Game thinking for rapid innovation

Game Thinking
innovate smarter
with design techniques from hit games

Is this you?
• I want to reduce churn and engage my
customers more deeply
• I want to tune my ideas with the right
people and ﬁnd product/market ﬁt
• I want better innovation outcomes with
a process based on real-world success

Amy Jo Kim, Ph.D. 
Game Designer
Startup Coach
Entrepreneur

I help startups, game studios & global brands build
deep engagement from the ground up

I’ve worked on a diverse set of
innovative worldwide hits

Multi-player rhythm action game

Some teams I worked with created breakthrough hits 
Others didn’t cross the chasm

What’s the diﬀerence between  
teams that succeed & fail?

Game Thinking
5 steps to product/market ﬁt

Game Thinking
Hypothesize & plan your experiment
articulate your product strategy
and prioritize your assumptions

Game Thinking Quotes
“The best way to
have a good idea is
to have lots of ideas.”
Linus Pauling
Scientist
Don’t fall in love with your ﬁrst idea

Stage
Kill
Gate
Concept Bank
Kill
Gate
Kill
Gate
Stage
Stage
Stage
Stage Gate Theory

Plan your experiment with the MVP Canvas

Discover Your Personal Style
Glamorous Trendsetting Understated

MVP Canvas BEFORE
Young women
(18-30) who play
mobile fashion
games
Aspirational
dress-up in
designer fashion
PLUS celebrity
stylist advice

MVP Canvas BEFORE
Young women  
(18-30) who play
mobile fashion
games
Aspirational  
dress-up in designer
fashion PLUS
celebrity stylist advice
F2P co-op game
with real-world
fashion content
and hot trends
Vogue alternative
– stay up-to-date
on fashion by
playing – not just
looking

MVP Canvas BEFORE
Young women  
(18-30) who play
mobile fashion
games
Aspirational  
fashion PLUS
F2P co-op game with
real-world fashion
content and hot
trends
Vogue alternative –
stay up-to-date on
fashion by playing –
not just looking
F2P game experience
Existing, addressable
audience for fashion
games
Like/Dislike metrics
via interviews with
hardcore fashion
gamers

MVP Canvas BEFORE
Young women  
(18-30) who play
mobile fashion
games
Aspirational  
fashion PLUS
F2P co-op game with
real-world fashion
content and hot
trends
Vogue alternative –
stay up-to-date on
fashion by playing –
not just looking
F2P game experience
Existing, addressable
audience for fashion
games
Like/Dislike metrics
via interviews with
hardcore fashion
gamers
Young women
want a mobile
game based on
real-world fashion
PLUS access to a
celebrity stylist

Game Thinking
Empathize with your Superfans
identify your hot-core customers and
design for their needs, habits and frustrations

“Build something just a
few people want - even
if most people don’t get
it right away”
Paul Buchheit
Partner, Y-Combinator
Find your early hot-core customers

Innovation diffusion theory
EVERETT ROGERS, 1961

Have you ever
listened to the
wrong
customers?

Finding your cearly customers 
can determine whether you
thrive - or fail

This innovative gaming
platform didn't make it
across the chasm

This innovative
mobile health service
became a hit

Crossing the Chasm
GEOFFREY MOORE, 1991
HASM

Crossing the Chasm
GEOFFREY MOORE, 1991
HASMSTART NOT

Who to listen to - & who to ignore?

don’t rely on
friends & family

or people in
your ultimate
target market

MVP Test
Speed Interview
How do (the most successful) innovators 
ﬁnd & leverage Superfans?

rhythm action nerds
who know the basics

simulation enthusiasts
who love to make things

Lego-loving families who
enjoy sharing photos

Mobile-savvy fashionistas
who love to play dress-up

How did the Covet
Fashion team
identify & leverage
their Superfans?

