Interviewing for High Potential
Hiring for a startup (or any team) is about finding people who can grow.
You don’t just need someone who can do the job today, you need someone who can stretch, adapt, take on new responsibilities, and level up as the business scales.
That’s why I often weigh the potential of a candidate above things like experience or pedigree. These are people who may not check every box right now, but they have the mindset, curiosity, and drive to take on more and learn fast.
Here are five of my favorite questions to help identify high-potential talent.
1. What’s a skill you’ve developed that didn’t come naturally to you?
This question uncovers grit and work ethic.
High-potential candidates tend to seek growth proactively and are gritty (I love grit). I’m looking for people who’ve pushed through discomfort, made progress, and can clearly articulate what they learned.
Bonus: ask both “what do you expect to learn in this role?” and “if you have this role what do you expect to teach us?” Their answer tells you how they approach their own growth and contribute to the growth of their team.
2. Tell me about a time you took on something that felt too big for you.
Building something new is full of moments where the scope outpaces the org chart. This question reveals self-awareness, agency, and adaptability.
Look for:
How they handled the ambiguity
What they did to get unstuck
How they reflect on the experience now
The best answers show humility, creative problem-solving, and most importantly: action.
3. Tell me about a piece of critical feedback you received that was hard to hear. What did you do with it?
This tests for coachability, openness to feedback, and the ability to apply it.
High-potential people tend to seek out and integrate feedback. They also know how to handle hard truths and while it can be challenging, they know the value of radical candor. If a candidate struggles with this question or gives a vague answer, it’s a red flag for growth ceiling.
Bonus: ask “did you agree with this feedback?” or “have you ever received critical feedback you disagreed with?” Both of these questions dig deeper into how the candidate takes direction.
4. Tell me about a time you took on a responsibility that no one asked you to do?
This is a way to understand ambition and self-direction. The best hires you can ever make never need to be told what to do. They just constantly make things better around them.
You’re looking for:
Understanding of broader goals
Sense of pride in company and team
Self-driven action
Alignment with the team
5. Who’s the best manager or mentor you’ve had, and what did they teach you?
This reflects the candidates ability to ask for help, and invest in themselves. Finding and maintaining a strong mentor relationship is real work which reflects investment. Acknowledging the need for help and support shows self-reflection.
The answer I want to hear would cover specific lessons learned, and appreciation for feedback. If the candidate has never had a mentor, ask them why. This can be very revealing about how the individual approaches their growth.
Final Thoughts
Hiring for high potential is about betting on trajectory, not track record. These questions help reveal how a candidate learns, adapts, and pushes themselves beyond what’s expected.
Look for signs of agency, self-driven growth, resilience under pressure, and intellectual curiosity. That means you’re likely talking to someone who will grow with the company and help the company grow.
High-potential people are unstoppable and if you can foster their growth they will be the best hires you have ever made.
Creating a Culture Where the Best Idea Wins
Every founder wants to build a culture where the best idea wins.
We love to say “great ideas can come from anywhere,” but in practice, most teams struggle to harness those ideas, especially when they challenge internal politics or egos.
To create a culture where the best idea actually can win, no matter where it originates, your team needs four key foundations:
Support for risk-taking to generate new ideas
A system for productive conflict to challenge those ideas
A culture of commitment to execute the ideas
A focus on objective results to evaluate the ideas
If you don’t build these foundations, “the best idea wins” is replaced by politics, posturing, and power dynamics that kingmake the ideas that are implemented.
1. Risk-Taking Requires Psychological Safety
Psychological safety is the belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes. There are many good articles written about psychological safety, which I would encourage every leader to read, but the core requirement is a culture of open communication where there is no fear of shame when taking a social or interpersonal risk.
2. Productive Conflict Makes Ideas Better
Productive conflict is the act of challenging new ideas from different perspectives and pressure testing them through methods like steelmanning, Devil's advocacy, principle of charity, Rapoport’s rules, and others.
To have open, productive debates about ideas, your team needs to know that disagreement is not personal. That starts with a culture of respect, where the idea or the work is being judged, not the individual who came up with the idea or the one that did the work.
Respect doesn’t mean avoiding conflict. It means:
Critiquing the work, not the person
Assuming positive intent, even in disagreement
Giving everyone equal opportunity to contribute, regardless of role or seniority
Productive conflict is built on the belief that we’re all here to build something great together. That should be the guiding light for any debate to avoid any semblance of “winning” an argument or scoring points. The goal is to make the idea better.
3. Commitment Moves the Team Forward
I have always been a firm believer in the power of “disagree and commit”. It allows for teams to move forward past the debate stage without anyone feeling like they have lost integrity. It supports psychological safety because team members can be clear that they disagree with the plan but will do everything they can to make it work.
To commit to a plan even when there is not full agreement shows a level of professionalism and a team-first mindset from each individual. In practice this means every team member must:
Put maximum effort into the plan even if they disagree with it
Faithfully follow both the letter of the plan and the intent of the plan
Do everything possible to set the plan up for success
If a plan that is committed to by the team is executed best to the teams’ ability then the merit of the idea will be judged against the desired results.
4. Objective Results Keep the System Honest
A culture where the best idea wins needs clear metrics for success. Otherwise, outcomes are judged by perception, or politics, not performance.
If a team is focused on having the best idea win it needs to measure the idea against the results. Follow these steps:
Set clear goals that can be measured
Transparently deliver the results to the entire team
Perform retrospectives without blame
Directly apply the learning
If a bold idea fails (which will happen) but the team learns from it and improves, that’s a win for the system. If an idea succeeds but contradicts prior assumptions, celebrate that new insight.
Results, not seniority, consensus, or comfort, should be the ultimate arbiter of success.
Final Thoughts
The goal isn’t to find one perfect idea. It’s to build a system that consistently improves how your team surfaces, debates, selects, and executes ideas over time. Create space for risk, expect respectful conflict, align the team around execution, and measure what matters. Do it consistently, and you’ll make better decisions, waste less time, and unlock a level of creativity and clarity most teams never reach.
Proletariat Core Values: Week 5 – Be Respectful
This is the final post in my five-part series on the core values from Proletariat Inc., how we wrote them, how we applied them, and how they helped shape our team and culture.
We’ve covered:
Understand Why – curiosity and transparency
Decide Fast and Iterate – action and learning
Take Responsibility – ownership
Exceed Expectations – ambition and rigor
This week, we finish with a value that anchored all the others: Be Respectful.
The Core Value as Written
Be Respectful
Treat each other, the products, the players, and the company with respect. Empathy, inclusivity, diversity, and trust are critical to creative output. Assume intentions are good and come from a place of caring. Remember that we’re all in this together.
Why It Mattered
Creative work is built on collaboration and trust, and those things fall apart quickly without respect.
Respect doesn’t mean being polite or conflict-free. It means treating people like teammates, assuming positive intent, and holding each other to a high standard without tearing each other down.
In game development, and in startups in general, things move fast, tension is normal, and feedback flows constantly. Conflict is critical to finding the best idea. This value ensured we could have honest and direct conversations, where we aggressively attacked ideas but never attacked people.
What It Encouraged
Empathy in feedback: Say the hard thing, but say it in a way that helps someone grow.
Inclusivity in collaboration: Everyone’s ideas are welcome. Diverse perspectives make the work better.
Care for the product and the players: Respect wasn’t just for teammates. We expected people to care about the work and the audience.
Appreciation for the company: Individuals and teams felt aligned with the organization and everyone acted like an owner (because they all were).
