Before You Succeed...

Before we discuss anything specific, there are some fundamentals that need to be covered. These are things that some people might take for granted, and others will have never considered.

Since your goal is probably to impress someone with a lot of money (a publisher or investor), you have to appear to be professional. You have to be able to understand what someone means when they discuss "man hours" or "ROI" so that you know how to communicate and don't sound like an amateur. If you present yourself professionally, you will be treated professionally. Mindset is a key factor in how others percieve you. In marketing, it's said that "perception is reality." Since you are basically selling your product and abilities, that applies.

The first thing you have to do is study a little bit about business. If you are going to organize and lead a virtual company, you have to understand business in the real world first, because that's your goal-- to do real business involving real contracts. So, learn basics about starting a business.

Being the leader is not for everyone, but if you do hook the publisher that you want, you're going to have to understand what's happening on a level that doesn't involve programming or making games. You need to understand what funding really is and what options you have when it is available.

The next thing you should learn about, well before you approach anyone for a deal, is how to market your product. You'll be marketing your product from the time it is conceived up until the last sale. If you don't, you are weakening the chances that someone will see you-- which might mean a chance lost at achieving your goal.

The next topic you need to understand (and this one might be more important than any of the others) is how to manage a team. This is a vastly complex subject that requires not only study but practice.

We'll touch on all of these again, as they are fundamental to operating a successful virtual company.

Communication