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cover of episode The Quest for True Signal: How Zynga Spotted Mobile

The Quest for True Signal: How Zynga Spotted Mobile

2024/2/27
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Josh Lu
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Mark Pincus
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Mark Pincus：我不相信最小可行产品（MVP），我相信最小可行想法状态（minimum viable idea state）。创业就像冲浪，需要预测趋势并选择合适的时机，专注于最容易解决且影响最大的问题，并识别“真实信号”。真实信号指的是真正被消费者所喜爱的东西，而不是被炒作的概念。成功的直觉加上错误的想法会导致失败，需要识别真正的信号。创始人应该允许自己过早地进入市场，并快速迭代，假设最初的想法是错误的。最小可行想法状态比最小可行产品更重要。需要快速迭代，并从竞争对手那里学习。最好的产品经理不是在赌博，而是拥有坚定的信念。真正的信念是基于证据和证明，而不是希望。成功的创始人专注于细节，追求卓越，并能培养优秀的 CEO。成功的创始人需要能够培养优秀的 CEO，而不是事必躬亲。招聘时要务实，从能找到的人开始，并快速迭代。寻找人才时，可以关注那些对你的项目充满热情的人，即使他们的简历并不完美。Pincus 认为自己不是一个好员工，只有领导团队才能发挥最佳状态。Pincus 通过赋予员工 CEO 的权力来提高效率。真正有野心的人更关注责任而不是薪酬。快速迭代，并假设最初的想法是错误的。Pincus 认为元宇宙最终会实现，并会模糊现实与虚拟世界的界限。元宇宙的本质是使虚拟世界变得真实，并与现实世界产生互动。Pincus 每天都会玩国际象棋。Pincus 认为最好的游戏能够超越简单的成瘾循环，例如《我的世界》。定期评估你的直觉、信号和想法。定期评估你的想法和执行，但不要频繁改变你的策略和愿景。Pincus 认为自己对直觉的判断力很强。现在是 AI 技术的早期采用者阶段。Pincus 认为 AI 的魔力在于其创造性，而不是其实用性。社区是游戏成功的关键因素。Instagram 的社区氛围正在消退。Pincus 认为 UGC 游戏行业正朝着用户生成内容的方向发展。Pincus 预计未来的计算模式将会发生根本性的改变。 Josh Lu：Zynga 的起源可以追溯到他之前失败的社交网络 Tribe.net。在 Tribe.net 失败后，Pincus 进入了一个迷茫期，寻找新的创新机会。Facebook 开放 API 提供了一个免费的、拥有大量用户的分销渠道，这促使了 Zynga 的诞生。Pincus 认为游戏是一个巨大的商机，Facebook 提供了前所未有的分销渠道。在游戏行业中，分销是最难的部分，而 Facebook 提供了一个解决方案。Zynga 在向移动端转型和使用 Facebook 等大型平台进行分销方面处于领先地位。本期节目将讨论如何应对重大技术浪潮，以及如何识别值得关注的“真实信号”。Mark Pincus 是 Zynga 的创始人兼长期 CEO，Zynga 以其全球化的游戏系列而闻名，包括 Farmville 和 Words with Friends 等知名游戏。区块链游戏中的“真实信号”是去中心化，而不是用户采用率。Zynga 过早且过于激进地进入移动市场，导致人才流失。ChatGPT 和 Midjourney 的流行是“真实信号”，表明人们对 AI 的需求。Pincus 曾有通过手机叫出租车的想法，但由于想法本身存在缺陷而失败。成功的直觉加上错误的想法会导致失败，需要识别真正的信号。Pincus 认为人人都是 CEO，通过赋予员工更多责任感来提高效率。

Deep Dive

Chapters
Mark Pincus, founder of Zynga, challenges the conventional wisdom of minimum viable products (MVPs), arguing for a "minimum viable idea state." He emphasizes the lack of time to build, fail, and iterate, advocating for quickly testing core ideas before investing heavily in development.
  • Mark Pincus believes in minimum viable idea state instead of minimum viable product.
  • He argues that there isn't enough time to build a product, fail, and iterate.
  • He suggests focusing on quickly testing core ideas before investing heavily in development.

Shownotes Transcript

You might recognize the name Mark Pincus but we almost guarantee you recognize the game Farmville. 

Mark Pincus is the founder and longtime CEO of Zynga, known for its massive global franchise of games, including those household names like Farmville and Words with Friends. Zynga was also at the forefront of the transition to mobile and the use of large platforms like Facebook for distribution.

In this episode Mark joins Josh Lu from the a16z Games team for a fireside chat. They discuss navigating major tech waves and recognizing "true signal" opportunities, and explore a wide range of topics, from the strategic insights that propelled Zynga to success, the future of the Metaverse, and the philosophy behind minimum viable products. 

This conversation offers invaluable insights for both gaming industry insiders and enthusiasts looking to understand the dynamics of tech innovation and entrepreneurship.

Topics Covered:

00:00 - How Zynga Spotted the Mobile Wave

02:47 - Challenges of Starting Zynga

05:24 - Zynga's Early Workforce and Learning HTML

07:40 - Preparing for Tech Waves

11:29 - The Importance of Being Too Early

15:42 - The attribute of great founders

18:33 - Hiring Philosophy 

22:02 - ‘Everyone is  a CEO’

24:20 - Fast Iteration and Learning from Failures

31:06 - Personal Gaming Preferences

32:52 - Advice on Reevaluating Projects and True Signal

35:50 - AI's Role in Consumer Adoption and Gaming

40:17 - Community as a Core Element

43:31 - UGC Gaming Space and Future Computing Paradigms

Resources: 

Find Mark on Twitter: https://twitter.com/markpinc)

Find Josh on Twitter: https://twitter.com/joshlu)

Learn more about SPEEDRUN 3.0: https://a16z.com/speedrun3)

Learn more about SPEEDRUN: ttps://a16z.com/speedrun-your-gaming-startup)

Stay Updated: 

Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z)

Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z)

Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/)

Follow our host: https://twitter.com/stephsmithio)

Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.