Key information
Martijn van Zwieten, a business coach who has worked with studios ranging from Rusty Lake to Bethesda Game Studios, suggests that indie developers utilize "quarterly rocks" to manage studio progress. While yearly goals provide long-term direction, they often lack the immediate focus required to prevent teams from becoming distracted by daily tasks.
Derived from Stephen Covey’s time management metaphor, rocks represent the four to seven most critical priorities for a 90-day period. By prioritizing these objectives over day-to-day responsibilities, studios can ensure that essential work is completed. This process forces teams to break down yearly goals into concrete, near-term milestones, fostering alignment across the core team.
To be effective, rocks must be specific and measurable. Vague objectives, such as improving a combat system, are discouraged in favor of clear, verifiable outcomes like completing a core loop for playtesting. This clarity allows teams to evaluate performance objectively at the end of each quarter.
The quarterly rhythm also mandates a review session every 90 days to discuss successes and failures without assigning blame. This practice helps studios understand their actual capacity and improves future planning. By consistently applying this framework, leadership can build better focus and accountability into their studio operations.