Trust on the team: Give people the benefit of the doubt. Assume they care, because they probably do.
How We Applied It
“Be Respectful” wasn’t treated as a soft value. It had practical, everyday implications:
In art, design, and code reviews: Critique the work, not the person. Focus on impact, not ego. We wanted everyone to show work early but trusted them to take the feedback and apply it. (see my post about feedback structure)
In meeting discipline: Everyone was given time and space, whether they were junior or senior, and regardless of role.
In feedback sessions: We encouraged honesty and care. Be direct and critical, but say it from a place of wanting someone to succeed.
In leadership: We modeled vulnerability, admitted mistakes, and respected the team’s time, focus, and well-being. We took critical feedback head on and showed we would not take it personally.
It also showed up in our community policies, in how we responded to players, and in the choices we made about the kind of studio we wanted to be.
What Made It Work
This value worked because it was woven into everything: hiring, onboarding, communication guidelines, and leadership behavior. This was all in the pursuit of creating an environment where the best idea wins.
“Be Respectful” was not about being nice, it was about building an environment where people felt safe, supported, and that they could do their best work. Often we need critical feedback and challenging coaching to push ourselves to deliver our best work, and that is what we strived for.
Paired with values like Take Responsibility and Exceed Expectations, we hoped to find a balance where the pursuit of excellence would not lead to unsustainable burnout.
Final Thought
“Be Respectful” was never just about avoiding bad behavior. It was about building the kind of team where people feel heard, trusted, and valued, because that’s when they do their best work.
Respect fuels trust. Trust fuels creative conflict. And creative conflict builds great products.
This value was actually not one of the original ones we listed for the team, we previously attempted to spindle the ideas of “Be Respectful” throughout the other four core values. After receiving feedback we decided to call it our as a fifth core value that could stand alone. In retrospect I think it belongs at the foundation of any team trying to do something hard together.
Thanks for following this series. If you’re working on your own company values, check out my guide on how to write them.
Proletariat Core Values: Week 4 – Exceed Expectations
This is week four in my five-part series on the core values from Proletariat Inc., how we wrote them, how we lived them, and how they helped shape a high-performance culture.
So far we’ve covered:
Understand Why – curiosity and transparency
Decide Fast and Iterate – action and learning
Take Responsibility – ownership
This week we’re talking about going beyond just doing the job: Exceed Expectations.
The Core Value as Written
Exceed Expectations
Be innovative, have ambitious goals and work to achieve them on aggressive timelines. Aim high, be scrappy, creative, efficient, and resourceful. Exceed expectations, and push yourself to the best of your ability while taking pride in your work.
Why It Mattered
A startup lives or dies by its ability to outperform expectations, internally and externally.
This value wasn’t about working more hours or grinding unsustainably. It was about showing that you can do more with less, and that every person on the team was capable of creating exceptional outcomes, not just meeting the minimum bar.
High functioning teams are ambitious by their nature. They strive to punch above their weight class. We wanted a culture that encouraged taking ambitious risks.
“Exceed Expectations” helped us signal to ourselves, our players, and our partners that we were serious, not just about building something, but about building something great.
What It Encouraged
High personal standards – Delivering something “good enough” wasn’t the bar, we demanded excellence.
Creative problem-solving – We expected teams to work with limited resources and still deliver top-tier results.
Pride in craftsmanship – From internal docs to production art, people cared about the quality of what they made.
Ambitious planning – We encouraged people to set bold goals and reach for more than they thought possible.
How We Applied It
“Exceed Expectations” showed up across the company in ways big and small:
In development: We’d surprise partners with polish and innovation far beyond what was expected from a team our size.
In communication: When we delivered bad news (which happens), we’d also show the thoughtful work behind the decision and what we were doing about it.
In support and community: Our team often went out of their way to answer questions, support players, and improve the experience beyond the basics.
We never framed this as starving our team of their needed resources. We framed it as: take pride in your work and reset the bar on what people think is possible.
What Made It Work
“Exceed Expectations” can backfire if it turns into burnout. That’s why we reinforced three key ideas:
Ambition isn’t exhaustion – We made it clear this value was about smart innovative ambition and being scrappy, not pushing people to overwork.
Celebrate effort and creativity – We publicly praised creative problem-solving and clever solutions, not just polished results.
Paired with trust and iteration – This value worked because it sat alongside Take Responsibility and Decide Fast and Iterate. We built safety first, then challenged people to rise to the occasion.
Final Thoughts
“Exceed Expectations” wasn’t just about pushing hard, it was about aiming higher, embracing creativity, and surprising people (including yourself) with what’s possible.
I feel that the most disadvantageous thing you can do to your team and yourself is simply “go through the motions”. The reality is that delivering simply what is expected is underperforming in a competitive market. Setting and exceeding expectations is one of the single most powerful abilities for anyone to accelerate their career and team success.
When every person on a team holds a mindset where they are resourceful, ambitious, and proud of their work, you get something rare: a culture that consistently punches above its weight and does more with less.
Proletariat Core Values: Week 3 – Take Responsibility
This is week three in my five-part series breaking down the core values we used at Proletariat Inc. I wanted to cover not just what they were, but how they were written, why they mattered, and how we used them in our daily work.
So far, we’ve covered Understand Why (curiosity and transparency) and Decide Fast and Iterate (action and learning). This week is about one of the most foundational ideas in any high-performing team: ownership.
The Core Value as Written
Take Responsibility
Own your actions and honor your commitments. Hold yourself to a high standard and be transparent with your team and our players. If and when that’s not possible, take responsibility and ensure your team is aware and able to support you. The way you do anything is the way you do everything.
Why It Mattered
Startups depend on trust, communication and follow-through. When you have a small team and big goals, everyone has to deliver, and if something’s off, it will impact the whole system.
This value was about more than just “doing your job.” It was about building a culture where people took their commitments seriously, owned the outcomes, were honest when things went off track, and knew when to ask for help.
We wanted to create a culture where people were rewarded for taking responsibility, not constantly looking to cover their own ass.
What It Encouraged
Execution over excuses: If you said you’d do something, you did it, or you let the team know why it changed.
Transparency over hiding problems: If you were behind, you spoke up early, not after a deadline slipped.
Do the little things well: Responsibility also means being detail oriented and caring about all the boring things that make for an awesome game, product, team, and company.
How We Applied It
“Take Responsibility” played out across the company in many ways:
In production and development: If someone couldn’t meet a deadline, the expectation wasn’t silence, it was transparency. We’d adjust as a team
In player communication: We’d own mistakes publicly. If we shipped a buggy patch or something broke, we’d explain why and how we’d fix it
In design and product decisions: We would delegate to the individual or team and let them take responsibility for both their work and the outcome of that work
In leadership: If leadership made the wrong call (and we did), we took ownership, especially in front of the team
This value gave the team permission to speak up early and created a culture of support instead of punishment.
What Made It Work
“Take Responsibility” only works if the team feels safe doing it. We built psychological safety first, so people could be honest about their mistakes. And we modeled responsibility at the leadership level, owning bad decisions, being transparent with the player community and the team, and fixing problems without finger-pointing.
“Take Responsibility” also requires leadership to actually delegate responsibility. We were not perfect at this but we constantly strived to improve our ability to delegate and empower the wider team.
And lastly, it requires that the team supports and trains people on how to take on new responsibilities. At Proletariat we worked to build a culture that invested in this kind of effort to help grow each team member.
Final Thought
The path to advancement in most careers requires taking on more responsibility. However, most companies lack psychological safety, are poor at delegating, and provide no support for the employee stepping into new/more responsibilities.
