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Draginol

Join Date 03/2001

+135

Secrets of business: Partnerships

When I was 20 I had nothing. I was working multiple jobs to pay for college and started Stardock as a way to pay for school. 20 years later, it’s now worth 9 figures. How did this happen?

The number 1 rule for success I’ve found is to build partnerships. This can mean your employees and it can mean external companies, contractors, etc. that you team up with.

What does “building” partnerships mean? To me, it means, working towards their success. This might seem counterintuitive but if you build your relationships upon the premise that if your partners succeed then you succeed then all your decisions boil down to what can you do to make your partners successful.

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Primal_Savage

Join Date 07/2013

+183

Somehow not surprised that if your ecosystem is doing well, you will also be doing well. No place for Schadenfreude. Congratulations on building a successful business.

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1MrPaul1

Join Date 12/2006

+32

This is absolutely truth. I'm making a large RPG now, and really feel that I need someone for help because this is very hard to do so complex things alone.

In theory everything is clear, we need a command, but how to do it on practice?

My personal experience, I'm making programming, drawing tiles and characters myself, even making music, but other guy - artist, who wanted to work with me, wants half of profits and everything that he can to do it is just sketches of the enemy characters.... and even if he will get a half of profits he do not do nothing without money, but I'm making everything without money myself, I can't to pay him now.

So, don't know how to start a company in game business, can you share with your experience how you building partner relationships?

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cardinaldirection

Join Date 08/2012

+18

@1MrPaul1 -

Honestly, I would fire that other guy right now.. his demands are selfish and unrealistic.

Unfortunately in this day and age it is very tough to find people who can afford the time and are passionate and visionary enough to work for free or delayed returns.

Have you thought about Kickstarter?

I'm an indie developer myself (well, more designer/pm at this point), so I have a soft spot for others in the same boat.

Can you tell us more about your game?

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1MrPaul1

Join Date 12/2006

+32

I do not work with him, of cause he is right, he have a family, he need to eat, pay bills etc, but I'm too. But anyway I do my best for making a good game, and even spend my money. Of cause may be this is an easy way to find a sponsor, but it also have it's bad sides.

Anyway I think that we always got to do more than what has been paid, only in this case we will get what we really deserve. But more often people trying to get as more as it possible but don't do nothing.

Yes, I want to start a project on Kickstarter soon,preparing all materials now .

here is a video of my game https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Mepap3Lifo, but there is no gameplay, and animation is bad, I'm making a new version from scratch now. And learning from diablo II how to make a right balance in games

PM me, it is very interesting to see what you do.

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danioc

Join Date 07/2001

+116

Couldn't agree more. I saw and experienced the Stardock grow more and more successful for more than a decade now.

And of course it's continue to expand

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cardinaldirection

Join Date 08/2012

+18

Quoting 1MrPaul1,

reply 5

I do not work with him, of cause he is right, he have a family, he need to eat, pay bills etc, but I'm too.

Agreed, but this is no excuse for him demanding half of the games profits just for doing sketches of the adversaries.

Quoting 1MrPaul1,

reply 5

I too believe that we should do our best at everything we do; but unfortunately this seems to be a waning perspective.

Quoting 1MrPaul1,

reply 5

Looks interesting!.. somewhat like a combination of Super Metroid and Spirit Engine. You should check out both games for inspiration and to see how they tackled some level design and user experience pitfalls if you havent already.

Quoting 1MrPaul1,

reply 5

it is very interesting to see what you do.

At the moment Im working on a strategic card game, both paper and digital; and my big bottleneck is art - getting paintings done for all the cards.

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Jafo

Join Date 03/2001

+1294

Quoting 1MrPaul1,

reply 5

I do not work with him, of cause he is right, he have a family, he need to eat, pay bills etc, but I'm too.

A friend of mine worked in 'continuity' aka 'Director's assistant'....and was working regularly on a TV show....getting a take-home pay. She was offered the position on a movie....very low-budget....couldn't afford to pay her....but offered 1% of the box-office. She declined....needing the money 'now'...and stuck with the TV show.

That movie was 'Mad Max'.

At last count...her 1% would be 3 million.

A LOT of it is down to luck and circumstance....

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Quoting Jafo,

reply 8

A LOT of it is down to luck and circumstance....

Yeah, for every story like that there are 100 more where the project made no money whatsoever.

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1MrPaul1

Join Date 12/2006

+32

Yeah, this is not easy to decide, earn money or works free and invest in future.

I'm also balancing now, from one hand - very need money, from other, I understand that if I do not make something for my future, my future can became very sad. As sad as if I lost 1% from "MadMax" profits, there is nothing more bad than live in regrets.

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Quoting 1MrPaul1,

reply 10

Yeah, this is not easy to decide, earn money or works free and invest in future.

I'm also balancing now, from one hand - very need money, from other, I understand that if I do not make something for my future, my future can became very sad. As sad as if I lost 1% from "MadMax" profits, there is nothing more bad than live in regrets.

Totally agree. Like this poem: "Better to hear the string break, than to never bend a bow"

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