# Pre-program: Onboarding and Prep

# **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.*