Download - What I've learned starting Neon Play - ten top tips for starting and growing an exciting business
Oli Christie, CEO
Top tips to start & grow an exciting business
Today...• About Neon Play• Top tips for starting• How to grow• Team importance• Culture & marketing• Make a difference
@neonplayoli
My CV• Useless, lazy student• Failed business• Truly terrible ad exec• OK’ish copywriter• Not bad creative director
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Paper Tossers?
About Neon Play• Mobile games studio• Launched June 2010• 24 staff• 60 games - global• Top 50 in world
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Neon Play’s games
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15 games with over 1 million downloads
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6 million downloads
12 million downloads
12 milliondownloads
155 countries
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73% export
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53,000,000downloads
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Top 10 tips
1. Your brand is everything
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Beware the URLExperts Exchange - where programmers exchange advicewww.expertsexchange.com
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Need to find a therapist? www.therapistfinder.com
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Mole Station Native Nurserywww.molestationnursery.com
A good logo
Business card
Tip 2: Get a partner
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Partner in crime
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Get a mentor
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Tip 3: Your staff are everything
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@neonplayoli
A maybe is a no
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Get rid of bad apples
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Commitment to the whole human being
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Tip 4: Your office is your brand
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@neonplayoli
NO!
You’ve got to start somewhere
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@neonplayoli
Tip 5: Culture is king
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• Get your birthday off• Free beer on Fridays• Watch the footie• £100 joining gift
10 reasons...
Posh bog roll guarantee
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Clay pigeon shooting
Off to the fair!
Go-karting
Think big. Act small.
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Tip 6: Great marketing works
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PR is golden (and free)
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National press
Games press
Get yourself out there...
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Lady luck...
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Use social media
2m+ views500,000 fans 77,000 followers
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@neonplayoli
Incentivise your fans
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Kaboom!
Tip 7: Enter awards
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@neonplayoli
Tip 8: Accept it won’t be easy
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You will feel...
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Tip 9: Make a difference
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Give people work experience
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Work with local charities
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Education and industry
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Tip 10: Take risks. Make mistakes.
“Take risks. If you win, you will be happy. And if you lose, you will be wise.”
Failure is good
“Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”
Enjoy the highs. Ride the lows.
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@neonplayoliNever give up. Ever.
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Emotionally rewarding
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