[MUD-Dev2] [NEWS] Sigil / Vanguard fallout ... the ex-employee interview

[Caliban Darklock]

On 5/16/07, Sean Howard <squidi at squidi.net> wrote:
>
> I don't understand what's interesting about that commentary. I mean, it
> sounds EXACTLY like my experience in the industry.

It also sounds very much like my experience at Chili!Soft. The end of
that assignment basically went like this:

"We need you to sign off on testing so we can RTM."
"No. The product failed testing. Badly."
"Well, sign off anyway so we can RTM."
"No. It's not fit for release."
"Clean out your desk."

This is not a game industry problem, it's a software industry problem.
Some people are measuring success by products, and some people are
measuring success by projects. If you don't listen closely enough, you
can't even tell the difference when they tell you which they care
about. The major stakeholders frequently don't succeed or fail based
on the performance of a product in the marketplace, but on the
performance of a project in the reports they send to investors. The
rank and file get miffed because they know the product game is being
lost, but upper management aren't playing the product game.

And what gets lost in the shuffle is the idea that the rank and file
are losing their game; while management are doing well at the project
game, the rest of the company has to land their next position based on
the product game. Good management must include an understanding and
awareness that if you don't win the product game, you're winning the
project game by cannibalising the future success and security of the
people playing the product game. And the rank and file should have
their own awareness and understanding that if management isn't playing
to win the product game, your single best move is to give notice.

Because while we all know what rolls downhill, we also know - but
rarely outright observe - that NOTHING rolls uphill. If they don't
care about you today, they won't care about you tomorrow either.