You can’t build a great team without accountability, but you also can’t build it with only shame and fear. “Take Responsibility” wasn’t about perfection. It was about honesty, integrity, trust, and owning your part while also being encouraged to ask for help.
(Want help creating your own set of values? Check out my guide on writing core values.)
Proletariat Core Values: Week 2 – Decide Fast and Iterate
Good decisions are hard, but fast decisions are good.
In this 5-part series, I’m walking through the core values we used at Proletariat Inc., what they meant, how we wrote them, and how they shaped our day-to-day work. These weren’t slogans. They were tools for making decisions and building a culture that could scale with trust and speed.
Last week I wrote about Understand Why, our value around curiosity, transparency, and trust. This week is all about velocity, action and learning.
The Core Value as Written
Decide Fast and Iterate
Good decisions are hard, but fast decisions are good. Quickly agree and commit to a well-reasoned direction, even without consensus. The tradeoff is worth it. Act, gather feedback, measure against expectations, and adjust accordingly. It’s okay to be wrong, work to learn from it quickly. Nothing’s sacred and we should always question the status quo.
Why It Mattered
Teams suffer from indecision and inertia far more often than from bad choices. The longer you spend discussing a decision around a white board the more time you waste speculating when you could be testing.
This value was about embracing action, reducing fear of failure, and creating a culture where we’d rather ship something rough and learn than wait for something to be perfect.
It also reflected a reality about building complex products like games: the sooner you start iterating, the sooner you start solving real problems.
What It Encouraged
Decisiveness over consensus – Consensus is ideal but not required, it’s better to disagree and commit fully than wait for a compromise
Action over perfection – Waiting for 100% clarity usually meant we were already behind
Data over assumptions – Every assumption will be tested eventually, might as well start as early as possible
This wasn’t a license to be reckless. It was a call to take smart, intentional action, and then be humble enough to adapt quickly and go again.
How We Applied It
“Decide Fast and Iterate” showed up in our product development, leadership meetings, and team dynamics:
In game and product design, we prototyped quickly and often. We'd test something internally or with players, kill what didn’t work, and build on what did
If a candidate had promise, we moved fast to get them hired and provided a strong onboarding plan
Leaders had clear ownership to make quick calls, rather than waiting for universal agreement
In production process or company policy decisions we were willing embrace a change quickly, while measuring the impact
It also gave permission to make mistakes, as long as we learned from them and improved.
What Made It Work
We didn’t just say “move fast and break things.” Making quick decisions was paired with:
Psychological safety – People and teams weren’t punished for early mistakes if they iterated quickly
Short feedback loops – Reviews, retros, and playtests were built into our process
Visible support from leadership – Leadership made imperfect decisions in public, adjusted when needed, and talked openly about what we were learning
Final Thought
“Decide Fast and Iterate” helped us bias to action. Whenever you are building something new it is almost impossible to get it right on the first try. We wanted to spend the smallest amount of time possible to consider a plan for action and then build iteration time into the process.
When paired with “Understand Why,” it created a powerful combo: transparent decisions used to drive rapid iteration towards the best idea.
This allowed us to adopt a culture of being metrics informed not metrics driven. The ability to build quickly, gather qualitative and quantitative feedback, and iterate, is very powerful. However, applying the feedback to properly choose a direction is always a judgement call.
(And if you missed it, check out my post on how to write core values for tips on building your own)
Proletariat Core Values: Week 1 – Understand Why
Many companies never share their core values publicly and for those that do, it can be hard to understand how these values came about and how they are used in daily work.
Over the next five weeks, I’m sharing the five core values we used at Proletariat Inc., not just what they were, but why we chose them, how we wrote them, and how they actually impacted our work.
This week: Understand Why.
The Core Value as Written
Understand Why
Know why your work is important to your team, your project, and the company. Be passionately curious, act with intention, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. It’s your responsibility to understand the reasons behind a decision, and it is the decision maker’s job to be transparent.
Why It Mattered
Understanding why a decision was made is fundamental to doing great work. Most teams and individuals can explain what to do. Good teams get alignment on how and when to do something. But great teams push to understand why, because that’s where autonomy, creativity, and real ownership live.
When someone knows the why behind a task, they can make smarter decisions, raise flags earlier, and often suggest better ways to reach the goal. If you know why someone else on your team is doing something it makes you a better teammate because you can more easily align with their goals and all row in the same direction.
Making the leap to understanding why decisions are made a certain way or work is done a certain way is the fastest track to growing in your role and career. If you want more responsibility you need to have a broader understanding of the business and the team. That higher level perspective is required for strong leadership.
What It Encouraged
This value was built around two core ideas:
Transparency is required
Curiosity is everyone’s responsibility
We didn’t want to just say “be transparent” because that puts the burden solely on leadership. Instead, we wanted to instill a mindset of responsibility in every team member: if you don’t understand something, ask. If a decision doesn’t make sense to you, dig in.
The inverse was also true: if you were making decisions, it was your job to explain them. That created a culture of decision transparency, which is incredibly important especially when the decisions are difficult or controversial. That transparency allows trust to flourish up and down the organization.
How We Applied It
“Understand Why” showed up in all kinds of ways:
In meetings, people would frequently ask: “why are we doing this instead of that?”
In 1-on-1s, we encouraged teammates to challenge process and strategy by starting from first principles
In hiring, we looked for people who were curious and wanted to get a view of the bigger picture
In our weekly full team meeting leadership would answer any question and invest time to ensure the team was fully informed
In design and development reviews, we prioritized intent: “What was the outcome you wanted to achieve here, and why?”
When a difficult decision needed to be made leadership would outline not just what the choice was made but the reasons why that was the right choice given the context
It also helped us avoid making the easy but not best decisions or “because I said so” direction. If a lead couldn't explain why something was being prioritized, it was clear the decision needed to be revisited.
What Made It Work
We wrote this value with purpose:
Action-oriented language ("know," "be," "act," "ask")
Balanced accountability between decision-makers and team members
Broad applicability across roles, levels, and disciplines
It wasn’t about pretending everyone could or should agree all the time, and that is highlighted more in a future value. it was about creating clarity, trust, and shared context, even when we moved fast.
Final Thought
The more time I have spent away from running Proletariat the more clear it is to me how important transparency and understanding why is to a high functioning organization. Investing the time to ensure that everyone is fully educated and aware of any aspect of the business they feel is important or relevant to them is always worth it. Encouraging high potential team members to learn more about why decisions were made trains them to become key decisions-makers in the future.
(Want more information on how to create your company’s values? Check out my post on writing core values.)
How to Write Your Company’s Core Values
For core values to work your team needs to read them and say "that's me".
Core values should be clear, detailed, actionable, and something that the whole team feels they were involved in.
Whether you’re starting from zero or revisiting your existing values, it can feel like a branding exercise or a philosophical debate. It shouldn’t be. Core values are an operating tool, not marketing copy. The goal isn’t to sound impressive or boastful, it’s to define what behaviors and beliefs will shape how your team works every day.
Here’s how to find and write good core values while involving the entire team in the process.
1. Look at What’s Already Working
Your values are probably already showing up in how you hire, how you communicate. how you solve problems, and what kind of behavior gets rewarded.
Ask your leaders and team:
Who are our top performers? What makes them great?
Who are our best teammates? Why do we love working with them?
What kinds of decisions do we consistently feel are right?
What are we unwilling to do, even if it helps us hit our goals?
