poptank
Overview
Poptank is a game that teaches you to play guitar; a real game teaching you to play real guitar. As Co-founder, I built the original team, secured Seed funding, oversaw product strategy, and the product team working from concept to design to prototypes, prioritizing roadmap, market research and testing, developing messaging and branding, go to market, and business model.
The Situation
There are more guitars than people in America. However, most people purchase a guitar, stumble through a few lessons, then leave the instrument to gather dust in the corner. Teaching music has gone relatively unchanged for hundreds of years. Meanwhile the pseudo guitar games, Guitar Hero and Rockband are selling out around the world.
The Work
I co-founded and served as President of a small game company to develop video games that teach real-life skills. Our mission was to use a gaming interface and cutting edge technology to appeal to the gamer audience and, with its embedded pedagogical system, also teach. I built the original team, secured Seed funding, oversaw product strategy, and the product team working from concept to design to prototypes, prioritizing roadmap, market research and testing, developing messaging and branding, go to market, and business model. I developed and implemented a broad-based strategy for a music-driven game and its accompanying experience design, social network, DLC-based store, leveled play, versioning, and internal toolsestablished pilot programs in strategic schools and universities; negotiated all contracts with stakeholders, strategic partnerships, and technology and music licenses; coordinated relationships at the top level of music labels, music instrument manufacturers, music management, technology companies, and video game companies; managed all cash flow, projections, sales modeling, day-to-day operations, development, negotiations, positioning, and long- and short-term strategies.
The Product
Poptank's first game, Musician, allowed a user to plug any instrument into their computer or mobile device. Our proprietary software could analyze notes and chords in milliseconds. With the backdrop of the actual music video for every song, users played along, receiving instant feedback about their rhythm and which notes they were getting right/wrong. They could play by themselves or jam with their friends.
Players tracked their progress, connected with other players to form bands or mentorships, and could purchase or upload content through our store.