Gamification and the Lean Startup methodology (LSM) have become buzz-words in academic literature, entrepreneurship and business practices world-wide. This synopsis is based on the Master thesis: Gamification of the Lean Startup Methodology by Tore Rasmussen and Simen Øxseth.
Read more about the science behind the teaching Lean Startup Methodology with the Playing Lean board game.
Top 10 Rated Gamification Talk Radio Episodes from 2017Monica Cornetti
Hosted my Monica Cornetti
www.SententiaGames.com
Gamification is motivational design…
the use of game elements and game mechanics in a non-game context.
Brought to you by Sententia Gamification, the ONLY organization to offer three levels of Gamification Certification for Human Resource and Talent Development professionals. Our gamification certifications can be recognized by HRCI, SHRM, and ATD for recertification credits.
Learn how to Level Up your corporate training, talent development, employee onboarding, productivity, or classroom with this cutting-edge strategy to motivate and engage employees, members, and students.
Put Gamification to work for you!
Learn more about certifications and Train the Trainer programs by contacting: BigHead@SententiaGames.com
Website: www.SententiaGames.com
Weekly Podcast: http://bit.ly/GamificationRadio
Top 10 Rated Gamification Talk Radio Episodes from 2017Monica Cornetti
Hosted my Monica Cornetti
www.SententiaGames.com
Gamification is motivational design…
the use of game elements and game mechanics in a non-game context.
Brought to you by Sententia Gamification, the ONLY organization to offer three levels of Gamification Certification for Human Resource and Talent Development professionals. Our gamification certifications can be recognized by HRCI, SHRM, and ATD for recertification credits.
Learn how to Level Up your corporate training, talent development, employee onboarding, productivity, or classroom with this cutting-edge strategy to motivate and engage employees, members, and students.
Put Gamification to work for you!
Learn more about certifications and Train the Trainer programs by contacting: BigHead@SententiaGames.com
Website: www.SententiaGames.com
Weekly Podcast: http://bit.ly/GamificationRadio
Gamify your e learning! 6 Ways to Incorporate Gamification into eLearningLambda Solutions
Gamification has emerged as a significant trend in the field of learning and development in the past few years. By gamifying learning, you can harness the power of what people inherently love to do—have fun. But what is gamification and how can it be used effectively to motivate and engage learners?
Co-hosted by Paula Yunker, with 30+ years of instructional design experience—this webinar will explore what gamification is and how gamification can be used to create more meaningful, engaging and interactive eLearning experiences. We’ll discuss how you can create eLearning courses using principles of gamification that fit with your budget and we’ll also share examples of how organizations have successfully used gamification.
Topics covered are as follows. To listen to the recorded webinar, please visit: http://www.lambdasolutions.net/?p=6874
-What gamification really is
-The difference between learning games and gamification
-Using gamification to engage learners
-Getting started with gamification – what you need to know
-Six ways to incorporate elements of gamification regardless of your budget
-Successful examples of gamification in learning
Speakers: Paula Yunker, Managing Partner and instructional designer, Limestone Learning; Sean Hougan, Marketing Coordinator, Lambda Solutions
Simulative Business Games are useful to train on various topics in business training, from general management to finance, hospitality, organizational behavior, human resources and marketing or to study economics models through simulations.
Design Rich Blended Learning with Learning Battle CardsSławomir Łais
Find how to make the learning and development project better designed. Treat instructional design as a game. Use 108 methods represented by the cards. Free e-book.
More information how to get cards: http://store.learningbattlecards.com
Improving Decision Making Skills through Business Simulation.docxsheronlewthwaite
Improving Decision Making Skills
through Business Simulation Gaming and Expert Systems
Alexander Fuchsberger
University of Nebraska, Omaha
[email protected]
Abstract
Business simulations as experimental learning tools
are common, but they usually train specific
predetermined aspects. Research on artificial
intelligence among business simulations is rare, and
therefore, featured in this paper. The purpose of this
research is to explore the use of business simulations
games as an experimental learning tool through a
contemporary, web-based application featuring
artificial intelligence and mobile support. An expert
system guides and advises the players, while they
manage their virtual business in a competitive market
against other participants. The core element is the
design process of an artifact, based on the Design
Science methodology. The training and learning
effects on the participants are observed via the
artifact itself in a series of experiments and an
additional survey. Twenty-six students in Austria
were chosen as the sample group to reveal and
measure the improvements in decision making,
experimental learning capabilities and the biasing
ability of the artificial intelligence.