This helps you extract real examples of behaviors instead of fluff or buzzwords.
2. Choose What to Keep, Amplify, or Change
Startups evolve fast. Some early values will no longer fit or you might need to introduce new ones to support where you’re headed.
Use this moment to decide:
What values do we want to scale as we grow?
What do we need to unlearn or move away from?
What kind of team do we want to become?
What do prospective hires, partners, or investors expect from us?
Values are directional and aspirational. You’re defining the kind of company you want to be, not just describing where you are today.
3. Write Clear, Simple, Actionable Statements
Your values should pass three tests:
Anyone on the team can understand them, use them, and remember them
They guide daily decisions
You’d be willing to fire someone who consistently breaks them
Write values that sound like how you actually talk. You want these statements to be something you could imagine hearing in a meeting or being typed in a slack message.
I will expand upon each value in future posts but these were the core values of Proletariat before we were acquired by Blizzard Entertainment.
“Understand Why”
“Decide Fast and Iterate”
“Take Responsibility”
“Exceed Expectations”
“Be Respectful”
4. Follow Each Statement With a Detailed Paragraph
A core value statement is important because it is easy to remember and use in conversation. However, it is often not enough to fully articulate the specifics on how and when to use the value. A well-written paragraph should provide the additional details that make it easier to embody the value and cover any nuances that simply don’t fit into a single statement.
Here is an example from Proletariat’s core values:
Decide Fast and Iterate
Good decisions are hard, but fast decisions are good. Quickly agree and commit to a well-reasoned direction, even without consensus. The tradeoff is worth it. Act, gather feedback, measure against expectations, and adjust accordingly. It’s okay to be wrong, work to learn from it quickly. Nothing’s sacred and we should always question the status quo.
5. Iterate with the Team
Share a draft with your team. Give everyone a chance to read, digest, and comment on how the values make them feel.
Ask the following:
Do you identify with these values?
Is there a value or behavior missing?
Are any of these values confusing or ambiguous?
You’re not looking for consensus, but you want buy-in and belief. The entire team should feel enrolled in the process and that their voice is being heard, even if you do not make the changes they want. If your team feels the values are fake or forced upon them, they won’t stick.
6. Evaluate Regularly
At Proletariat we would review our values once a year but also after any major event like a major launch, funding round, or other strategic shift.
I would send out a survey to the leadership team to have them fill out ahead of the discussion. These are the questions I would ask:
Do we embody [this core value] as a leadership team? (Consistently/Sometimes/Almost Never)
Do we embody [this core value] across the entire team? (Consistently/Sometimes/Almost Never)
Should we keep [this core value]? (Yes/No)
This was a good way to frame the discussion and we would use it to start back at the beginning of this process.
Final Thoughts
Writing your company’s core values isn’t about crafting the perfect words, it’s about building a shared understanding of what matters most. Your first draft won’t be perfect, and that is intended. Crafting shared core values is a process that requires investment and time.
As your company evolves, your values will evolve too. That’s not a problem, it’s a sign that your culture is changing which is required to grow. Revisit your core values regularly. Use them. Talk about them often. Make them part of how you hire, lead, work, communicate and make decisions.
Why Every Company Needs Core Values
Every company has core values, whether they’re written down or not.
It’s easy to think of core values as a “nice to have.” Something you’ll define after you ship the product, close the seed round, or grow beyond ten people. But the truth is, your culture is already forming. And if you don’t take the time to define your values intentionally, they’ll grow wild on their own.
Over the next several weeks I am going to share several posts about core values with examples and practical ways to use them every day.
See my original post on culture for more insights.
What are Core Values?
The definition of core values is a defined system of beliefs that helps people tell the difference between right from wrong. In a company setting they’re the root beliefs and shared behaviors that guide how your team works together and makes decisions.
Good core values are:
Actionable – they influence daily decisions
Specific – they’re clear enough that anyone on the team knows how to apply them
Meaningful – they reflect who you are and who you’re trying to become
Why Companies Need Core Values
Here are six reasons why defining and using core values will help your company grow more effectively, and create a culture that you will be proud of.
1. Guide Decision-Making
Startups move fast. You can’t write a policy for every situation. Core values give your team the clarity to make the right call even without you in the room.
If you value “decide fast and iterate,” that becomes a principle your team can use in moments of uncertainty. Good values turn gray areas into clear decisions.
2. Shape Company Identity
Your values are a major part of your brand and voice, whether you realize it or not. Defining them helps you attract people who believe what you believe, from employees to customers to partners.
We live in a time when people care about what the companies they work for (and buy from) stand for. Core values make that clear.
3. Help You Manage Performance
A shared set of values gives you a consistent way to coach, develop, and hold people accountable.
Use values to:
Set expectations from day one
Provide feedback rooted in what the company stands for
Identify when someone is misaligned, even if they’re otherwise performing well
Incentivize and reward the right things
4. Preserve Culture as You Scale
As you grow, it becomes critical to maintain the team culture. Every new employee will bring their own biases and history with them. Having an established set of core values that the team believes in and lives every day creates guardrails during growth.
Core values help you:
Onboard new hires faster
Avoid culture drift
Maintain consistency across distributed teams
5. They Build Trust Across the Team
When values are clearly defined and consistently applied, they create predictability and trust.
Your team knows:
How decisions are made
What behavior gets rewarded
How conflict is handled
6. Keep Leaders Accountable
As a leader, you set the tone. Your values hold you to it. Leaders need to lead by example and exemplify the core values of the team as often as possible.
When you're stressed, tired, or tempted to cut corners, values act as a personal compass. They also give your team permission to hold you accountable if you start to stray.
Leaders who live their values build real credibility and lasting cultures.
Final Thoughts
You don’t get to choose whether or not your company has values. You do get to choose what those core values are. If you create unique, authentic values that resonate with the team they will become invaluable to sculpting the culture that you want to create. Embrace the idea that culture matters, is worth investing in, and worth talking about.
How to Choose the Right Investors
Choosing the right investors can make or break your company.
When you’re fundraising, it’s tempting to take the first signable offer you get. In a tough funding environment, just getting any deal can feel like a miracle.
But choosing the right investor is about much more than just the capital. Investors become long-term partners, and their involvement will shape the future of your company in ways you may not expect. Taking money from the wrong partner at the wrong firm can kill your company.
Here’s how to evaluate investors beyond the dollar amount and find the right fit for your company.
1. Determine Your Ideal Partners
It’s crucial to know what kind of investors you’re looking for before you start seriously negotiating. Not all investors are equal, and not all will add value beyond just cash.
Questions to consider:
Do you want an investor who has operational experience as an entrepreneur?
Would it help to have an investor who’s an expert in a specific industry or region?
Are you looking for someone with a deep network of other investors, potential customers, or prospective employees?
Would you prefer a partner who actively mentors the founding team, or someone more hands-off?
Also consider the firm’s brand and operating resources. Some firms have entire teams dedicated to helping portfolio companies with hiring, strategy, or product development. The firm’s reputation alone can also be a powerful signal to future investors and potential partners.
2. Evaluate Each Partner Individually
The first thing to realize is that not all money is equal. The most valuable investors bring much more than capital: they bring expertise, connections, strategic support, mentorship, and more.
Questions to consider:
What value does this investor bring beyond capital?
Have they invested in similar companies before?
Do they have a strong network in your industry?
Are they known for helping with hiring, strategy, or partnerships?
If they were not investing in the company, would you want to work with them?
