Creating a video game from scratch requires a lot of manpower and specialized talent. Being able to work effectively and efficiently as a team is key to creating a game that is both enjoyable for users and financially beneficial for your studio/company. In addition to helping teams work together seamlessly to coordinate and execute tasks, product managers serve many different roles depending on the industry or company. Since there are so many differing opinions on what exactly a product manager’s role looks like, oftentimes they do not receive the recognition they deserve. This week on Mastering Retention, Tom speaks with Maria Gilles (Product Manager at Hutch) about the importance of product managers, finding the right product manager for your company, what their role should look like, and so much more.
Here are your cheat codes:
1:38 How did Maria Gilles get started in the videogame industry?
4:04 Defining Product Managers*
6:09 How many product managers should be working on a game?
8:18 How can a game director and product manager work together most efficiently?
10:40 Traits to look for in product managers.
12:37 Balancing the big picture and the small details as a product manager.*
16:01 Passion is key for a product manager.*
20:17 When to hire a product manager.*
22:16 Hiring a product manager.
24:50 Mapping out live content.
30:11 Making a game enjoyable and financially beneficial.
34:22 A game's difficulty can have an impact on retention.
38:27 Features and content drives monetization.
42:44 Finding the right product manager.
44:58 Setting the live ops cadence.
48:48 Be thoughtful when running tests.
53:22 How to keep more players around longer.
Ep. 80: Defining Product Management