1. Introduction
Today the decision-making process within
organizations is increasingly complex. All decision
makers in businesses require basic understanding of
organizational structure and how business elements
influence each other. In universities effective work is
done by providing students with the necessary
knowledge about business concepts like production
optimization, marketing, strategies, human resource
management, and so on. But the theoretical
knowledge is rarely put to practice. Avramenko [1]
finds that the educational process in business schools
fails to equip students with employability skills.
Business simulation games encourage teamwork
and decision-making, in a risk-free environment [2].
Players develop a holistic view of the business, they
learn that sometimes alternatives have to be
considered and that losses in an early stage might
lead to higher profit in a later stage. Business games
and simulations became popular over the last 20
years; and they differ in complexity, focus, settings
or intentions. They are web or application-based and
can include random elements.
This research aims to design such a business
simulation, which allows multiple players to train
their management skills in a competitive
environment. No perfect utilization can be reached
only by the player’s actions; other players are
influencing the participant’s outcome as well.
Another core element of this research was to
provide a setting where an expert system can take a
substantial and useful part in such a simulation game.
The idea was to develop a virtual “mentor”, which
acts as an advisor and biases the human player in his
or her decisions. Therefore, the primary research
objectives are:
Ho ...
Enterprise gamification or e-commerce gamification can be defined as the amalgamation of game machines and gaming concepts integrated into business operations to make them more engaging and interesting for the staff.
Lscon16 414 Gaining Executive Buy-in For Your Learning EcosystemJohn Delano
As a learning leader, you want to build a world class learning model. But the problem is you need executive support, funding, IT support, etc. A learning ecosystem that satisfies today’s learner requires changing the conversation with all the stakeholders.
In this session, you’ll use the learning model canvas to create the story for changing the mindset and mechanics of the corporate learning model. You’ll learn the top two learning organization patterns and the top five learning organization models. You will be able to identify your organization’s current model, identify the dependencies needed for implementing a new learning ecosystem, and actionable next steps for implementing it in the workplace. You will gain the skills to: select the most effective learning model for the organization, determine actionable steps to gain commitment and resources for a new learning ecosystem, and facilitate consultant-like discussions at the executive level.
Gamification 3.0: The Power of PersonalizationCognizant
Gamification is applied in virtually every industry, yet remains remarkably unsophisticated. Gamification 3.0 is the next level of gamification -- combining the power of big data, behavioral insights and elements of psychology and neurosciences to motivate users to advance their personal and professional goals -- all in the context of their personality, emotions, habits and activities.
Gamification and Incentivization for Driving Business Processes (NYBPP Meetup)Samuel Chin, PMP, CSM
A process is only as effective as the people executing that process, and we all know that human behavior can be influenced with the use of incentives. One way to incentivize the correct following of a process, and to make the execution more enjoyable, is through the use of gamification.
Gamification is proven to increase productivity in powerful ways, but relies on a strong process knowledge to ensure that a process based game is set up for success.
In this meetup we discussed the concept of gamification, and how one might successfully gamify a process through process and incentive analysis.
Gamification in the eLearning context.
Shah Saquib. A Thesis Report submitted to Dr.-Ing. Thomas Hüttl
Technische Universität München
Faculty of Informatik, Boltzmannstr. 3, Garching
Crowdfunding - Hvordan lykkes på Kickstarter?Tore Rasmussen
Crowdfunding -‐ Hvordan lykkes på Kickstarter? - En casestudie av det norske spillselskapet Snow Castle AS. Obligatorisk prosjektoppgave i BUS370 Næringsutvikling og entreprenørskap. Handelshøyskolen ved NMBU, 1. Desember 2014
Gamify your e learning! 6 Ways to Incorporate Gamification into eLearningLambda Solutions
Gamification has emerged as a significant trend in the field of learning and development in the past few years. By gamifying learning, you can harness the power of what people inherently love to do—have fun. But what is gamification and how can it be used effectively to motivate and engage learners?