Do Your Own Reference Checks
It’s entirely reasonable, and recommended, to ask a VC for references. But don’t stop there. Reach out to founders from their previous investments, especially those that didn’t succeed. Understanding how they handle failed investments can tell you a lot about their character and support style.
3. Evaluate Each Firm as a Whole
An investment partner is part of a larger firm, and the firm’s brand and resources also matter. Sometimes, the operating team or the firm’s network can provide more value than the partner themselves.
Questions to consider:
Who else at the firm will be involved with your company?
Does the firm’s brand and reputation align with your company vision and stage?
How will this firm’s involvement signal your momentum to future investors or partners?
What additional resources (hiring support, industry connections, marketing help) do they offer?
Be cautious if the firm’s values or focus areas don’t align with your own. Taking money from a high-profile firm might look good on paper, but it can backfire if they expect you to shift strategy to fit their portfolio.
4. Balance the People Around the Table
Your goal is to build a strong, diverse support network around your company. Each investor brings unique strengths and perspectives, but it’s essential to balance those voices to avoid redundancy.
Questions to consider:
Are you getting a variety of perspectives and not just more of the same?
Does your investor group have a diverse set of experiences?
Is there overlap in their networks, or are they connected to different circles that expand your reach?
Do the various firms and investors complement each other in terms of expertise and connections?
Consider how adding a new investor affects group dynamics. You don’t want a single loud voice drowning out more nuanced, thoughtful input from other investors.
5. Be Mindful of the Long-Term Relationship
Investors are not just writing you a check, they’re becoming long-term partners. You’ll be working with them through good times and bad, so it’s essential to choose people you can trust and communicate with openly.
Questions to consider:
Are they transparent and direct in communication?
Do they provide constructive feedback without micromanaging?
Do they have a history of supporting their founders through challenges?
If an investor shows signs of being controlling or overly critical during the pitch process, that behavior is likely to escalate after they invest. You need to judge for yourself if they are in it for the long haul.
Final Thoughts
Raising money can feel like a sprint, but it’s better to take the time to choose the right partners than to jump at the first offer. The wrong investor relationship can cost you far more than delaying a funding round.
Great investors do more than just write checks, they champion your vision, offer guidance, actively help you grow, and know when to stay out of your way. Be strategic, do your diligence, and choose partners for the long haul over whoever gives you the best offer on paper.
How to Manage a Competitive Fundraising Process
You did everything right, and now you have multiple term sheets. So how do you get the best deal with the right partner without damaging relationships or derailing the process?
Having a competitive fundraising round is a great position to be in, but it still comes with challenges. I’ve seen founders navigate this successfully, but I’ve also seen situations where:
A founder burns relationships by mishandling negotiations
A deal falls apart because the process drags on too long
The founder gets focused on valuation, and chooses the wrong partner
Here’s how to manage the process strategically, efficiently, and professionally to maximize outcomes for your company.
Define What You Want
You’re in the driver’s seat, but where do you want to go? Before you engage further, sit down with your co-founders, current investors, and key stakeholders to align on these three scenarios:
Minimum Offer (The Deal You’ll Take if Needed)
A good deal, but not a great deal
The terms are fair, and you won’t regret it a year from now
This becomes your baseline leverage
Ideal Offer (The Deal You’re Targeting)
A great deal that excites you
You’ll still feel good about it in a year
This is the outcome you’ll push towards in negotiations
Walkoff Offer (The Deal That Ends the Process Immediately)
An amazing (borderline unreasonable) deal with your preferred partner(s)
The offer is so compelling that you’d take it on the spot
Not the absolute max you could negotiate, but a shortcut to an incredible outcome
Not every investor should have an “ideal” or “walkoff” scenario. If a firm can’t even meet your minimum, cut them out quickly.
Secure a BATNA
Now that you know your minimum offer, go secure it. Work with interested investors to lock in at least one term sheet at or above your minimum.
This becomes your BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement), a powerful form of leverage. You now have a limited window to negotiate towards your ideal or walkoff offer before momentum fades. Remember that time kills all deals so move quickly.
Thin the Herd
With your BATNA in hand, start circling back with interested investors and push for better terms. As offers improve:
Raise your minimum offer: new term sheets should be better than your last BATNA
Pass on weaker offers quickly: don’t string investors along
Keep the process moving: don’t let the process drag
Your goal is to get each investor’s best and final offer as quickly as possible while keeping the process professional.
The Walkoff
If you have strong interest, you can test the waters for a walkoff offer. Follow these steps:
Approach your top choice for partner first and say: "If you can offer X, we will immediately sign and move forward with you."
If they say no, get their best counteroffer, then approach the next firm on your list
If they say yes, you’re done
Why limit this to one investor at a time?
The whole point of a walkoff offer is that you’re signaling exclusivity. If you use it on multiple firms at once, you risk damaging trust with all of them. This is the same as taking a pre-emptive offer before even starting a fundraise process.
Investors Are People Too
A competitive process should not feel transactional. Investors don’t want to feel like just another bid, they want to feel like you chose them for reasons beyond just numbers. Some key tips to avoid burning bridges:
Take a personal approach to each partner and build the relationship
Don’t just negotiate on valuation, talk about long-term partnership fit
If you know you won’t accept an offer, be transparent and exit quickly
If you decide to pass on an investor, thank them and keep the door open
Be Honest
The quickest way to destroy a deal is to lie, bluff, or over-embellish. If an investor catches you misleading them, it can derail your entire process.
Communicate clearly, frequently, and professionally
Keep your word, don’t play investors against each other unfairly
Don’t share confidential details about other offers. It is unethical and it will backfire
Your reputation follows you. A poorly managed process will hurt you beyond this round!
Final Thoughts
A competitive fundraising process is an incredible position to be in. But success isn’t just about getting the highest valuation, it is about getting the right deal with the right partner so you can get back to building. The investor community is small, and your reputation matters. While it might feel like you are negotiating against all these other partners you eventually want to be excited about working together. If you can navigate all this well, you will get great terms and find partners that you will enjoy working with for many years to come.
The Buddy System for Onboarding
Every new employee should have a buddy to help them onboard.
Onboarding is one of the most critical factors in a new employee’s long-term success. While many companies provide a set of documents and manager check-ins, one of the most effective and overlooked onboarding tools is assigning every new hire a buddy: a peer who can help them navigate their first few months.
Read more in this Harvard Business Review study with Microsoft.
How to Make the Buddy System Work
A successful buddy system isn’t just about randomly pairing employees, it requires intentional planning.
Make onboarding a shared responsibility - Both the buddy and the new hire should actively engage.
Ensure the buddy has time - Assigning this role to an overloaded employee will make it ineffective.
Set expectations on both sides - Clarify how the buddy should support the new hire and how the new hire should engage.
The Value for the New Employee
A well-structured buddy program helps new hires adjust quickly, feel supported, and become productive faster.
A Judgment-Free Zone for Questions - From “Where’s the bathroom?” to “How do I submit an expense report?”, a buddy provides a safe space for asking questions without the fear of seeming unprepared.
Hands-On Learning and Support - Most onboarding guides can’t replace real-time help. A buddy can offer support, helping the new employee learn processes, tools, and team expectations in a direct way.
Peer-Level Feedback - Managers should provide feedback, but peers offer an additional layer of guidance. A buddy can give constructive feedback on how the new hire is adapting without the formality of a performance review.
Cultural Integration - Beyond official communication guidelines, every team has unwritten rules about how work gets done.
The Value for the Buddy
Being an onboarding buddy isn’t just about helping the new hire, it’s also a growth opportunity for the current employee.
