Designer Diary #10: Voluntary Complexity! Diving into the World of Small Business.
Hi everyone! Anne here, and this week has been a deep dive into the exciting (and sometimes overwhelming!) world of small business. As Sigfried mentioned in his latest update, I’ve been dedicating a good chunk of time to laying a solid foundation for Sig Trent Games. While he’s been hard at work on the creative side, my focus has been on understanding the nuts and bolts of running and growing a successful gaming company.
For me, this meant hitting the books – or rather, the online courses and insightful reads! I finally got around to digging into some foundational small business principles. Two books, in particular, have been incredibly helpful: “The E-Myth Revisited” by Michael E. Gerber and “The Lean Startup” by Eric Ries.
“The E-Myth Revisited” really opened my eyes to the importance of working on the business, not just in it. It’s so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day tasks, but understanding the systems and processes that will allow Sig Trent Games to scale and thrive is crucial. It’s about building a business that can run, even if we’re not constantly putting out every single fire ourselves.
Then there’s “The Lean Startup,” which has been instrumental in thinking about how we approach development and growth with efficiency and adaptability. The idea of building, measuring, and learning resonates deeply, especially in the fast-paced world of game development. It’s all about getting our ideas out there, seeing what works, and iterating quickly.
But all this learning needed a practical application, so I’ve also been tackling the big task of writing a Business Plan for Sig Trent Games. Now, I know what you might be thinking – isn’t that something you only need for investors or loans? While that’s certainly a key use, for us right now, it’s been an invaluable roadmap. It’s forcing us to think strategically about everything from our company structure and operational processes to our marketing goals and how we envision the future growth of Sig Trent Games.
Going through this process has been incredibly insightful. It’s helped us solidify our vision, identify potential challenges, and map out the steps we need to take to bring fantastic game supplements like Shotgun Fantasy and Everything Awesome Wrestling to all of you. It’s also helping me get a much clearer picture of the gaming industry and where Sig Trent Games fits in.
While Sigfried is the creative heart behind the games, I’m excited to contribute by building a strong and sustainable business framework around his passion. It’s a learning process, and there’s definitely a lot to absorb, but I’m feeling more and more confident about the journey ahead.
Stay tuned for more updates from both of us as we continue to build Sig Trent Games! And don’t forget to join our Discord community to be part of the conversation!
– Anne
If you haven’t already, check out Sig’s Stuff:
- Hero Sheets @ EGG’s EDH SideKick Shop for $5
- Hero Sheets @ SigTrent Shop for $4.99
- Hero Sheets @ DriveThruRPG for $4.99
- Debatable Actions @ DriveThruRPG for $4.99
- Shadow Markets @ DriveThruRPG for $4.99
SigTrent games is an independent TTRPG publisher specializing in supplements for Everyday Heroes, the modern action RPG. Sigfried Trent’s game designer diaries detail the companies progress, discuss game design, and whatever game’s Sig has been playing.
