---
title: 'Pre-program: Onboarding and Prep'
collection: Cooperative Foundations
path: >-
  Cooperative Foundations/Peer Support Playbook/Session Guides/Pre-program:
  Onboarding and Prep
parentDocument: Session Guides
outlineId: 90324dab-581b-4b87-a5ae-9ee5b70631b6
createdBy: Jennie R.F.
---
# **Your first Studio Support Meetings**


:::info
Use this list to get a baseline read on your studio. These are things to *notice and gently explore* over your first couple of conversations. No need to interrogate, and you don't need to go through all of them.

:::

### **Relational foundation**

* How long have they known each other? Have they made anything together before?
* How do they currently make decisions? (Note who answers this question.)
* What happens when they disagree?
* Has anyone left a previous collaboration? What happened?
* Who's doing most of the talking right now? Who's quiet?
* Is there evidence of trust (or trust-building potential) in the group?

### **Capacity and commitment**

* Is everyone working on this full-time, part-time, or around day jobs?
* Are time contributions roughly equal? If not, how are they thinking about that?
* What happens if someone needs to step back or leave?
* Who has business/admin skills? Financial literacy? Project management?
* Is there openness about strengths *and* limitations?

### **Game related**

* Where is the project at? (Concept, prototype, production, shipped?)
* Who holds the creative vision? Is that shared or concentrated?
* Have they discussed IP ownership yet?
* What are the core disciplines in the group? (art, code, design, audio, writing, production?)
* What's missing? Are they aware of the gaps?
* Has anyone worked in games professionally before? In what capacity?

#### **What you're doing with this information:**

* Building your own picture of the studio's dynamics, strengths, and risk areas.
* You don't need to resolve anything yet, just notice.
* Bring observations to your PS check-in.

*Credit:* **Effective Practices in Starting Co-ops** *and Christine Clarke of* [*__Freedom Dreams__*](https://www.freedomdreamscoop.com/) *for inspiration/starting points.*