Building Mentorship Skills - Mentoring others is key to career development, whether someone wants to move into leadership or simply become a stronger teammate.
The Protégé Effect - Explaining company processes to someone else reinforces the buddy’s own understanding. They may even uncover areas where the team could improve.
Gaining a Fresh Perspective - New employees bring new ideas and outside perspectives. Buddies get a unique opportunity to challenge old assumptions and rethink how things are done.
Final Thoughts
Companies spend considerable time and resources hiring the right people. Hiring is barely half the battle, the real challenge is helping new employees integrate, contribute, and succeed quickly. A great metric to focus on is time-to-productivity, along with the satisfaction of both the new employee and the team. A buddy system helps new hires apply their skills within the company’s unique context while ensuring they feel supported and engaged from day one.
Making the Most of Events
If you're going to spend time and money attending an event, make it count for your team.
Events and conferences cost your team significant time and money. If you're investing in attending, it’s critical that you maximize the value not just for you but for your company and team. That means integrating the event into the strategic conversation, having goals, following up, and using the event as a catalyst for future leadership discussions.
Here’s a practical framework I have used to ensure that every event I attend drives real value for the company.
Set Clear Goals
Before you go, answer this question: "What will make attending this event worth the investment of time and money?"
Choose 2–3 focused goals, such as:
Pitching a new project or fundraising round
Gaining key insights and contextual intelligence about industry trends
Building relationships with important partners
Include your leadership team in this discussion and throughout your planning.
Prioritize Strategically
Events are chaotic and filled with endless meetings, talks, and social gatherings. Prioritize your time to maximize your productivity.
Make a ranked list of key meetings and events
Schedule high-value meetings first; then fill remaining time with lower priority ones
Leave some flexible time slots for spontaneous opportunities or last-minute changes
It is obviously important to catch up with industry friends and colleagues but weigh that against your overall goals. For a meeting to be effective ensure you have a clear ask, even if that is just to catch up and hear how someone is doing.
Plan Early
Scheduling takes work and throwing together whatever meetings you can get last minute is a sure way to underutilize your time. Reach out to potential partners up to a month in advance. The worst that can happen is they will circle back when the event is closer to confirm a time.
For those of you heading to GDC next month, you should have started last week!
Capture and Organize Your Meetings
Events are overwhelming. Don’t trust your memory. Take quick notes during meetings (follow-ups, key points, next steps). If you have multiple people on your team in a meeting, assign someone to take notes. The next morning, dedicate time (30-45 mins) to write a detailed summary of each meeting. Doing it the next day ensures it’s still fresh in your mind and you can capture anything from happy hours, dinners, or parties where you certainly did not take any notes.
Always Follow Up
Within a few days after the event send personalized follow-up messages. Even if no explicit action items came from your meeting, sending a nice note keeps the conversation going and ensures you capture their contact info.
Share and Take Action
Schedule a debrief meeting with your team after returning and review your notes and insights from the event. The whole reason you attended is to bring back leads, connections, and information that can help your leadership team make better decisions.
Final Thoughts
Events can easily become distractions if you’re not intentional. A successful event should clearly influence your team’s strategy, partnerships, or growth in the following weeks. Invest time up front to plan and prioritize, and leave time after the event to debrief and take action.
The 90-Day Onboarding Plan: Setting New Employees Up for Success
Onboarding is one of the most overlooked yet critical processes for ensuring a new employee’s success.
At Proletariat, as we scaled rapidly, we knew that hiring fast also meant evaluating and adjusting quickly. That’s why we implemented structured 90-day onboarding plans, delivered on day one (or even before) alongside our Cultural Communication Guide. This ensured every new hire had a clear roadmap for success.
Check out this template for a 30-60-90 day onboarding plan.
The Goal of a 90-Day Onboarding Plan
By the end of the onboarding period, one of three things should be clear:
The employee is successful in their role and fully ramped up
The role has been adjusted to better fit their skills or the team’s needs
The employee moves on if the fit isn’t right
An onboarding plan removes ambiguity, making these outcomes clear and preventing drift where an underperforming hire lingers without direction or resolution.
Key Objectives of a 90-Day Onboarding Plan
1. Craft Personalized Goals That Align with the Team Strategy
Every role is unique, and job descriptions often don’t capture the full nuance of what success looks like. A great onboarding plan ensures:
The new hire’s goals fit within the team’s broader strategy
The plan adapts to the individual’s strengths while addressing growth areas
The employee understands how they create value early on
2. Prioritize Tasks to Build Early Wins
New employees often feel like they’re “drinking from a firehose” in their first few months. Instead of overwhelming them, sequence tasks in a way that builds momentum:
Start with achievable wins: Give them clear, valuable contributions early on
Gradually increase complexity: Move from simple tasks to strategic ones
Provide structured learning: Direct them to the right resources and people
The goal is to avoid burnout and build confidence through early impact.
3. Set Clear Expectations for Progress
Success should never be vague. By clearly defining what progress should look like at key milestones, both the manager and the new hire can track growth and course-correct early if needed. Here is a general outline for the various onboarding phases:
First 30 days: Learning - focus on absorbing information and initial tasks
Days 31–60: Integration - deeper collaboration and ownership of responsibilities
Days 61–90: Autonomy - fully contributing and delivering measurable results
How to Use an Onboarding Plan Effectively
1. Build the Plan Together
The onboarding plan should be a collaborative effort between:
The new hire (so they understand expectations and contribute to goal-setting)
The hiring manager (to ensure alignment with team objectives)
Other stakeholders (who will work closely with the new hire)
2. Treat It as a Living Document
A static onboarding plan is too formulaic to be useful. The plan should evolve based on feedback and real-world performance. Follow these steps:
Regularly review and adjust the plan
Use check-in meetings at 30, 60, and 90 days to assess progress
Be flexible! If the plan needs adjusting, don’t force a rigid structure
3. Involve the Broader Team
Successful onboarding is not just about ramping up a new hire—it’s about integrating them into the team and broader company culture. Provide cross-team introductions and broadcast early wins and progress to give the new employee positive visibility.
Final Thoughts
The specific structure of an onboarding plan matters less than having one at all. Without a plan, new hires drift, progress is unclear, and retention suffers. The best onboarding experiences give new employees clarity on their role and expectations, provide a roadmap to early wins, and ultimately lead to success within 90 days.
What Do Investors Need to Believe?
A strong pitch isn’t about eliminating all risk, it’s about getting investors to irrationally believe your contrarian idea.
Every early-stage investment is, at its core, irrational. Investors know most startups fail. If funding were purely a rational decision, no one would invest at all. So trying to de-risk every part of your pitch to make it seem perfectly rational is a losing game. The real challenge is choosing the right irrational belief and making investors buy into it.
Define Your Irrational Belief
The best startups succeed not because they eliminate risk, but because they bet on something contrarian that turns out to be right.
Ask yourself:
Are you building an unorthodox product? (a new category that no one believes in yet?)
Are you targeting a counterintuitive audience? (a niche that traditional wisdom says won’t work?)
Are you building the company differently? (breaking conventional startup rules in your approach to hiring, go-to-market, or funding?)
Are you cultivating a non-traditional team? (a team that lacks direct industry experience but brings something else?)
If you can’t identify at least one contrarian angle, you may not be differentiated enough to stand out in a crowded, mature market.
Own the Doubts and Overcome Them
Most founders try to avoid or downplay the skepticism around their boldest claim. That’s a mistake.
