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Game Prod Pod · July 23 · 41 min

Stick or Twist?

Tash is away "bodybuilding" (powerlifting), leaving Matt and Luke to hold down the fort. We tackle the psychological barrier of throwaway prototyping, debate Story Points vs. Hours, and explore why asking "Why" is the ultimate project management cheat code. The Cast Matt Ibbs: Games Leadership Coach / Host Luke Timms: Games Industry Veteran / Product & Delivery Leader Episode 012: Stick or Twist When is it time to give up on an idea? In this episode, Matt and Luke explore the hard-learned discipline of failing fast. Luke shares behind-the-scenes stories of prototyping for the original Xbox Kinect, and we discuss why some of the most talented programmers are the ones who are happy to write code just to throw it away. 🤯 Hot Topic: Fail Fast, Fail Often. We break down the stigma of "failure" in development. Why do younger developers struggle to kill features they've spent weeks on? We explain why time spent does not equal product quality. 🎯 Production Masterclass: The Tim's Method. Luke introduces his Fibonacci-based sprint sequence, and we settle the age-old Agile debate: why you should never convert story points to hours (and what painting a wall has to do with it). Plus, we look at Simon Sinek's "Start with Why" and how to turn job interviews on their head by interviewing the employer. 💡 Key Takeaways: Throwaway Prototypes are Gold: Never over-engineer a proof of concept; build it crude, test it, and throw it away. Story Points != Hours: Points measure complexity and risk. Mapping them to hours destroys team trust. Problem Statements over Solutions: Don't tell a team how to paint the wall; tell them why the room is too dark. 🎙️ Sound Bites: "I am going to swim in Santander. I'll be wearing floaties, armbands, and a flashing GPS tracker." "Fail Fast, Fail Often. If you fall down the stairs the same way every day, you're just stupid." "We aren't open-heart surgeons. No one dies. We're just making games." "Stick my name on it—The Timms Method!"

0:00-41:52
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show notes

Tash is away "bodybuilding" (powerlifting), leaving Matt and Luke to hold down the fort. We tackle the psychological barrier of throwaway prototyping, debate Story Points vs. Hours, and explore why asking "Why" is the ultimate project management cheat code.

The Cast

  • Matt Ibbs: Games Leadership Coach / Host
  • Luke Timms: Games Industry Veteran / Product & Delivery Leader

Episode 012: Stick or Twist

When is it time to give up on an idea? In this episode, Matt and Luke explore the hard-learned discipline of failing fast. Luke shares behind-the-scenes stories of prototyping for the original Xbox Kinect, and we discuss why some of the most talented programmers are the ones who are happy to write code just to throw it away.

🤯 Hot Topic: Fail Fast, Fail Often. We break down the stigma of "failure" in development. Why do younger developers struggle to kill features they've spent weeks on? We explain why time spent does not equal product quality.

🎯 Production Masterclass: The Tim's Method. Luke introduces his Fibonacci-based sprint sequence, and we settle the age-old Agile debate: why you should never convert story points to hours (and what painting a wall has to do with it). Plus, we look at Simon Sinek's "Start with Why" and how to turn job interviews on their head by interviewing the employer.

💡 Key Takeaways:

  • Throwaway Prototypes are Gold: Never over-engineer a proof of concept; build it crude, test it, and throw it away.
  • Story Points != Hours: Points measure complexity and risk. Mapping them to hours destroys team trust.
  • Problem Statements over Solutions: Don't tell a team how to paint the wall; tell them why the room is too dark.

🎙️ Sound Bites:

  • "I am going to swim in Santander. I'll be wearing floaties, armbands, and a flashing GPS tracker."
  • "Fail Fast, Fail Often. If you fall down the stairs the same way every day, you're just stupid."
  • "We aren't open-heart surgeons. No one dies. We're just making games."
  • "Stick my name on it—The Timms Method!"

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