Co-hosted by Paula Yunker, with 30+ years of instructional design experience—this webinar will explore what gamification is and how gamification can be used to create more meaningful, engaging and interactive eLearning experiences. We’ll discuss how you can create eLearning courses using principles of gamification that fit with your budget and we’ll also share examples of how organizations have successfully used gamification.
Topics covered are as follows. To listen to the recorded webinar, please visit: http://www.lambdasolutions.net/?p=6874
-What gamification really is
-The difference between learning games and gamification
-Using gamification to engage learners
-Getting started with gamification – what you need to know
-Six ways to incorporate elements of gamification regardless of your budget
-Successful examples of gamification in learning
Speakers: Paula Yunker, Managing Partner and instructional designer, Limestone Learning; Sean Hougan, Marketing Coordinator, Lambda Solutions
Simulative Business Games are useful to train on various topics in business training, from general management to finance, hospitality, organizational behavior, human resources and marketing or to study economics models through simulations.
Design Rich Blended Learning with Learning Battle CardsSławomir Łais
Find how to make the learning and development project better designed. Treat instructional design as a game. Use 108 methods represented by the cards. Free e-book.
More information how to get cards: http://store.learningbattlecards.com
Improving Decision Making Skills through Business Simulation.docxsheronlewthwaite
Improving Decision Making Skills
through Business Simulation Gaming and Expert Systems
Alexander Fuchsberger
University of Nebraska, Omaha
[email protected]
Abstract
Business simulations as experimental learning tools
are common, but they usually train specific
predetermined aspects. Research on artificial
intelligence among business simulations is rare, and
therefore, featured in this paper. The purpose of this
research is to explore the use of business simulations
games as an experimental learning tool through a
contemporary, web-based application featuring
artificial intelligence and mobile support. An expert
system guides and advises the players, while they
manage their virtual business in a competitive market
against other participants. The core element is the
design process of an artifact, based on the Design
Science methodology. The training and learning
effects on the participants are observed via the
artifact itself in a series of experiments and an
additional survey. Twenty-six students in Austria
were chosen as the sample group to reveal and
measure the improvements in decision making,
experimental learning capabilities and the biasing
ability of the artificial intelligence.
1. Introduction
Today the decision-making process within
organizations is increasingly complex. All decision
makers in businesses require basic understanding of
organizational structure and how business elements
influence each other. In universities effective work is
done by providing students with the necessary
knowledge about business concepts like production
optimization, marketing, strategies, human resource
management, and so on. But the theoretical
knowledge is rarely put to practice. Avramenko [1]
finds that the educational process in business schools
fails to equip students with employability skills.
Business simulation games encourage teamwork
and decision-making, in a risk-free environment [2].
Players develop a holistic view of the business, they
learn that sometimes alternatives have to be
considered and that losses in an early stage might
lead to higher profit in a later stage. Business games
and simulations became popular over the last 20
years; and they differ in complexity, focus, settings
or intentions. They are web or application-based and
can include random elements.
This research aims to design such a business
simulation, which allows multiple players to train
their management skills in a competitive
environment. No perfect utilization can be reached
only by the player’s actions; other players are
influencing the participant’s outcome as well.
Another core element of this research was to
provide a setting where an expert system can take a
substantial and useful part in such a simulation game.
The idea was to develop a virtual “mentor”, which
acts as an advisor and biases the human player in his
or her decisions. Therefore, the primary research
objectives are:
Ho ...
Enterprise gamification or e-commerce gamification can be defined as the amalgamation of game machines and gaming concepts integrated into business operations to make them more engaging and interesting for the staff.
Lscon16 414 Gaining Executive Buy-in For Your Learning EcosystemJohn Delano
As a learning leader, you want to build a world class learning model. But the problem is you need executive support, funding, IT support, etc. A learning ecosystem that satisfies today’s learner requires changing the conversation with all the stakeholders.
