip space without
major derailment.
Identify fallback tools,contractors or platforms before
you need them.
Maintain scope variations likevertical slice versus full
feature set to adjust up or downwithout compromising vision.
(07:30):
You don't need a backup foreverything, but if something
would seriously disrupt yourgoals, a plan B is not optional.
Actual step six use scenarios,not single forecasts.
Instead of one plan, buildthree.
This technique, often used infinance, works beautifully for
game development leadership.
Best case everything goesbetter than expected.
(07:52):
Team efficiency is high, nomajor blockers, feature growth
is possible.
Realistic case progress issteady.
Some unexpected delays, someiteration is needed.
Worst case key person leaves,feature fails in testing.
Funding is delayed.
Having three versions of yourroadmap helps you course correct
faster.
It also trains your team toadapt rather than panic.
(08:15):
Correct faster.
It also trains your team toadapt rather than panic.
Actionable step seven debriefand adjust.
Frequently Even the best laidplans become outdated.
Make a habit of reviewing,debriefing and adjusting.
Run monthly or bi-weekly reviewmeetings focused on progress
versus plan.
Celebrate wins.
Flag risks.
Adjust timelines as needed.
Capture lessons learned forbetter planning next time.
(08:38):
Encourage team members tocontribute insight.
They see details leadershipmight miss.
Consistency in review is moreimportant than perfection in
forecasting, understanding theemotional value of a plan.
Plans aren't just technicaltools.
They serve an emotional andpsychological purpose for your
team.
In uncertain industries likegame development, ambiguity
(09:00):
breeds anxiety.
A clear plan gives peoplestructure.
It communicates that leadershiphas thought through things.
It builds trust.
It also reduces the cognitiveoverhead of constant reactive
thinking.
Without a plan, every change orissue feels like an emergency.
With a plan, changes becomeadjustments.
This simple mental reframingimproves morale, engagement and
(09:22):
even creative output.
And when backup plans are bakedinto your culture, teams become
more resilient.
They stop fearing failurebecause they know there is a
process to catch them.
In high-pressure environments,that sense of safety and
direction is priceless.
Building a culture thatsupports planning and
adaptability.
Leadership's job isn't just tobuild the plan.
(09:44):
It's to make the culturebelieve in it.
Here's how to embed planninginto your studio's DNA.
Talk about planning openly.
Don't hide timelines orstrategies.
Make planning part of yourinternal communication so
everyone understands howdecisions are made.
Normalize change.
Make it clear that deviationfrom the plan is expected.
(10:05):
Create rituals like sprintreviews, roadmapping, updates
and postmortems that emphasizeadaptation over rigidity.
Reward strategic thinking.
Celebrate moments when teamsprevented failure through
planning, foresight or having abackup option in place.
This reinforces the value ofpreparation.
Document process improvements.
Each time you adjust yourproduction schedule, log what
(10:28):
changed and why.
Over time, you'll build betterforecasting models and improve
estimation accuracy.
Make planning collaborative.
Your best plans won't come fromthe top down.
Involve producers, leads andteam members in building
roadmaps.
They'll feel more ownership andyou'll get better insights,
incorporating external eventsinto your planning framework.
(10:51):
Game development doesn't existin a vacuum.
Your planning process needs toinclude external milestones and
industry events.
This can shape everything frommarketing to pitching to feature
readiness.
Ask these questions duringroadmap planning.
Are you attending GDC, gamescomor Tokyo Game Show?
Will you have a vertical slicerdemo ready?
Do you need marketing assets ortrailers?
(11:12):
Do you plan to run acrowdfunding campaign or public
playtest?
What does your production needto deliver to support these
efforts?
Do you have contingency plansif a beat slips?
Are publishers, investors orplatforms expecting updates?
Are you aligned on whatmaterials they need and when?
Are there major competitorlaunches or industry shifts
(11:33):
ahead?
Should you avoid or align withcertain market timing?
When you proactively integrateevents into your production plan
, your external efforts willfeel more coherent and less
reactive.
Financial planning your plan isonly as good as your budget.
You can't plan in a vacuumwithout understanding your
financial constraints.
Aligning your game developmentroadmap with cash flow and
(11:54):
fundraising timelines iscritical.
Here's how to stay in sync.
Tie major milestones tofundraising needs.
If your next prototype isneeded to raise a seed round,
your plan must reflect that as anon-negotiable milestone.
Your plan must reflect that asa non-negotiable milestone.
Track runway regularly.
Create monthly burn rateforecasts with buffer space for
unexpected costs.
Build in budget flex zones.
