Ambiguous Goals
I found it interesting to be told that ambiguity is a necessary thing for entrepreneurs. I always thought it was about being so sure your idea could work, you would convince others around you of the same. Now, it is much more fluid.
After class, I had the opportunity to hear someone asking Brother. Nygren a question. As I listened, I heard him restate, "Find your niche and fill it." I got to wondering how that fits with ambiguity and what I could learn from that. If we have determined a particular niche, how can we be wavering?
Then I realized it was a little different thinking. I thought about some video games I have played when I was younger. Where some sort of wall of fire would slowly move across the scene, and you had to stay in a particular spot ahead of the fire to be safe. Niche's aren't stagnant. They move, and we have to take incremental steps to stay within that niche.
Then it comes down to a question of traditionalism (what people are expecting) vs experimental (anticipating what people want next). I worked at a chinese restaurant that eventually shut down their doors because it was caught in the 70's. Very little changes happened to keep it in the times. When they did try to change, it was too late. All the people that were tired of the same old same old had already left, so the changes only affected those who liked exactly what was there and they were not happy with it.
So if I am thinking about starting a board game company (I am), and I want to bring forth new games they are unfamiliar with (I do), how do I keep those in balance? Enough familiarity that they know it is something they will want vs enough ambition that they know they don't already have something like it?
I think this is where ambiguity comes in. Each game is essentially a slide scale. During my play testing, I need to be ambiguous enough to recognize when the scale is tipping too heavily either was and allow myself the ambiguity to move it left or right to make it balance. If it can't be balanced, it is the wrong hill to overcome. Direction must be changed.
After class, I had the opportunity to hear someone asking Brother. Nygren a question. As I listened, I heard him restate, "Find your niche and fill it." I got to wondering how that fits with ambiguity and what I could learn from that. If we have determined a particular niche, how can we be wavering?
Then I realized it was a little different thinking. I thought about some video games I have played when I was younger. Where some sort of wall of fire would slowly move across the scene, and you had to stay in a particular spot ahead of the fire to be safe. Niche's aren't stagnant. They move, and we have to take incremental steps to stay within that niche.
Then it comes down to a question of traditionalism (what people are expecting) vs experimental (anticipating what people want next). I worked at a chinese restaurant that eventually shut down their doors because it was caught in the 70's. Very little changes happened to keep it in the times. When they did try to change, it was too late. All the people that were tired of the same old same old had already left, so the changes only affected those who liked exactly what was there and they were not happy with it.
So if I am thinking about starting a board game company (I am), and I want to bring forth new games they are unfamiliar with (I do), how do I keep those in balance? Enough familiarity that they know it is something they will want vs enough ambition that they know they don't already have something like it?
I think this is where ambiguity comes in. Each game is essentially a slide scale. During my play testing, I need to be ambiguous enough to recognize when the scale is tipping too heavily either was and allow myself the ambiguity to move it left or right to make it balance. If it can't be balanced, it is the wrong hill to overcome. Direction must be changed.
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