In this session, you’ll use the learning model canvas to create the story for changing the mindset and mechanics of the corporate learning model. You’ll learn the top two learning organization patterns and the top five learning organization models. You will be able to identify your organization’s current model, identify the dependencies needed for implementing a new learning ecosystem, and actionable next steps for implementing it in the workplace. You will gain the skills to: select the most effective learning model for the organization, determine actionable steps to gain commitment and resources for a new learning ecosystem, and facilitate consultant-like discussions at the executive level.
Gamification 3.0: The Power of PersonalizationCognizant
Gamification is applied in virtually every industry, yet remains remarkably unsophisticated. Gamification 3.0 is the next level of gamification -- combining the power of big data, behavioral insights and elements of psychology and neurosciences to motivate users to advance their personal and professional goals -- all in the context of their personality, emotions, habits and activities.
Gamification and Incentivization for Driving Business Processes (NYBPP Meetup)Samuel Chin, PMP, CSM
A process is only as effective as the people executing that process, and we all know that human behavior can be influenced with the use of incentives. One way to incentivize the correct following of a process, and to make the execution more enjoyable, is through the use of gamification.
Gamification is proven to increase productivity in powerful ways, but relies on a strong process knowledge to ensure that a process based game is set up for success.
In this meetup we discussed the concept of gamification, and how one might successfully gamify a process through process and incentive analysis.
Gamification in the eLearning context.
Shah Saquib. A Thesis Report submitted to Dr.-Ing. Thomas Hüttl
Technische Universität München
Faculty of Informatik, Boltzmannstr. 3, Garching
Crowdfunding - Hvordan lykkes på Kickstarter?Tore Rasmussen
Crowdfunding -‐ Hvordan lykkes på Kickstarter? - En casestudie av det norske spillselskapet Snow Castle AS. Obligatorisk prosjektoppgave i BUS370 Næringsutvikling og entreprenørskap. Handelshøyskolen ved NMBU, 1. Desember 2014
Kursbeskrivelse for kurset BUS272 Verdiskapende Idéutvikling - Lean Startup....Tore Rasmussen
Kursbeskrivelse for kurset BUS272 Verdiskapende Idéutvikling - Lean Startup. August 2016.
Pensumboken var Running Lean av Ash Maurya i tillegg fikk studentene tilgang til Lean Academy sitt Bootstart program, som er nettressursene til pensumboka.
Fremdriftsplan for kurset BUS272 Verdiskapende Idéutvikling - Lean StartupTore Rasmussen
Fremdriftsplan for kurset BUS272 Verdiskapende Idéutvikling - Lean Startup. August 2016.
Pensumboken var Running Lean av Ash Maurya i tillegg fikk studentene tilgang til Lean Academy sitt Bootstart program, som er nettressursene til pensumboka.
June 3, 2024 Anti-Semitism Letter Sent to MIT President Kornbluth and MIT Cor...Levi Shapiro
Letter from the Congress of the United States regarding Anti-Semitism sent June 3rd to MIT President Sally Kornbluth, MIT Corp Chair, Mark Gorenberg
Dear Dr. Kornbluth and Mr. Gorenberg,
The US House of Representatives is deeply concerned by ongoing and pervasive acts of antisemitic
harassment and intimidation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Failing to act decisively to ensure a safe learning environment for all students would be a grave dereliction of your responsibilities as President of MIT and Chair of the MIT Corporation.
This Congress will not stand idly by and allow an environment hostile to Jewish students to persist. The House believes that your institution is in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and the inability or
unwillingness to rectify this violation through action requires accountability.
Postsecondary education is a unique opportunity for students to learn and have their ideas and beliefs challenged. However, universities receiving hundreds of millions of federal funds annually have denied
students that opportunity and have been hijacked to become venues for the promotion of terrorism, antisemitic harassment and intimidation, unlawful encampments, and in some cases, assaults and riots.
The House of Representatives will not countenance the use of federal funds to indoctrinate students into hateful, antisemitic, anti-American supporters of terrorism. Investigations into campus antisemitism by the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Committee on Ways and Means have been expanded into a Congress-wide probe across all relevant jurisdictions to address this national crisis. The undersigned Committees will conduct oversight into the use of federal funds at MIT and its learning environment under authorities granted to each Committee.
