gamedev and software development blog

I’ve just read a very interesting article: Your Life Should Be On An Accelerated Learning Curve (thank you Diogo). The most interesting part is the bullet list with checks to see if you should leave your job, and I totally relate to this list. So, let me copy that bit: you should quit your job if:

• You are not given both creative and analytical projects.
• Your employer doesn’t allow you to engage in metacognitive projects such as blogging about your industry.
• You have totally mastered all areas of it.
• Your organization doesn’t have remarkable leaders.
• You are a part of a process you have no say in shaping.
• Your employer doesn’t send you to industry conferences.
• You’re not learning new skills/participating in new experiences daily.
• You’re not solving problems that have never been solved.

The question now is: how many checks do you have?

Our good friends at Vortix Games have just released their first casual game: Ballon Bliss. You can buy this game at the Big Fish Games website.

For those that live in Amadora, yesterday I received a brochure on my mail box about Quick Amadora: an initiative of the city to support entrepreneurship.

Yesterday I’ve listen to the free report from Teaching Sells about e-marketing, e-contents and e-business. I found it very interesting… so interesting that I’m actually considering paying for their course.

I’m becoming quite a fan of ChangeThis. This site provides very good content and technical articles. You can know more about this project here.

Today I just received notification of the following new articles:

• The Elongating Tail of Brand Communication
• Seduced By Success: How the Best Companies Survive the 9 Traps of Winning
• The Six Core Values of Innovation
• Drawings that Will Change Your Life

I have a theory about why the long tail of a certain content will generate more revenue as time goes by.

When we post some content we get some visitors, primally motivated by curiosity. The probability that these visitors will actually generate revenue is very low, because all they really want is to read the content, and maybe add some feedback. Generally, we don’t like or want publicity unless we are in fact searching for something. If that’s the case, then we welcome adds that my help us.

A practical example: some time ago I wrote a post about artificial intelligence. The people that actually read the article ignored all the ads. However, as time goes by there will be someone that will search google for something like «artificial intelligence for a board game». And this search may bring them to my article. When someone is looking for information about a certain topic, he/she will welcome the adds that adsense will generate, presenting other search paths, and people will actually follow these search paths, generating revenue.

I base this ideas on the statistics of my sites. Anyone want to elaborate on them?

My current company - Go4Mobility/PDM&FC - won the «Switch on Awards» at APDC with the Enter the Matrix project. You can see the project/company’s presentation at RTP Mobile today(06/12/2007) at 10:20 GMT.

PDM&FC is a very nice company that value geek developers and entrepreneurship. If you are tired of the generic corporate companies and want some challenge, fell free to contact me.

PS: No, at this company we don’t get any referral bonus.

My post about entrepreneurship brought some very interesting comments. Here’s some links regarding entrepreneurship that I’ve gathering for some time.

Some Motivation/Inspiration

• André Ribeirinho’s jump
• Vlad’s jump
• Codebits

Resources

• The Bootstrapper’s Bible
• Educators Corner
• Seedcamp
• IAPMEI
• ANJE
• ADI
• Prime Jovem
• InovJovem
• IEFP
• Bolsa de Ideias e de Meios
• Tagus Park - Incubadora de Ideias
• Incubadoras
• Empresa num Minuto

Sorry to the non Portuguese readers… the majority of these resources are for the Portuguese audience.

Every day after arranging my tie I look at the mirror and I see a guy with a suit, who’s about to face an hour of traffic to go work for a big corporate company. When I get home, I’m usually tired and not very motivated. Well, I’m still young, but I definitely don’t want to spend the next decade in this situation. I don’t mind the money, I just want something challenging with a good team, where I can learn and feel motivated.

There were several occasions were the start our company idea was placed on top of the table. But there were always something in the way, always other options with less risk evolved. Like Vlad once told me (and I agree), there are two perfect times in life to make the jump:

• Just after graduating… no expenses, no house, no car, living with the parents… you can afford several months with no income at all
• 6/8 years later, when you have some nice savings in the bank, that will allow your survival for some months with no income

I would say that option number two is the best. While you worked, you gained money, networking and experience. And you’ll need all those three to succeed. On the other hand, with option number one, the risk will be minor, but I guess the probability to succeed will also be smaller.

But I wouldn’t mind loosing 1/2 years working for my company and fail. It would be far worst if one decade from now the «what if…» ghost started to haunt me.

After graduating, a professor told me: «if you have talent and you know that you can accomplish good ideas, then do it for yourself, not for others». Humz… must resist… Must… not… take… the… red… pill… yet.

Anyway, does anyone want to share experiences regarding entrepreneurship? From what I can see, there aren’t many developers around that even think about the jump. And that’s a shame…