bVisionary Leaders
Superfan Screener

How can YOU do this?
MVP Test
Speed Interview

Super Fan Funnel
MVP Test
Speed Interview
Screener
x

Super Fan Funnel
MVP Test
Speed Interview
Screener

Super Fan Funnel
MVP Test
Interview
Screener

Super Fan Funnel
Playtest
Interview
Screener

If you want to cross the chasm…

Early
adopters
Start Here

Early
majority
Expand when ready

Game Thinking
Design your Customer Journey
sketch out how your customer
experience will evolve over time

Make people better at
something they want to
get better at.
Kathy Sierra
Author, Headﬁrst Series
Upgrade your user, not your product

Mastery Path
MASTERY
HABIT-BUILDING
ONBOARDING
DISCOVERY
What is this? Is it right for me? 
What’s the value proposition?

Mastery Path
MASTERY
HABIT-BUILDING
ONBOARDING
DISCOVERY
How do I learn the ropes?  
How do I start giving & getting value?

Mastery Path
MASTERY
HABIT-BUILDING
ONBOARDING
DISCOVERY
What urge pulls me back?
What am I getting better at?

Mastery Path
MASTERY
HABIT-BUILDING
ONBOARDING
DISCOVERY
What skills & knowledge have I mastered?
How can I leverage that?

Mastery Path
skill-building
feedback
repeatable,
pleasurable
activity
progress &
investment
cues &
triggers
cues &
triggers
internal
situational
external
engaged
MASTERY
HABIT-BUILDING
ONBOARDING
DISCOVERY
skill-building
feedback
repeatable,
pleasurable
activity
progress &
investment
cues &
triggers
cues &
triggers
Learning
Loop

Discovery is for Visitors
Social discovery
via friends and
colleagues

Onboarding is for Newbies
Learn the
ropes with a
friendly bot

Habit-building is for Regulars
Customized
group chat with
emojis, bots,
and integrations

Mastery is for Enthusiasts
Launch a channel,
program a bot,
integrate your app

Build something people love
Create an experience
that gets better as
your customers
become more skillful
MASTERY
HABIT-BUILDING
ONBOARDING
DISCOVERY

How does this work
in practice?
MVP Test
Speed Interview

Distil. Key Customer Insights with Job Stories
When _________
I want to ______________
so I can ______________
trigger
activity + goal
Job Story
desired outcome

Focus on you Habit Stories =  
Job Stories Built Around a Habit

Fashion Browser
stay up-to-date on fashion trends
Co-Creator
shop & dress with a buddy
Armchair Stylist
tell other people how to dress

“When I’m tired after a long day at work, I want to
kick off my heels, flop on the couch, & immerse
myself in a beautiful world of high fashion. I just
wish it was more customized to me and my taste.”
BEHAVIOR: Fashion Browser
Existing Habit

BEHAVIOR: Fashion Browser
Habit Story

BEHAVIOR: Co-creator
Existing Habit
“Patti told me to put these shoes and belt together
with this outfit – I’d never think of that combination
but it TOTALLY works. I wish I had her advice all
the time.”

BEHAVIOR: Co-creator
Habit Story

“I LOVE to get my friends together at my
place before heading out, so I can critique
their outfits and tell them how to dress better.
Those girls NEED me :-)”
BEHAVIOR: Armchair Stylist 
Existing Habit

BEHAVIOR: Armchair Stylist 
Habit Story

Game Thinking
Playtest Your Learning Loop
bring your core functionality to life by
testing with high-need early customers

“In a loop, you’re
learning a skill &
updating your mental
model. That’s what
leads to player delight.”
Dan Cook
co-founder, Spry Fox Games

What’s the right MVP  
for your engaging product?
MVP Test
Speed Interview

Operant
Conditioning
AKA  
Skinner Box?

X
Operant
Conditioning
AKA  
Skinner Box?