• The Committee on Education and the Workforce has been investigating your institution since December 7, 2023. The Committee has broad jurisdiction over postsecondary education, including its compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, campus safety concerns over disruptions to the learning environment, and the awarding of federal student aid under the Higher Education Act.
• The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is investigating the sources of funding and other support flowing to groups espousing pro-Hamas propaganda and engaged in antisemitic harassment and intimidation of students. The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is the principal oversight committee of the US House of Representatives and has broad authority to investigate “any matter” at “any time” under House Rule X.
• The Committee on Ways and Means has been investigating several universities since November 15, 2023, when the Committee held a hearing entitled From Ivory Towers to Dark Corners: Investigating the Nexus Between Antisemitism, Tax-Exempt Universities, and Terror Financing. The Committee followed the hearing with letters to those institutions on January 10, 202
Executive Directors Chat Leveraging AI for Diversity, Equity, and InclusionTechSoup
Let’s explore the intersection of technology and equity in the final session of our DEI series. Discover how AI tools, like ChatGPT, can be used to support and enhance your nonprofit's DEI initiatives. Participants will gain insights into practical AI applications and get tips for leveraging technology to advance their DEI goals.
Normal Labour/ Stages of Labour/ Mechanism of LabourWasim Ak
Normal labor is also termed spontaneous labor, defined as the natural physiological process through which the fetus, placenta, and membranes are expelled from the uterus through the birth canal at term (37 to 42 weeks
A workshop hosted by the South African Journal of Science aimed at postgraduate students and early career researchers with little or no experience in writing and publishing journal articles.
Operation “Blue Star” is the only event in the history of Independent India where the state went into war with its own people. Even after about 40 years it is not clear if it was culmination of states anger over people of the region, a political game of power or start of dictatorial chapter in the democratic setup.
The people of Punjab felt alienated from main stream due to denial of their just demands during a long democratic struggle since independence. As it happen all over the word, it led to militant struggle with great loss of lives of military, police and civilian personnel. Killing of Indira Gandhi and massacre of innocent Sikhs in Delhi and other India cities was also associated with this movement.
Read| The latest issue of The Challenger is here! We are thrilled to announce that our school paper has qualified for the NATIONAL SCHOOLS PRESS CONFERENCE (NSPC) 2024. Thank you for your unwavering support and trust. Dive into the stories that made us stand out!
Exploiting Artificial Intelligence for Empowering Researchers and Faculty, In...Dr. Vinod Kumar Kanvaria
Exploiting Artificial Intelligence for Empowering Researchers and Faculty,
International FDP on Fundamentals of Research in Social Sciences
at Integral University, Lucknow, 06.06.2024
By Dr. Vinod Kumar Kanvaria
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Francesca Gottschalk from the OECD’s Centre for Educational Research and Innovation presents at the Ask an Expert Webinar: How can education support child empowerment?
This slide is special for master students (MIBS & MIFB) in UUM. Also useful for readers who are interested in the topic of contemporary Islamic banking.
A Strategic Approach: GenAI in EducationPeter Windle
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies such as Generative AI, Image Generators and Large Language Models have had a dramatic impact on teaching, learning and assessment over the past 18 months. The most immediate threat AI posed was to Academic Integrity with Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) focusing their efforts on combating the use of GenAI in assessment. Guidelines were developed for staff and students, policies put in place too. Innovative educators have forged paths in the use of Generative AI for teaching, learning and assessments leading to pockets of transformation springing up across HEIs, often with little or no top-down guidance, support or direction.
This Gasta posits a strategic approach to integrating AI into HEIs to prepare staff, students and the curriculum for an evolving world and workplace. We will highlight the advantages of working with these technologies beyond the realm of teaching, learning and assessment by considering prompt engineering skills, industry impact, curriculum changes, and the need for staff upskilling. In contrast, not engaging strategically with Generative AI poses risks, including falling behind peers, missed opportunities and failing to ensure our graduates remain employable. The rapid evolution of AI technologies necessitates a proactive and strategic approach if we are to remain relevant.