(12:16):
Have a list of things you couldpause, delay or cut in a
worst-case cash flow scenario.
This prevents desperation-baseddecision making.
Coordinate closely withbusiness development.
Make sure your productionleaders know what the business
team is planning and vice versa.
Silos kill alignment.
(12:37):
Common pitfalls in planning andhow to avoid them.
Even experienced leaders fallin the traps.
Here are the top mistakes toavoid Planning too much,
executing too little little.
It's tempting to build theperfect plan before doing any
work, but development isiterative.
Plan in three to six monthwindows and then refine from
what you learn.
Here's a fix.
(12:57):
Use lightweight tools likenotion trello or click up to
create living plans.
Don't let documentation becomethe work.
Two refuse the replan.
Once a plan is made, someleaders resist revisiting it,
even when conditions change.
A fix for this is schedulereplanning windows.
Make them expected, not a signof failure.
(13:18):
Three planning in isolation.
If leadership plans everythingwithout team input, the plan
won't reflect on-the-groundreality.
Fix include producers, leadsand senior members in roadmap
creation.
Use collaborative templates orshared dashboards.
Four Not planning for teammorale.
Plans aren't just aboutmilestones, they're about people
.
Burnout is often a sign of poorplanning.
(13:40):
A fix for this is add capacityplanning to your roadmap Track
hours, pto, holidays andemotional bandwidth.
Simple tools for betterplanning and backup strategies.
You don't need complex softwareto improve your planning
process.
Here are a few lightweight andeffective tools Planning canvas,
miro or FigJam.
(14:00):
It's a visual map of goals, teamconstraints, timelines and
backup paths.
A roadmap with layers Main path, conservative path, accelerated
path.
Tools like Airtable or Notioncan visualize these paths
clearly.
A risk register A shared docwhere risks are logged, tracked
and ranked by severity.
Assign ownership to each risk.
A pre-mortem template Imagine aproject failed.
(14:24):
Ask what could have caused this,then address those risks before
they happen.
Failed ask what could havecaused this, then address those
risks before they happen.
Decision lock Document majordecisions with context, options
considered and backup rationale.
It helps during postmortems andreduces second guessing.
Resource load chart who's doingwhat and when.
Helps prevent overloading teammembers or over-compromising
(14:45):
capacity.
Creating accountability withoutcreating fear.
One of the biggestmisconceptions about planning is
that it's about control.
In reality, it's aboutcommunication and expectation
management.
As a leader, your job is to setclear expectations.
Provide visibility into the whybehind timelines.
Invite feedback when things gooff track.
(15:05):
Avoid blame and instead focuson learning.
If your team fears telling youthat something is delayed, your
planning culture is broken.
Planning only works when peoplefeel safe sharing changes and
concerns.
Create a structure where teamsupdate progress without fear.
Celebrate accurate statusupdates, even when they include
bad news.
That's how planning becomes astrength, not a punishment.
(15:30):
Planning for leadership,transitions and unexpected
absences Good planning alsoextends the leadership.
What happens if the producergets sick for two weeks or if a
key engineer leaves mid-project?
Every studio should includebackup roles and cross-training
in their plans.
Secession planning have one ortwo deputies per department who
can step in temporarily.
Knowledge handover docs Eachlead should keep a simple
(15:53):
document with links, goals,risks and open questions.
Onboarding playbooks For newhires.
A 30, 60, 90-day plan reducesramp-up time and avoids
knowledge loss.
You're not planning for peopleto fail.
You're planning for humans tobe human.
Planning as a signal tostakeholders.
Plans are also communicationartifacts.
(16:15):
A well-documented plan is apowerful signal to investors,
publishers and partners.
When a studio presents adetailed roadmap, a budget tied
to milestones, risk mitigationstrategies, scenario planning,
marketing alignment, it showsmaturity, increases trust, but
also differentiates your studiofrom teams that wing it.
If your plan changes, the factthat you had one is evidence of
(16:37):
strategic thinking.
Final thoughts why planning isan act of respect.
Planning is more than aspreadsheet or calendar.
It's a leadership act ofrespect.
It respects your team's time,it respects your players'
expectations, it respects yourstudio's vision and it respects
your partner's trust.
When you build thoughtful plansand prepare for what might go
(17:01):
wrong, you give your team thebest chance to do their best
work.
You can't control everything,but you can lead with intention.
Best work.
You can't control everything,but you can lead with intention,
and when you do, your studiowill not only survive the chaos
of development, it will thrivebecause of the clarity you
created.
All right, and that's thisweek's episode of Press Start
Leadership Podcast.
Thanks for listening and, asalways, thanks for being awesome
(17:24):
.
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