Apply the Proven Principles From Michael Watkins’ The First 90 Days to Game Studio Leadership. Learn How to Build Trust, Gain Traction, and Deliver Results.
The Leadership Transition That Defines Your Future
Whenever I take on a new leadership role in the video game industry, whether it is a promotion within a familiar studio or stepping into a completely new company, I always return to one book: Michael D. Watkins’ “The First 90 Days.”
Over the years, this book has become my compass for navigating the critical first three months of any leadership transition. Watkins’ core principle is simple but profound: the actions you take in your first 90 days can determine your success or failure in the months and years that follow. Those first few weeks are about more than learning the job; they are about setting the tone, earning trust, and creating momentum.
In game development, where culture, creativity, and production pressures intertwine, these 90 days are even more pivotal. Studios are living organisms—full of passion, egos, artistry, and deadlines. Leading a studio or team means balancing the visionary with the practical, guiding people through both excitement and exhaustion.
Over time, I have adapted the lessons from The First 90 Days to fit the unique realities of our industry. What follows is how I apply Watkins’ framework when I step into a new leadership role at a video game studio, along with actionable steps any leader can use to make their transition smooth, strategic, and impactful.
Understanding the Leadership Transition
The first days of leadership are full of adrenaline and ambiguity. You are eager to make an impact but aware that every word, decision, and silence is being watched. Watkins describes this as a “transition trap,” where new leaders either rush into decisions or hesitate too long, both of which can erode credibility.
In the game industry, this trap can be especially dangerous. Creative environments thrive on trust, and the wrong early moves can unintentionally alienate team members or disrupt momentum.
When I take on a new role, I resist the urge to act immediately. Instead, I start by listening—really listening. I treat those first weeks as a discovery phase. My goal is to understand three things:
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The people. Who holds influence? Who feels unheard? Who is burned out or disengaged?
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The product. What is the true state of the project, beyond the presentations and spreadsheets?
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The culture. How do decisions actually get made? What are the unwritten rules of this studio?
By understanding these layers, I can begin to see where I can contribute the most value.
Actionable Steps for Week One
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Hold introductory one-on-ones. Schedule short conversations with key team members across departments. Ask what is working, what is not, and what they wish leadership understood.
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Listen before leading. Take notes. Resist the temptation to fix things immediately. Early observation is a form of strategy.
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Identify quick insights. Write down recurring themes you hear across conversations. These patterns will shape your next moves.
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Study the culture. Watch how meetings unfold. Notice who speaks up, who hesitates, and how people respond to feedback.
The first step to leadership success is humility. You cannot lead what you do not yet understand.
Accelerate Your Learning
Watkins emphasizes one critical idea: new leaders must learn before they can lead. The faster you understand your environment, the faster you can make meaningful impact.
In a video game studio, learning happens on two levels—the technical and the cultural. You must learn how the work is done and how the people doing the work operate.
Learn the Technical Environment
Every studio has its own DNA. Pipelines, tools, workflows, and production rhythms differ wildly between projects. A studio using Unreal Engine for a narrative-driven RPG operates differently than one producing a mobile live service title.
I spend my first two weeks diving into the technical and production side. I review documents, attend sprint meetings, and watch how information flows from leads to producers to developers. I learn the language of the team before trying to speak it.
Learn the Cultural Environment
Just as important as understanding the tech is understanding the culturebase—the informal system of habits, communication patterns, and unspoken values that guide behavior.
In every studio I have joined, there were people who quietly shaped the culture without holding senior titles. Identifying and connecting with these individuals early is invaluable. They are often your most honest sources of information and your first allies.
Actionable Steps for the First 30 Days
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Create a learning agenda. Identify what you need to know about the project, the team, and the studio.
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Interview key players. Schedule learning sessions, not just with direct reports but also with adjacent teams.
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Ask “why” often. Learn the reasoning behind existing processes before proposing improvements.
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Summarize weekly learnings. At the end of each week, reflect on what you discovered and how it shapes your understanding.
Accelerated learning builds credibility. It shows your curiosity, respect, and commitment to the team’s success.
Match Strategy to Situation
One of Watkins’ most powerful frameworks is the STARS model, which categorizes leadership transitions into five types: Startup, Turnaround, Accelerated Growth, Realignment, and Sustaining Success. Recognizing which situation you are walking into changes everything about how you lead.
In game development, these categories map perfectly to the lifecycle of studios and projects.
Startup
You are building something new from the ground up—a new studio, IP, or project. Your focus must be on vision, structure, and assembling the right team. Startups require optimism, clarity, and resilience.
Turnaround
You have entered a troubled studio or project that needs revitalization. Maybe morale is low, milestones are slipping, or leadership has lost trust. In this situation, your first job is to stabilize and rebuild confidence.
Accelerated Growth
The studio or project is expanding quickly, scaling from small to large. Leadership here is about building systems that can grow without breaking creativity.
Realignment
The studio or project is functional but drifting. Alignment between creative direction and execution has weakened. You must reestablish clarity and purpose.
Sustaining Success
Everything is going well, which can be deceptively dangerous. Complacency sets in easily here. Your job is to keep innovation alive and ensure continued growth.
Actionable Steps to Match Strategy to Situation
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Diagnose early. Determine which STARS category fits your situation within the first two weeks.
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Adjust expectations. Understand that a Turnaround and a Startup require different energy, tone, and speed.
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Tailor your goals. Align your first 90-day plan with your STARS diagnosis.
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Communicate your assessment. Share your perspective with senior leadership to ensure everyone sees the same picture.
Knowing the type of situation you are in prevents wasted effort and mismatched strategies.