If investors are going to doubt something anyway, address it head-on. Show them you already know the challenge and have a plan.
Instead of hoping no one questions your lack of industry experience, explain why it’s an advantage.
Instead of ignoring concerns about a new market, prove why the timing is right.
Instead of brushing off skepticism about a radical approach, demonstrate how it is the only path forward.
De-risk Everything Else
Being contrarian on every axis is a recipe for failure. Even the boldest investors need to see a foundation of credibility beneath the big bet. Many of my earlier post on pitching focus specifically on building credibility, but here are a few ideas to consider:
If your market bet is risky, your team should be experienced.
If your business model is unconventional, your go-to-market strategy should be solid.
If your product is groundbreaking, your execution should be airtight.
If your budget is very low/high, your development plan should be unassailable.
Make it clear that while you’re taking one big bet, you’re removing risk everywhere else. By acknowledging the risky part you are able to credibly say “we know this is risky, which is why we have reinforced these other areas.” The contrast makes it easier for investors to say yes.
Final Thoughts
Don’t shy away from simply wrapping up a pitch by confidently saying “in order to invest, you need to believe X.” It is the contrast of the contrarian idea backed up by all the other de-risked strengths that stack the deck in your favor.
When Pitching, Be Like Gandalf
Pitching investors can feel like an epic journey—full of challenges, uncertainty, and the need to inspire belief in something bigger than yourself. So why not take a page from one of the greatest mentors of all time?
As we enter a heavy season of pitching, here are some lessons I’ve learned—through both experience and a little wisdom from The Lord of the Rings.
1. Be Confident in Your Plan
"A wizard is never late. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to."
Investors don’t always know the right answer, but they do want to believe that you do. Confidence isn’t about arrogance, it’s about conviction. When Gandalf reassures Frodo that wizards are never late, he’s not just making an excuse. He’s projecting certainty, even in the face of doubt.
When pitching, you must approach every question with that same level of confidence. Investors are skeptics by nature, and they can sense hesitation. If your plan feels weak, under-researched, or uncertain, they will pick it apart. But remember: you are likely more of an expert in your target market than they are. Own that expertise.
2. Give an Air of Inevitability
"Things are in motion that cannot be undone."
Investors want to invest in unstoppable founders. They know that backing a startup means committing for years. They need to believe that, whether they invest or not, this company is going to succeed—and they’d be foolish to miss out.
A great pitch doesn’t just highlight potential; it makes investors feel like they are witnessing momentum. They should walk away thinking:
"This is happening. The only question is whether I get on board now or regret it later."
Be unstoppable.
3. Listen and Be Coachable
"Faramir, tell me everything."
While investors may not be experts in your exact business, they see everything. They spot patterns across multiple industries, companies, and market cycles. Many of them got into investing because they love working with founders and want to help.
But here’s the key: being coachable does not mean being a pushover.
Great founders listen actively and ask smart questions. They extract value from investors’ insights but don’t blindly follow every piece of advice. The best investors want you to challenge ideas, push back when needed, and show your own reasoning.
4. Investors Invest in Lines, Not Dots
"I am Gandalf the White."
Your pitch is not a single, isolated moment—it’s part of an evolving narrative. Investors rarely write checks after just one meeting. Instead, they track founders over weeks, months, or even years, looking for signs of progress.
Just as Gandalf transforms over time, your company’s story should evolve with each investor touchpoint.
Final Thoughts
A pitch isn’t just a transaction; it’s the beginning of a long-term relationship. Investors invest in people and stories, not just slides and metrics.
Too many founders get distracted by making the “perfect” deck when what truly matters is building belief in yourself, your vision, and your team.
So next time you pitch, channel your inner Gandalf.
Breadcrumb Your Pitch
When creating a pitch, you should think of it as building a breadcrumb trail that leads investors to your vision for the future.
Investors need to believe in an optimistic vision, but great investors are also inherently skeptical. This skepticism becomes even more pronounced when you’re pitching something bold, new, or different—which is critical to stand out in today’s competitive market. To convince them to fund your vision, you must systematically guide them through your logic and make them believe in your version of the future.
What Is a Breadcrumb Trail?
A breadcrumb trail is a storytelling structure where each part of your pitch builds directly on the previous one, leading investors step by step through your reasoning. The goal is to create a narrative so compelling and well-supported that by the time you reach your conclusion, the investor feels there’s no other logical outcome than to invest.
Start with the big picture—why this market matters—and gradually narrow your focus to why your team is uniquely suited to solve the problem. This structure works well with frameworks like OPSANA, which outlines Opportunity → Problem → Solution → Advantage → Next Step → Ask.
Here’s how you might think about it:
If you’re going to start a new company, it should be in X Market.
If you’re going to build in X Market, it should create Y Product.
If you’re going to create Y Product, it should include Z Features.
If you’re going to launch Y Product with Z Features, it should be built by this team.
Each step builds on the previous one, reducing skepticism by creating a clear, logical progression.
A Breadcrumb Trail Example
Let’s use an example of a fictional game company looking to build roleplaying games about dancing on Roblox with their own AI-powered tech stack.
Step 1: If you’re going to start a game company, build on Roblox.
Show the opportunity. Highlight Roblox’s growth, the increasing developer earnings, and why it’s an ideal platform for games right now. Use data to make the opportunity undeniable.
Step 2: If you’re going to build on Roblox, make a roleplaying game.
Roleplaying games have proven success on Roblox. Highlight examples of similar games and their popularity to validate the opportunity.
Step 3: If you’re making a Roblox roleplaying game, it should focus on dancing.
Here’s where you sell the uniqueness of your concept. Share insights on why dancing resonates with Gen Alpha (e.g., stats on how dance trends dominate platforms like TikTok). Highlight the market opportunity, the passion of your team, or the magic of the current experience.
Step 4: If you’re making a Roblox dancing roleplaying game, it should use AI.
Use data to demonstrate why AI will transform this space. For example, refer to stats from the GDC State of the Game Industry survey showing the increasing use of generative AI tools by developers.
Step 5: If you’re using AI, build your own tech stack.
Explain why building your own tech stack makes sense. Whether it’s about cost efficiency, control, enterprise value, or competitive differentiation, make a strong case for why this choice adds value. Highlight any progress your team has made so far.
Step 6: If you’re building this product, it needs this team.
Showcase your team’s experience and expertise. Why are you uniquely qualified to make this vision a reality? Talk about your founder-market fit, previous successes, and shared passion for the product.
Step 7: If you’re going to build this company, you need the right partner.
End the trail by explaining why the specific investor you’re pitching is the perfect partner. Reference their past investments, interests, or thought leadership. Make it clear that you’ve done your homework and that this partnership is intentional.
Why Use a Breadcrumb Trail?
Using a breadcrumb trail structure ensures your pitch flows logically, leaving no gaps for investors to fill in on their own. It also helps you identify weak points in your story—areas where the argument isn’t clear or where evidence is lacking—so you can address them before questions arise.
Even if you don’t use one slide per step, this structure forces you to think through everything an investor needs to believe in order to say “yes.”
Final Thoughts
A breadcrumb trail is ultimately about storytelling. It helps you craft a compelling, step-by-step narrative that brings investors along on your journey and builds their confidence in your vision. By systematically leading them through the opportunity, your solution, and your team’s fit, you’ll create a pitch that’s harder to say “no” to.
Remember, investors are skeptical by nature. Your job is to give them enough evidence at every step to overcome that skepticism. If you can successfully guide them to your vision of the future, you’ll be well on your way to building a successful partnership.
