Software & Game Dev Leaders
We Help Accelerate Planning and Delivery Using Lightweight Process that Scales
For 17 years we helped shape delivery for titles like FIFA, Frostbite, and Fortnite,
and can do the same for your org. This approach grew FIFA Ultimate Team
from $50M to $500M in 4 years, and tripled Frostbite's output in 3.
When Do People Call Us?
Planning and delivery challenges come in different forms, but here are three variations we hear a lot:
Projects Late or Deadlines Missed
"Our team frequently misses their delivery commitments. Either the planning function isn't working properly, or our execution is lacking. Either way, we're losing credibility with our senior leaders and our customers aren't happy either."
Delivery Too Slow or Too Costly
"We generally deliver on time, but our plans are so over-engineered that the work we produce is borderline uneconomical. We're not getting enough throughput, and we'll never be able to scale up to meet our next market opportunity at this rate."
Teams Burning Out or Disengaged
"Every project has a lengthy crunch time, and our team is getting crispy. Team health scores are dropping, and some of our best people are starting to look elsewhere. Our so-called 'hero culture' is killing us. We need to bring order to the chaos."
Have a look through some of these warning signs. Which of them sound most familiar?
Missed Deadlines Damaging Credibility
Key milestones slip repeatedly, eroding trust with customers and stakeholders.
Too Many Priorities, Not Enough Focus
Teams are juggling 10-20 initiatives at once with no clear direction.
Teams Busy, but Progress Stalled
Despite full calendars and long hours, there's little meaningful progress.
Constant Replanning and Firefighting
Roadmap keeps shifting. Plans are remade every few weeks. No momentum.
Overloaded Teams, Unrealistic Planning
Plans are made without regard to real capacity. Nobody believes the plans.
Lack of Real Accountability
Ownership is muddy. No one knows who's really on the hook for results.
Delivery Problems = Revenue Delays
Shipping late means missed opportunities, and deferred or reduced monetization.
People Are Burning Out and Leaving
Workload, pressure, and disarray are unsustainable. Attrition is rising.
Did you know that every month an 80-person dev team is late delivering, burns an extra $1 million in staff costs - and delays revenue another month? (That same math applies at the scale of an 8-person team too - burning an extra $100k per month.)
It's also common that the "A" players on your team are ~10x more productive and impactful than the others on your team. Guess who have the best opportunities to find another job when they burn out and think about leaving? You guessed it - the "A" players.
Also, most high-upside opportunities have a short shelf life - and if your team isn’t ready to move fast, someone else will. The cost of delay isn’t just lost momentum - it’s lost market share, missed revenue, and a reputation for being too slow.
We can help you fix this before it negatively affects your team, your business, or your career.
How Do We Help?
We accelerate planning and delivery by providing streamlined processes and operational mentoring in the following areas:
When your organization follows well-established systems for delivering strategically-valuable work, you not only deliver efficiently and reliably, but you build confidence and momentum. These are the keys to scaling. Conversely, if any of these components are suboptimal or misaligned, friction sneaks into the system and momentum dissipates.
We work with leaders on your team to selectively tune (or implement new) processes to achieve the objectives described below:
1 - Direction & Alignment
Objective: Leadership is clear on what is most important to deliver, and everyone in the organization is aligned on delivering that and only that.
This may involve:
- Strategic Planning & OKRs
- Initiative Green Light
- Roadmap Creation
2 - Teams & Ownership
Objective: Everyone is clear on who owns which responsibilities, and teams are structured and resourced appropriately for their remit.
This may involve:
- Resource Allocation
- Org & Team Structure
- Outsourcing & Distributed Teams
3 - Delivery Methodology
Objective: Your delivery methodology is well-defined, robust, and universally followed. It brings valuable structure to the delivery process and the business.
This may involve:
- Execution Frameworks
- Stage/Gate & Waterfall
- Scaled Agile & Hybrid
4 - Planning & Execution
Objective: Plans are efficient and cost-effective, and execution is consistent and reliable. Work is delivered on time, on budget.
This may involve:
- Planning Process
- Progress Review
- Risk & Contingency Planning
5 - Change Control
Objective: Legitimate opportunities and risks are evaluated and addressed to balance responsiveness with diligence and commitment.
This may involve:
- Change Request Handling
- Scenario Planning
- Gap Analysis
6 - Business Cadence
Objective: The overall rhythm of meetings, events, and deliverables is clear and efficient, and communication is effective throughout the org.
This may involve:
- Stakeholder Communication Plans
- Management Operating System
- Integrated Operating Model
Many of our customers already handle many of these areas well, and only need to adjust a few areas to reduce friction and achieve significant improvements in planning and delivery times. Question for you: Where is your team already strong, and where could they improve? If you're not sure, schedule a free strategy session and we'll help you assess where to focus.
Who Have We Helped?
As Consultants And Employees, We Have Worked With:
Kudos
Jason is very knowledgeable about the gaming industry and the processes used in game development. I found him easy to work with: he is professional and personable, and could readily advise on both people and technical topics. Feedback from the off-site attendees was very positive and I welcome the opportunity to work with him again.
- Eugene van der Meulen, Sr Director of Operations at Electronic Arts
Jason has vast experience in interfacing with teams of many sizes and the ability to adapt to the current needs of an organization. I have been impressed in how Jason can identify weak links in process and quickly help teams address these issues, all the while working with other stakeholders, to implement sustainable solutions.
- Brett Bourbin, Director of Engineering at Electronic Arts
Jason has the ability to connect with team members at all levels and welcome discussions, even the difficult ones, with warmth. I feel comfortable seeking his perspective, knowing it would be thoughtful and constructive. He is able to create an environment where team members can express their honest opinions and gain their trust quickly.
- Grace Yen, Development Director at Electronic Arts