1. G A M I F I C AT I O N O F L E A N
STA RT U P M E T H O D O LO GY
*
1 Introduction 2
2 Gamification 2
3 Lean Startup Methodology 2
4 How Playing Lean employs gamification theory 3
5 How Playing Lean conveys LSM 4
6 Playing Lean Workshops 5
7 Research method and findings 6
8 Conclusion 7
Figure 1 Examples of a Company card and an Experiment card 3
Figure 2 Colour coding of Experiment Cards . . . . . . . . . . 5
Figure 3 Average confidence levels of the eleven key concepts
of the LSM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
* Lean Friends AS, co-creator of Playing Lean, tore@playinglean.com
1
2. 2
Gamification and the Lean Startup methodology (LSM) have become buz-
zwords in academic literature, entrepreneurship and business practices world-
wide. This synopsis is based on the Master thesis: Gamification of the Lean
Startup Methodology by Tore Rasmussen and Simen Øxseth. [1] The topic
is gamification as a tool to learn entrepreneurship and innovation method-
ology, represented by Playing Lean, an innovative board game developed
for learning the LSM. There are several studies on learning effects from
gamification and on game-based learning, but there are few studies on en-
trepreneurship and innovation games, and no known studies on games with
an emphasis on conveying the LSM. The object of study is the Norwegian
company Lean Friends AS’s application of the board game Playing Lean as
educational learning tool for understanding the LSM, facilitated in work-
shops with introduction and debrief. The purpose of the research is to
reflect upon how gamification works and whether Playing Lean meets the
purpose of making people understand the method. We investigated how
players experienced playing the board game, how specific game elements
and mechanics functioned and the learning outcome of the LSM. The re-
search question we formulated to meet this purpose: How does gamification
contribute to learn the Lean Startup Methodology? A subordinate purpose is to
investigate if this contributes to learning entrepreneurship in a meaningful
way.
Gamification refers to making learning more enjoyable by implementing
game elements in a non-game environment. [2], [3] There are many studies
on learning effects of gamification. [2], [4], [5] However, there are few gam-
ification examples of entrepreneurship and Lean Startup, and no studies
dedicated to the gamification of the Lean Startup method. Therefore we see
the need for scientific research on gamification of this recent entrepreneur-
ship methodology and how a game can promote this knowledge and way
of thinking.
Lean Startup Methodology (LSM) has emerged as an approach to entrepreneur-
ship and innovation. The method has grown in popularity since Ries intro-
duced the concept in 2008, and in a Harvard Business Review article Steven
Blank makes an argument that LSM can be used when launching a new
enterprise regardless if it is a “tech start-up, a small business, or an initia-
tive within a large corporation”. [6], [7] The LSM is now being used by
both sophisticated entrepreneurs all over the world and world leading com-
panies like Dropbox, GE and Intuit. In academia it is being taught in 25+
universities [8], and is rapidly increasing worldwide.
| . | @.
3. 3
In Playing Lean (PL) gamification theory is used in a range of ways; sto-
rytelling, use of facilitator/instructions, social learning, motivation and re-
ward structures are all elements utilized in PL and inspired from the field of
gamification. PL uses storytelling both as the contextual setting of the game,
as a social media case, and by using experiment cards (EC), as well as being
represented when facilitators accompany ECs with stories and use own or
known business examples to elaborate on topics. Figure 1 illustrates two
cards with information, followed by the explanations facilitator provides.
Additionally, examples from reality may be provided by the facilitator as
well.
Figure 1: Examples of a Company card and an Experiment card
Based on Friendster. Considered to be the grandfather of so-
cial networks, although smaller attempts were launched earlier. Was the
first to reach one million users, but ran into serious technical issues. Has
gone through many variations since, operations finally stopped in 2015.
”Viral” is the name of one of the Engines of Growth. The vi-
ral coefficient is the rate with which users recruit new users to your service.
If the coefficient is higher than one, each user recruits more than one new
user (which leads to exponential growth). If the coefficient is lower than
one, growth tapers off.
