In the gaming community, a new game development startup or an independent studio is born everyday, but what separates the 'Blizzard to be' from the one that never makes it to E3? Is it just the game or are there other factors? This presentation outlines the key to business management of a gaming startup and not just the business administration. It is an intimate look beyond the Gaming Engine and into the understanding of the Business Engine that drives a startup to studio fame.

You have a great idea for a game...but how do you build a business around that to profit from your innovation? How do you structure things with your partners so that one rogue partner can't hold the others (and the business) hostage? How can you protect yourself from being diluted by outside investors and losing control of your company? And when you hire developers, how do you reward them in such a way that they have a big upside if you succeed, but you don't end up giving away the farm? How to think you're your client (a game publisher)? And, what soft-skills do you really need to learn to win friends and influence people?

This is not a discussion about filling out government forms, it is a discussion outlining the creation of a corporate structure and the development of professional sophistication that can withstand the pressure of both success and survival in the business world.