I have a number of tools that I used to develop ideas or maintain my focus on business. I often visit www.inc.com and of course I read books that can assist me in gaining some type of edge. This is absolutely necessary when you are a sole proprietor/entrepreneur. Often a small businessperson sits isolated on a project and doesn’t have the ability to network or share ideas. We stay bottled up and many of us don’t share for the fear of our ideas being stolen. When a person feels this way, or acts in this manner, I tend to think that things never get done. Nothing ever really happens outside of the person coming up with an idea and never following through.
Everyone I know has a business card…
Not everyone actually has a business. The tools that are needed to help progress from static idea to action and accomplishment can vary. Like I said I use books and Inc.com, but lately my favorite tool has been Netflix. The ability to stream documentaries allows me to witness the growth of individuals and businesses. Lately, I’ve been streaming the Bloomberg Game Changers Series. on Netflix. (This is a link to the actual site). I won’t get into detail on those, but I will delve into the topic of this post.
My recent business research documentary was Indie Game: The Movie. I really don’t want to attempt a movie review here and I choose not to go into a ton of detail, but this movie perfectly represents not only the struggle in the independent gaming industry. It delves to the core of what an individual who decides to start a business must go through. The film follows three independent gaming designers and discusses their financial hardships, social awkwardness, business complications and decisions, failures and success. Where the film excels is in the reality of how influential and powerful social media can be on an entrepreneur and how the entrepreneur copes with the stress and pressures of taking a product from idea to reality.
While I am not in the gaming industry, I couldn’t help but draw parallels to my struggles with ARCH and with my writing career. The loneliness of never knowing if it’s going to work. If what you are doing is going to be successful after donating so much time (and money) to it. The second guessing if you are working the right way when you witness so many other people or companies getting accolades and of course money, when they haven’t really done any real and consistent work. Indie Game: The Movie is possibly the most important film an entrepreneur will watch.
Powerful stuff.
Let me know what you think when you watch it.