MVP Test
Speed Interview
Skill-building
makes customers
more awesome

“Fun is just another
word for learning.”
Raph Koster
author, A Theory of Fun

“ﬁnding the fun” =
building engagement from the inside out

skill-building
feedback
repeatable,
pleasurable
activity
progress &
investment
cues &
triggers
cues &
triggers
internal
situational
external
engaged
MASTERY
HABIT-BUILDING
ONBOARDING
DISCOVERY
skill-building
feedback
repeatable,
pleasurable
activity
progress &
investment
cues &
triggers
cues &
triggers
Learning
Loop
Learning Loop
makes customers
more skillful

identify your
core social actions

all updates &
messages read
read & respond
to updates
customize your
communications
& channel
FOMO —
check updates
FOMO —
check updates
TRIGGER
ACTIVITY

all updates &
messages read
read & respond
to updates
customize your
communications
& channel
FOMO —
check updates
FOMO —
check updates
SIMPLE
FEEDBACK

all updates &
messages read
read & respond
to updates
customize your
communications
& channel
FOMO —
check updates
FOMO —
check updates
PROGRESS
TRIGGER

MVP Test
Speed Interview
Design your
Learning Loop to
make customers
more skillful

Early Majority
Closed Beta
Friends & Family
Team &  
Department
typical
play-testing
progression

Early Majority
Closed Beta
Friends & Family
Team &  
Department
Super-fan
Community
super-fan
play-testing
progression

Common Testing Artifacts
prototype your product with increasing ﬁdelity

Concept Storyboards
Visualize how customers use your product over time

3-Part Playtest Script
1) warmup 2) test your artifact 3) debrief

“You can use an eraser
on the drafting table or
a sledgehammer on the
construction site.”
Frank Lloyd Wright
Architect

Want clear, actionable data?
Playtest
Interview
Screener
with Superfan Cohorts

Game Thinking
Validate your assumptions
distill your test results and
create your product roadmap

MVP Test
Speed Interview
How do (the best) game designers and
product leaders validate ideas and 
bring an MVP to life?

“MVP is a liquid,
not a solid”
Steve Vassallo
Partner, Foundation Capitol

we imagined living out a rock star fantasy…

and started by tuning & iterating a single song

we imagined a doll house come to life…

and started with tiny world-building experiments

we imagined a cooperative dress-up game…

and piggy-backed our ideas onto existing habits

we imagined a science-based happiness game…

and built a simpler UX that delighted early customers

MVP Test
Speed Interview
now it’s your turn

Who should I listen to?
What should I build?

Who should I listen to?
What should I build?
At what development stage?

MVP
BETA
LAUNCH
EXPANSION
ONBOARDINGDISCOVERY HABIT-BUILDING MASTERY
Game Thinking Roadmap

MVP
BETA
LAUNCH
EXPANSION
ONBOARDINGDISCOVERY HABIT-BUILDING MASTERY
Game Thinking Roadmap
START HERE

How did Covet Fashion come to life?

Pleasurable Daily Habit: browsing & rating outfits
I love seeing what’s
new, browsing designer
clothes – it’s the
perfect way to unwind
after a long day

I love raiding my friend’s
closet to borrow shoes
for my outfit — it’s like
real life, only better
Patti’s Closet
OPEN
SLOT
OPEN
SLOT
Tops Bottoms Shoes Bags Jewelry Scarves IntimatesDresses
23 
items
Social Hook: raiding your friend’s closet

is for Enthusiasts
Discover Your Style
Attend an Event
Make a Collection
Browse Your Stream
Mastery Path: Get ahead
by putting together
great outfits

Invites
Waiting
Browse New
Content
Dress for the Event
Get Social Feedback Raid your friend’s closet
Browse your Style Feed Choose an Invitation
Learning Loop: dress up for aspirational events

Stage
Kill
Gate
Concept Bank
Kill
Gate
Kill
Gate
Stage
Stage
Stage
Prototype to Learn

Stage
Kill
Gate
Concept Bank
Kill
Gate
Kill
Gate
Stage
Stage
Stage
don’t fall in love with an idea;
fall in love with
solving a problem & learning
from your customers
Prototype to Learn

What can Game Thinking do for you?
• Create a high-learning MVP* for exactly the right customers
• Build an experience people come back to, again and again
• Dramatically improve your innovation outcomes
*Minimum Viable Product

Game thinking for rapid innovation

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