Teams and departments

At Game Garden I built three departments from scratch.

A brass globe on a stand

Three departments, from zero

Marketing

Strategy, user acquisition, performance analytics. I built the department and ran it.

Analytics

Payback, traffic quality, audience feedback for the production team.

Creative production

I grew it as a separate team and ran creative development myself.

Managers

8+ years managing and mentoring product managers as General Producer.

  • 5

    product managers at once, each on a product area of their own

  • 14

    years at Game Garden, 2011 to 2025, as co-owner and board member

People who run on fear only work under a despot.

In normal times fear of being fired or blamed is a weak driver. So I grow managers through coaching, most of all the ones who lead people themselves.

How I set up a team

  1. ConsistencyWe agreed, so we do it. If we walk it back, I say so out loud.
  2. PrioritiesOne important thing beats ten nice reports.
  3. Clear authorityWho makes which decision is said in words.
  4. Shared toolsOne set of report and timeline templates for every project. Nobody reinvents them.
  5. CrisisI don’t rush around to feel busy. I look for one right decision.

My own team and someone else’s

Game Garden

Mobile free-to-play, co-owner

  • Hired people for the roles where they perform best, leads too. Some leads I let go.
  • My job: product managers who make decisions themselves, and make them right.

BrainRocket

iGaming

  • External studios did not report to me and had their own priorities. The deadlines were mine.
  • I found the studios, negotiated, set tasks and accepted the work.