Creating IndieDev Systems to Ease Your Burden

When I started making Video Games I assumed no skills in my previous life as an officer in the US Army transferred to Video Game Development, but surprisingly, there came to be similarities with Standard Operating Procedures.

This is the Standard Operating Procedure on How to Make Standard Operating Procedures

The Military Life

For the following 9 years after graduating High School, my life became the Army.  I attended the United States Military Academy, and from there commissioned as an officer for 5 years.  One thing that most who's been in the Army knows, is that there are Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for everything. To be honest, after that many years of SOPs, with authority figures referring to them only when people screwed up, rather than making it part of regular checks, I became embittered to them. But looking back there are SOPs that are quite useful.  For instance, making sure the average soldier cleans his rifle properly, ensures that they are combat ready at all times, which could save their life or the lives of others. It seemed as if the Unitys that became so "busy" that they neglected the development, accountability and maintaining of their SOPs, performed the worst, where the ones that performed the best followed their standard operating procedures.

IndieDev Systems that I can Create

Everyone can benefit from checklists and procedures.  As I looked for more books to expand my IndieDev education, I came across a book called, The E-myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber. A memorable quote came when the Author talked about seeing the business, as a business, and not as an extension of yourself.

The author then goes onto to describe working on the business as creating systems, or SOPs, to make the business run more efficiently.

A Resource for You

As a solo entrepreneur at the moment, there are many hats that I juggle.  Between programming, art creation, marketing and business services, it can get a bit overwhelming. I'll continue to get overwhelmed, unless I start creating systems to streamline the process, and then eventually pass on to other members of my team. I talked about using Trello before, I thought it may be of use to you to see the IndieDev systems that I'm developing. While I'm still figuring out how systems work with artistic development without stifling creativity, for the easier things, I'm making progress in creating my systems.

Do you have systems in place in your IndieDev or GameDev positions?