Social learning is represented by players interacting with each other during
the game session, this can be in the nature of helping to understand rules
or reward mechanisms, as sharing of experience where one player has more
experience from a strategy maneuver, business topic or LSM concept and
shares this with the others, and as general mingling of players without pre-
vious relation. The use of facilitators and instructions are paramount. Without
them it would be just another board game, since they instruct and use own
or known business experience to accompany happenings in the game. This
connection of general business and LSM knowledge to the game context is
the main vehicle of transferring knowledge to the players.
| . | @.
4. 4
Karl Kapp argues that there are four advantages to abstracting reality
through gamification [2], all represented in PL. Firstly, PL engages play-
ers in Lean Startup experiments without having to design the experiments
themselves, complexity is reduced and an overview of the LS arena is pro-
vided. Secondly, regarding identifying the cause-effect relationship, in real-
ity it could take months or years before experiencing the effects of feature
creep or technical debt, while in Playing Lean it becomes evident after a few
turns in the game. Thirdly, the time it takes to play the game varies between
two to three hours, thus time consuming elements like sleeping and eating
are eliminated, ensuring that the essence of the game (learning, having fun
and interacting) is the main focus for the players. The fourth point regards
the time spent to learn complicated processes. To start a business and con-
ducting experiments at different stages in the product adoption cycle can
be overwhelming and take a long time; Playing Lean simplifies this process
and shortens the time span, as well as eliminating the potential disturbing
element of risk inherent to starting a business since it is a game.
The game elements are interlinked with LSM by design and can be por-
trayed by eleven key concepts related to LSM and how the board game
conveys those concepts through the gaming experience. These are also used
to measure the LSM learning outcome of the game.
• The Lean Startup Methodology as a whole is represented throughout the
game in various elements, such as the Experiment Cards, the choices
one takes each round, realizing the value of experimenting on cus-
tomer demands and making a customer sale based on building a prod-
uct meeting those demands, and experiencing the need to alter the
product according to increasing and varied customer demands.
• The aspect of the Build - Measure - Learn cycle is addressed by the play-
ers drawing an Experiment Card is building an experiment, looking
at the face of the Customer Tile is measuring and drawing conclusions
about the market on the Innovation Accounting sheet is learning.
• The concept of pivoting is explicitly mentioned in several Experiment
Cards. Some players will also have experienced having to change their
product a lot during the game. This is a pivot.
• ”Get out of the building” is a lesson in the game. Players can’t plan their
products in isolation and guess who to sale to, they must ”get out of
the building” and do experiments with customers. In the game they
draw cards to do experiments and read the example on the card and
then how many customer tiles they can flip in order to get customer
information.
• The Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is represented on many of the Ex-
periment Cards. It is also implicit in the game mechanics, since players
build a small product to hit the market in the beginning. This product
must invariably grow towards the end of the game, and is no longer
”minimal”. Furthermore, MVP interviews are also covered in the Ex-
periment Cards.
| . | @.
5. 5
• Innovation Accounting is represented directly by the tear sheets that
players note customer preferences on. Like in real life, if you do this
job poorly, then the outcome will be bad.
• The concept of Fast Iteration is covered by the increasing building cost
and the remove function on the Company Board’s product building
section, rewarding teams that recognize the importance of removing
product features due to increasing costs.
• Playing Lean also addresses the aspect of Technical Debt. The price
of building a new feature increases (exponentially) with the complex-
ity (number of features) of the product. Keeping the product “Lean”
without excess features is a good strategy.
• The concepts of Problem/solution and Product/market fit is explicitly en-
forced in the game, since you cannot move to the next level (yellow,
orange, etc) without getting a customer on the previous (a ‘fit’).
• Scalability and timing is represented by the game board and in building
the product on the Company Board. Players should note that the ex-
periments are very different in the red scaling phase than in the green
and yellow phases. Game strategy will also be more focused on build-
ing the right product quickly, be the first to “cross the chasm”, and
Avoid Premature Scaling.
