In a vibrant atmosphere at ProductCon NY ’22, Penny Ann Szeto, Head of Product at Amazon, shared her insights on how to gamify your product career. With a focus on the evolving gaming industry and the principles of gamification, she inspired attendees to think creatively about their professional journeys.
Key Takeaways
- The gaming industry is booming, with diverse players and significant growth.
- Gamification involves applying game design elements to non-game contexts to boost engagement.
- Your career can be viewed as a game where you define your mission, map out levels, assess your skills, and collaborate with others.
The Evolving Gaming Industry
Penny kicked off her talk by discussing the dramatic changes in the gaming landscape. Once stereotyped as a niche hobby for socially awkward kids, gaming has transformed into a $200 billion industry with over 3.2 billion players worldwide. Today, nearly 50% of gamers are female, and the average age of a gamer is 34 years old. This shift highlights that anyone can be a gamer, and the industry is more inclusive than ever.
Understanding Gamification
So, what exactly is gamification? Penny explained that it’s about using game design elements in non-game contexts to drive engagement. This includes:
- Rules of play
- Reward systems
- Leaderboards
The idea is to harness the addictive nature of games to motivate people in their everyday tasks. Penny introduced Yukai Chou’s Octalysis Framework, which identifies eight core human motivations that drive behavior:
- Epic Meaning: The desire to contribute to something greater.
- Accomplishment: The need for mastery and progression.
- Empowerment: Feeling in control and creative.
- Ownership: The urge to collect and own.
- Social Influence: How others affect our actions.
- Scarcity: Wanting what is limited.
- Unpredictability: The excitement of the unknown.
- Avoidance: The desire to escape negative outcomes.
Applying Gamification to Your Career
Penny emphasized that gamification isn’t just for products; it can be applied to your career as well. Here’s how:
- Define Your Epic Mission: Identify what drives you and what you want to achieve in your career. This mission should be bigger than yourself.
- Map Out Levels and Quests: Just like in games, outline the levels you want to reach and the quests (tasks) you need to complete to get there. For example, if you aim to become a thought leader, your quests might include publishing articles or speaking at events.
- Assess Your Stats: Keep track of your skills and progress. Create a personal scorecard to evaluate your competencies and identify areas for improvement.
- Play Co-op: Collaborate with others. Just like in multiplayer games, working with a diverse group can enhance your skills and lead to greater achievements.
Conclusion
Penny wrapped up her talk with a reminder that the gaming industry is a treasure trove of insights for personal and professional growth. By understanding gamification and applying its principles, you can take charge of your career like the main character in a game. Define your mission, map your journey, assess your skills, and don’t forget to collaborate with others along the way.
With these strategies, you can level up your product career and make it a rewarding adventure!