Why startups will be less productive in 2010
StarCraft 2 comes out on July 27th, 2010. Using a completely unscientific method, I am forecasting that the American economy will lose millions, no, tens of millions of dollars in economic value from the release of this game.
There are a few key factors that create this situation. First, the typical startup is equipped with multiple high performance computers within close proximity of one another. Add fast internet and nerd culture and you have created the perfect storm for gaming madness.
What can you do to stop the hazardous effects of such an awesome game? I’ve got some bad news for you, there isn’t much. As a manager, the best thing you can do is to go with it. You can’t fight this power because it is too strong.
Here’s what you can do:
- Give your team dedicated play time
- Organize a company tournament
- Pizza is never a bad idea
- Reward the top player with a small trophy
- Set up a competition with other startups
Give it a few weeks (or months) and things will be back to normal. Right now, time would be best spent preparing for StarCraft 2. Fortify your computers with RAM and faster processors. Fix those nagging network problems and upgrade your internet connection. Clear space on the white board. Buy those larger monitors and that sound system that seems totally unnecessary. Even better, pre-order the game. Do these things and you will be well prepared.