Ash Maurya’s a four staged approach to launching Lean Startup projects
suggested in his book Running Lean [9], are covered by the Experiment
Cards (Figure 2). Each step towards the center, illustrated by the colors on
the Customer Tiles used in the game, indicates those steps. Green is Business
Modeling, yellow is Problem/Solution Fit, orange is Product/Market Fit and red
is Scale.
Figure 2: Colour coding of Experiment Cards
The PL game is an instructional board game intended for use in Playing
Lean Workshops (PLW). The workshops creating the foundation for our
research had a duration of approximately three hours and followed the fol-
lowing format; starting with a 30 minutes introduction to Lean Startup, fol-
lowed by 120 minutes of game-play and ending in a 30 minutes reflection
debrief. In the introduction part of the workshop the facilitator gives a quick
introduction to the LSM. When playing the game, the facilitator starts by ex-
plaining game board and the rules, then how one wins the game. The game
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6. 6
starts and all the teams can discuss strategy and take decisions on what to
do in their turn. The game is turn-based and after each turn teams make
adjustment to their boards according to what they have done/achieved dur-
ing their turn. During the game-play the facilitator makes sure that all the
players pay attention and are quiet when somebody draws an Experiment
Card. The player or the facilitator then reads the EC out loud and has a
short discussion about the card to make sure that all the players understand
the example. When the game is over the facilitator asks each player to share
their perspectives on learning in a 30 minute reflection session.
The research approach we used was explorative and pragmatic, using mixed
methods approach to get quantitative and qualitative data to compare. We
have collected data from observation, questionnaires and group interviews /
focus groups from Playing Lean Workshops (PLW), interviewed five players
and one of the creators of the game. We used empirical data and secondary
data to reflect on gamification in our discussion. Our results points towards
a positive learning outcome in general and that elements like social learning,
facilitator and use of storytelling were effective gamification elements to fa-
cilitate learning. The PLW was an entertaining experience for the players
and a good introduction for beginners. Results also revealed that not every-
one attending PLWs became more confident and that there were variable
factors like; size and mix of group, high or low entry knowledge, age, com-
petency of facilitator, and motivation to learn. Some provided examples of
elements in the game as being related to real-life, others made the opposite
point. From the interviews there were answers that pointed to the need for
real-life work projects or practical usage of the LSM to feel more confident.
The diagram in Figure 3 portrays the responses from 77 respondents to
a pre-game/post-game questionnaire aiming to measure confidence levels
in 11 LSM concepts before and after a PLW: (1) the LSM as a whole, (2) the
Build-Measure-Learn cycle; (3) Pivoting, (4) Get out of the building, (5) Fast
iteration, (6) MVP, (7) Innovation accounting, (8) Technical debt, (9) Problem-
solution fit, (10) Product-market fit, and (11) Scalability and timing.
Figure 3: Average confidence levels of the eleven key concepts of the LSM
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Playing Lean: Gamification of the Lean Startup Methodology confirms a
general positive effect of the PLW and points to how it should be used in
a learning context. [1] Therefore, we can suggest the use of instructional
games in educational programs, courses and projects to learn LSM. PLW
works well as an introductory tool to LSM and as an arena for more skilled
players to share experiences and knowledge. Still it varies a lot between
workshops and people attending; some did not become more confident in
the LSM afterwards, an indication was that those who had high prior knowl-
edge of LSM had no increase in confidence; some learn quicker than others,
due to motivation; some have a background that makes it easier to pick
up this methodology and way of thinking, people of age have more expe-
rience and references; and some facilitators have more experience affecting
the learning outcome. Time was proven limited during workshops of three
hours; when a rather comprehensive method containing many concepts is
introduced through a game, this is challenging to how well players learn the
theory of LSM.
The outcome from PLW was that people learnt LSM to an extent and
were introduced to the mindset of LSM. Thus, learning entrepreneurship
in a more practical way than reading or taking lectures, and being able to
reflect upon the learning with other people in a group. LSM can be used
in both entrepreneurship and innovation; it is just as fitting for a startup as
an innovation project within a large established company. Hence, the en-
trepreneurship learning covered by LSM in the game can have relevance for
many, from eager startup individuals to project managers in an innovation
department.
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[3] M. Jakubowski, “Gamification in Business and Education — Project
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