Game Thinking Innovation Sprint
THE FASTEST ROUTE
from promising idea to deeply engaging product
Are you eager to accelerate your path from promising idea to deeply engaging product experience?
A Game Thinking Innovation Sprint could be just the kick-start you’re looking for. This powerful program will help you:
- Accelerate your innovation cycle with hot-core early customers
- Drive sustained engagement using techniques from hit games
- Build a product people return to again and again
We combine elements of Game Design, Systems Thinking, Agile/Lean UX, and Design Thinking into a potent recipe for accelerating innovation. We’ve helped dozens of successful teams bring their ideas to life — and we can help you too.
INNOVATION SPRINT BASICS
WHAT
12 Week Design Coaching Program
WHEN
October – December 2018
WHERE
Online in our private community
WHO THIS IS FOR
- Entrepreneurs bringing an innovative idea to life
- Intrapreneurs working internally to drive smart innovation
- Startup CXOs who want to accelerate product/market fit
- Product leaders who need to drive long-term engagement
- Designers & PMs who want to learn cutting-edge, high-impact skills
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT
during an Innovation Sprint
Well-structured video training keeps you moving
You’ll get short, targeted training videos that explain the concepts and help you apply Game Thinking to your project.
Step-by-step templates streamline your work
Our proprietary templates take the guesswork out of building your MVP by showing you what to do, and how to do it.
Weekly coaching calls deepen your learning
Get your questions answered during our live coaching calls – always recorded & posted for those who can’t make it live.
Private group offers accountability and support
Join a community of entrepreneurs and innovators who are happy to share their knowledge and experience.
Flexible time commitment – learn at your own pace
During each week of the program, you will spend roughly:
- 1-3 hours watching videos & participating in calls
- 5-15 hours doing work that develops & tests your ideas
You move at your own pace, taking breaks as needed. The more time & effort you put in, the faster you’ll move towards your goal.
MEET YOUR COACH
Hi. I’m Amy Jo Kim—game designer, entrepreneur & startup coach. I’m passionate about helping entrepreneurs super-charge their path to product/market fit.
I’ve worked with hundreds of product leaders and cross-functional teams to bring their ideas to life. I’ve learned what works—and what doesn’t—in the early stages of product innovation.
I would love to help you build a product that delights your customers & brings them back, again and again.
Accelerate Product/Market Fit
with our proven system & powerful design templates
1: HYPOTHESIZE
Clarify your strategy & plan your experiment
Adopting the right design habits will set you up for success. Use the MVP Canvas to clarify your strategy & identify high-risk assumptions that need early testing
2: EMPATHIZE
Identify & learn from your hot-core superfans
Find and learn from the people who’ll use your product first. Use the Superfan Funnel to identify the early adopters who’ll put up with cost & friction to get their needs met
3: DESIGN
Create a compelling customer journey over time
To build the right MVP, you’ll visualize how customers will use your product over time, guided by our Mastery Path & learning Loop model.
4: PLAYTEST
Prototype & test your core learning loop
Now you’ll test your ideas with vetted early adopters using your 3-part Playtest Script as a guide – and get actionable insights to help you iterate your core experience.
5: VALIDATE
Analyze your results & decide what to do next
Now that you’ve tested your ideas in rough form with the rigtht Superfans, you’ll ready to circle back to where you started, and decide wherther to pivot or persevere.
You’ll use the data you’ve gathered to validate your assumptions, update your designs, & outline next steps with your Product Brief – a research-informed, validated plan of action that will guide you and your team towards success.
GET EXTRA SUPPORT
from our world-class Game Thinking mentors
Mike Sellers
Raph Koster
Jesse Schell
Dan Cook
Erika Hall
Laura Klein
Cindy Alvarez
Karl Kapp
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Join the leaders who’ve leveraged Game Thinking
Validate your idea in our
Design Coaching Program
This 12-week program will super-charge your product/market fit and help you build a deeply engaging experience. You’ll get:
- Self-paced videos to absorb the basics conveniently
- Step-by-step templates to streamline core activities
- Weekly coaching to keep you on track & progressing
- Supportive peers to help you learn & iterate
Turbocharge your team in our
Product Team Accelerator
Our Accelerator upgrade includes all the video training and templates from our Design Coaching program, plus extra services to help your team move faster & work smarter:
- Private kickoff meeting to clarify your project goals
- Private weekly meetings with expert 1:1 guidance
- Done-with-you options to accelerate your results
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Game Thinking sounds great, but I’m building an app/platform/enterprise system. Is this only for games?
Game Thinking can improve any product experience that can be built around learning, mastery and empowerment. It works for games, sire – but this process ALSO works for products, apps, blogs, marketplaces, events – any designed experience where your goal is long-term engagement.
This reminds me of Gamification – but I’m not hearing a lot about game mechanics. What’s the difference?
Gamification is the open door – a way to get people interested in the power of games. Game Thinking is the next step. It’s about bringing your ideas to life like a game designer, and creating feedback looks that empower & engage your players in a meaningful way.
When is it?
Our 2018 Game Thinking Innovation Sprint coaching program runs Oct 8th – Dec 20th 2018.
What topics do you cover?
We cover topics related to product strategy, customer research, UX design & product management. Details above.
Where do I need to participate?
This program runs online, and is open to entrepreneurs and innovators worldwide. You need an Internet-connected computer or mobile phone to access the course materials and group meetings.
Is this a good fit for me?
If you want to 10X your effectiveness at early product design. this program is for you. It’s especially effective for cross-functional teams, product leaders and passionate entrepreneurs who want to leverage the power of games to drive long-term engagement.
What happens if I get busy?
All of the materials are online, and you can move at your own pace through the activities. And you get lifetime access to the material, so you never have to worry about missing out.
What if I miss the Q&A calls?
All the weekly calls are recorded and shared online – so you can download and listen to them on your own schedule.
This program covers a LOT. How can I do it all?
You’re right – it IS a lot of material.This program will yield short-term gains on your current project – but it’s also a long-term investment in your skill set.
We’ve broken it into manageable chunks with step-by-step instructions. You’ll work your way the activities and learn the material – and come back to it to get more nuance & value as you take on different projects.
What if I don’t have the time I need, or the right skills?
If you can’t carve out time to test your assumptions and make design changes – this program isn’t for you.
If, however, you want to drive lasting customer engagement and accelerate product/market fit – you can’t afford NOT to take this program, because it’ll save you months of time and increase your odds of success. You don’t need to be an expert researcher or product designer – you just need to be willing to follow directions and do the work.
