For reference, ESkillz Games was set up to deliver a series of realistic Play To Earn sports games and accompanying Metaverse. In the first four months we’ve made a lot of mistakes, even more friends and made some progress. Here are a few things I’ve learned, in no particular order: –
1] Vision
We all have to start somewhere but once you decide what you want to do refine it, hone it, define it and stick to it. Try to condense it down into one sentence, like a movie elevator pitch. It will be a lot easier to sell this idea to investors or customers if it’s short and sweet.
2] Advisors
Crypto projects typically have lots of advisors, this is not the norm in traditional game development but it has been a huge benefit to me. We have expert advisors for all sorts, marketing, Tokenomics, design, community, BizDev etc. All have provided valuable advice and a sounding board. It’s completely changed my approach to development and once you learn to give up some control you’ll never go back.
3] Under Promise and Over Deliver
A lot of projects get this the wrong way round, especially in Crypto where hype is everything but after the initial rush of excitement and the reality of getting a projection to completion kicks in, you’ll soon realize just how important it is. Rather than disappointing your community and investors you surprise them. Rather than put yourself under pressure you can do more.
4] The Kindness of Strangers
The nicest thing about working in Crypto is how friendly and helpful everyone has been. At any one time we’ve usually had over 10 people helping us without expecting anything in return though if the project’s a success they will be rewarded of course. New projects can and should use this as much as possible but always remember who your friends are.
5] Operating on a Shoestring
The hardest part of getting a project off the ground is financing it. There are lots of ways to raise funds in Crypto so be sure to plan carefully and make sure you can go from milestone to milestone. Within 3 months we could’ve sold NFTs and tokens, taken VC funding and a hundred other possibilities but to get there we had to beg and borrow, get in debt, spend our savings etc.
6] Finding Your Niche
Throughout my career, the times we’ve had any success, is when we lucked into a niche. If everyone and their dog is doing what you want to do, go back to the drawing board and come up with a better idea. Look for something new, something that fixes a problem or fills a gap and hone in on it.
7] The Power of Positive Thinking
I used to think this was hippy nonsense but am a firm believer now. If you’re positive you will make it happen, if you don’t think it will happen you’ll ending up fulfilling that prophecy. It’s that simple.
8] Patience
The final lesson is not only the biggest struggle I’ve had but the most important. Being patient clearly doesn’t come naturally to me but I’m slowly improving. I often have to fight my urges but thanks to a lot of good advice I’ve seen the way. It’s not always easy to be patient, especially when you’ve had a bad week or are worried about the money running out, but patience makes you stronger and impatience can seriously damage your plans.
I hope the above helps, Dean, eSkillz Games.
