Departed Microsoft entertainment chief and inbound CEO for Zynga, Don Mattrick, spoke this afternoon during
the company's earning call with investors. He addressed Zynga's rough financial quarter and expressed optimism that there was light at the end of the tunnel for the troubled social giant. He also laid out what he termed his "90 day plan" for the company.
"It is clear the market is growing at an incredible clip, and we're missing out on the market Apple, Facebook and Google are seeing," said Mattrick. "Getting a business back on track isn't easy and isn't quick... We need to get back to basics, and that means a longer-term view."
Mattrick's outlined 90-day plan, he says, will consist of "top-to-bottom business reviews" throughout the whole of Zynga, and "spending time heads-down with teams [to] break some bad habits and get back to good fundamentals."
Mattrick spoke candidly about the company's poor performance, saying bracingly that Zynga could face another six to twelve months of volatility before regaining its stride. He emphasized improving the quality of Zynga's output, saying what was needed was "a little more focus; a little more polish."
During the following Q&A with investors and analysts, Mattrick was asked point-blank why Zynga did not continue on
its recent volley of layoffs and whittle down the company's 2,300-strong workforce to a more manageable size -- like that of King, which at 400-odd employees is outpacing Zynga in the market.
Mattrick took the blunt question on the chin, mildly admitting he, too, was a fan of King's
Candy Crush, and praising the competing developer for its performance. But he didn't talk layoffs. Instead, he reemphasized the need for "focus."
"Imagine if we can start getting the same leverage out of our 2,300 that King gets out of their 400," said Mattrick. He maintained that Zynga's scale was not the issue; "effectively using the scale," he said, was.
