When I worked at Activision, one of the vice presidents told me that when he suggested a new feature to a game designer, there was a three-state process:
- “It’s impossible!”
- “It’s too hard.”
- “It’s on your desk.”
Note that the process doesn’t have anything to do with getting a commitment out of the game designer. Just plant the seed and occasionally ask if he’s figured out how to do it yet. If the idea is a good one, it will gnaw at the designer, and eventually a solution will appear as if by magic.
That was great management. The designer’s own desire that his product be cool was the only tool required.
I Publish Books! Norton Creek Press
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