Secure Early Wins
Watkins’ advice to “secure early wins” resonates deeply in the game industry. The right early success sets the tone for your leadership. It builds credibility and shows that change can bring value.
The trick is choosing the right kind of wins. In creative environments, symbolic wins can matter as much as practical ones. Improving meeting efficiency or resolving a production pain point might not seem glamorous, but it demonstrates awareness and action.
When I enter a new leadership position, I identify 2–3 opportunities for early wins. These are usually issues that are visible, solvable, and meaningful to the team. For example, simplifying a review process, improving communication between departments, or clarifying sprint goals.
Actionable Steps for Early Wins
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Identify pain points. Ask the team, “What frustrates you most about our current process?”
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Pick achievable targets. Choose wins that can be completed within 60 days.
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Deliver visibly. Communicate progress openly so the team feels the impact.
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Celebrate as a team. Recognize contributions publicly to reinforce trust and shared success.
Early wins are not about ego. They are about proving your commitment to making things better.
Build Alliances and Trust
Leadership is not a solo mission. Watkins emphasizes the importance of building alliances early. In game development, this means more than forming partnerships with executives. It is about connecting with creative, technical, and operational leaders across the studio.
Whenever I join a new studio, I create a “relationship map.” It helps me identify who I need to build trust with, both vertically and horizontally. These include department heads, project leads, senior developers, and sometimes unsung heroes like QA leads or office managers who keep the studio running smoothly.
Trust is built through consistency and listening. People respect leaders who follow through on promises, seek understanding before judgment, and communicate transparently.
Actionable Steps for Building Alliances
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Map your key relationships. Identify 10–12 individuals whose support will be essential.
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Schedule intentional check-ins. Do not rely on hallway conversations. Make time for real dialogue.
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Deliver small commitments. Follow through quickly on what you promise, even if minor.
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Acknowledge expertise. Let others teach you. It earns respect faster than asserting authority.
Alliances are your leadership safety net. When challenges arise, and they always do, these relationships become your foundation.
Achieve Alignment and Manage Expectations
In The First 90 Days, Watkins reminds us that misalignment kills momentum faster than failure. In a video game studio, this is especially true. Miscommunication between creative, technical, and production teams is one of the most common sources of conflict.
Early in my transitions, I prioritize aligning everyone around shared goals. I make sure my understanding of success matches that of the executive team and the department leads. If these perspectives differ, the result is confusion and frustration.
Alignment requires clarity of direction, open dialogue, and continuous reinforcement. You cannot communicate your vision once and expect it to stick. It must be repeated, refined, and reinforced until it becomes second nature.
Actionable Steps for Achieving Alignment
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Create a shared vision document. Summarize priorities, goals, and success metrics in one page.
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Set regular alignment meetings. Keep communication flowing across leadership layers.
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Ask for feedback. Encourage open discussion if something feels unclear or inconsistent.
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Reiterate often. Vision fades without repetition. Keep reminding your team what you are all building together.
Alignment turns chaos into collaboration. It transforms a group of talented individuals into a unified team.
Build Your Leadership Team and Culture
Watkins notes that building your leadership team early is essential. In the game industry, this means identifying and empowering the people who will help carry your vision forward.
When I take on a new leadership role, I look for the quiet influencers, people who keep others grounded, who are respected but may not seek attention. These individuals often embody the studio’s best values and can help shape its future culture.
Leadership culture forms from your daily actions, not your mission statements. People watch how you handle setbacks, how you give credit, and how you respond to pressure. Culture starts with consistency.
Actionable Steps to Build Culture and Team Strength
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Identify rising leaders. Notice who others naturally turn to for help or advice.
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Delegate purposefully. Empower others to make decisions within clear boundaries.
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Model transparency. Share both successes and challenges openly.
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Celebrate collaboration. Recognize team-oriented behavior, not just individual achievements.
Your leadership culture becomes your legacy. Build it intentionally.
Sustain Momentum Beyond the First 90 Days
The first 90 days set the tone, but true success is measured over the long term. Watkins encourages leaders to use the 90-day mark not as an ending, but as the beginning of a sustainable rhythm.
Once you have earned trust, aligned your strategy, and delivered early wins, it is time to maintain and build upon that foundation.
I treat every quarter as a new “90-day chapter.” At the end of each period, I reflect on what has been achieved, what needs adjustment, and what I can learn moving forward.
Actionable Steps to Sustain Progress
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Conduct quarterly reviews. Evaluate progress, morale, and alignment with senior leaders.
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Reset goals. Build new 30–60–90 day plans based on evolving needs.
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Maintain learning habits. Keep listening and adapting as the studio grows.
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Reinvest in relationships. Check in regularly with key stakeholders to keep trust strong.
Leadership is not a sprint. It is a series of deliberate steps taken consistently over time.
Final Thoughts: Leading With Intention
The First 90 Days taught me that leadership success is not accidental. It is the result of intentional actions taken early and often. Every new leadership role, whether a promotion or a new studio challenge, is a chance to learn, grow, and shape something lasting.
When you step into that new office or join that first leadership meeting, remember that your first 90 days will define your trajectory. Focus on listening, learning, aligning, and delivering meaningful wins.
Approach each day with curiosity, humility, and purpose. Your actions in those first three months will echo through your entire tenure.
And when your next transition comes, return to the basics, review the lessons, and begin again—stronger, wiser, and ready to lead.
Thank you for reading this article to the end. I hope it has been informative and helpful. If you’d like to learn more about the topics we covered, I invite you to check out my podcast and my YouTube channel, where I delve into these subjects in more depth.
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