OPSANA Pitch Deck Structure
I have built and seen many pitch decks, and the OPSANA framework is one of my favorites.
While there is no universal formula for a perfect pitch deck (check out the Y Combinator Seed Deck Template), I’ve found the OPSANA framework to be an effective structure. It ensures your story flows logically, builds excitement, and answers the key questions investors will have.
The OPSANA Framework
Opportunity → Problem → Solution → Advantage → Next Step → Ask
Each element serves a specific purpose and can span multiple slides if necessary. Here’s how to break it down:
1. Opportunity: Paint the Big Picture
What to Cover: How big is this market? Why should everyone care about it? Why is now the right time to go after it?
Purpose: This section sets the stage and gets investors excited (or teach them) about the potential upside. Use real data to show that the opportunity is massive and worth pursuing.
2. Problem: Define the Challenge
What to Cover: Why has no one capitalized on this opportunity yet? What are the obstacles or pain points?
Purpose: Establish your domain expertise by demonstrating a deep understanding of the market’s challenges. This builds credibility and positions you as the team to solve the problem.
3. Solution: Present Your Vision
What to Cover: How will your product, game or service solve the problem and capture the opportunity? What makes your solution unique?
Purpose: Showcase your concept, demonstrate its potential, and prove how it addresses the identified problem. Be clever and build directly off the opportunity and problem sections. Explain how you will win.
4. Advantage: Highlight Your Edge
What to Cover: What gives your team the ability to execute this vision better than anyone else? This could include proprietary tech, early traction, or a standout team.
Purpose: Build confidence that your company can deliver on its promise and outperform competitors. Explain why you will win.
5. Next Step: Show the Path Forward
What to Cover: What’s the next major milestone, and how will achieving it significantly increase the company’s value? Provide a clear and credible plan to get there.
Purpose: Explain what the investor is buying—a bet on your ability to hit that next inflection point.
6. Ask: Make Your Request Clear
What to Cover: What resources do you need to achieve the next step? Why is this specific partner the right fit to help you get there?
Purpose: Close the loop by making a clear and compelling request. Personalize the ask to the specific audience and convince them they are the right partner to take the company to the next level.
Final Thoughts
There’s no silver bullet for creating the perfect pitch deck, but a strong framework ensures you cover all the key areas that matter to investors. OPSANA helps guide the narrative, starting with the big picture and ending with a focused ask. Each section builds on the last, creating a logical and persuasive story about your company’s potential.
What makes a great demo?
A great demo is critical to raising money or finding a publishing partner but demos are rarely shared publicly.
Below are the demos we created to pitch Spellbreak in 2018.
A successful demo should cover three important topics for potential partners:
1. Quality
A demo must demonstrate that your team can deliver a polished experience. It doesn’t need to be bug-free, but it should run smoothly and reflect the quality bar you aim to hit for the full game. If bugs are unavoidable, consider presenting it as a guided demo where someone from your team controls the experience.
Questions the demo should answer about quality:
Does this team know what it takes to make a high-quality game?
Can this team deliver a high-quality experience?
Do they have high standards for their work?
Are they prioritizing the right things?
2. Innovation
The strongest demos highlight what makes your game unique. While a pitch deck can describe your game’s innovative features, letting partners experience those ideas in action is far more powerful.
Example: Spellbreak
In Spellbreak, our innovation was action spellcasting combat, where players could mix and match elemental spells for unique effects. To highlight this, we created a 5v5 team deathmatch demo instead of a battle royale mode. Battle royales often have downtime between fights, so we chose a faster-paced format to better showcase our core gameplay innovations.
Questions the demo should answer about innovation:
How creative is this team?
Do they have ideas that stand out in the market?
Can they “find the fun” in their concept?
Do they have a culture of iteration, testing, and feedback?
3. Execution
A demo is also a reflection of your team’s production discipline. Delivering a polished, innovative prototype within reasonable constraints shows potential partners that your team can manage risks, iterate effectively, and scale to deliver a full game.
Example: Spellbreak
We built a greybox demo in about three months after a year of iterating on combat mechanics. The prototype evolved significantly—starting as a melee-focused game and pivoting to ranged combat based on playtesting feedback.
For art, we created a visually striking diorama of the game world in just 10 weeks, following a major pivot in style. This demonstrated our team’s ability to adapt quickly while maintaining high production quality.
Questions the demo should answer about execution:
Can this team meet deadlines?
Are their production and development processes disciplined?
How much effort have they put into this?
Final Thoughts
There’s no one-size-fits-all template for building a playable prototype. Each project has unique needs and strengths, and your job is to present them in the best light. By focusing on quality, innovation, and execution, and tailoring your approach to the audience, you can create a demo that builds confidence, reduces risk, and paves the way for a successful partnership.
How to Run an Effective Pitch Process
You should run a disciplined pitch process.
An effective pitch process is all about preparation, communication, and execution. There are a few key parts to the process:
Get a fast “no” - use the Teaser phase to filter down the set of partners to ones that will actually do the deal and then focus on getting several of those partners to a term sheet
Keep partners at the same stage - use industry events as ways to hit many partners in a short window and utilize the process structure to move potential partners along together
Gain leverage and apply pressure - use partner competition and the process structure to get slow movers to make decisions and commit within your preferred timeline
Here is a link to the timeline I used when pitching at Proletariat.
Pitch Process Steps
1. Target Planning
Start by creating a list of potential partners (investors/publishers/strategics/etc). This list should prioritize partners based on fit, identify the right contacts, and determine whether a warm introduction is possible.
2. Introduction
The goal here is to meet with the right person to gauge their interest and determine if your project or company is a fit before moving forward. If you are meeting with a partner for the first time, do the outreach several weeks before you want to send out the teaser materials because it can take time to get introduced.
Make it clear that no bridges will be burned if what you are pitching is not a good fit!
3. Teaser
At this phase you want to both further filter out partners that are likely to pass and gather information to tailor your pitch to each specific partner. That means sharing enough information that a partner can gauge if it is worth hearing the full pitch. This includes details like capital needs, timeline, high level product details and more. Be sure to ask questions at this phase, specifically how the partner sees the project or company aligned with their interests or goals.
4. Pitch/Demo
This is the main event and requires careful preparation. Customize your approach for each partner to align with the information you have gained in the previous steps. I will do several additional posts on making a great pitch deck and a compelling playable.
5. Playtest/Diligence
This phase can often be unpredictable and vary widely between partners. It is important to be responsive and maintain momentum. If one partner starts to move forward towards a term sheet, use that as a signal to push the others towards a decision.
7. Term Sheet Negotiation
Getting that first term sheet may feel like the finish line, but there is much more to go. Follow these steps:
Get a signable deal: Once you receive a term sheet, negotiate to ensure it meets your minimum acceptable terms.
Notify others: Inform other interested parties without disclosing confidential details, prompting them to make a decision.
Negotiate: Once you have a deal you’re happy with, use it as leverage to improve offers from other partners. Communicate clearly and move quickly to avoid hurting relationships.
I will write a future post about managing a competitive process that will go into more details.
8. Long Form/Additional Diligence
This step varies widely by partner. Work quickly and proactively to close the deal, as time kills all deals.
9. Close
Congratulations! Now the real work begins.
Final Thoughts
Preparation is the key to running a pitch process. In the later phases being responsive is critical and having much of the legwork done will make it easier. Stay confident, don’t let early passes drag you down. Approach the process with professionalism and persistence, and you’ll increase your chances of achieving a great outcome.