Sebastian Thrun (Stanford Adjunct Professor) – Udacity Thought Leader Series (Nov 2019)

Chapters

Abstract

The Evolution of Gaming and Leadership: Insights from Industry Pioneers and the Shift in Education Paradigms

Innovations in Gaming: Bing Gordon’s Philosophy and the Magic Behind Engaging Gameplay

In the fast-evolving field of gaming, Bing Gordon stands out as a luminary, offering deep insights into what makes a game truly captivating. He underscores the importance of an immediate “wow” factor, a crucial element that grips players from the onset and sustains their engagement. This initial engagement is pivotal in defining the entire gaming experience. Furthermore, Gordon introduces the “Four Body Language Scale,” a novel approach to gauge player reactions and the game’s impact. It ranges from enthusiastic engagement (a score of four) to complete disinterest (a score of one).

The essential elements of an engaging game, as outlined by Gordon, encompass a compelling storyline, a sense of progression (“Flow and Leveling Up”), instant feedback, and effective calibration and feedback loops. These components collectively enhance the player’s experience, keeping them absorbed and motivated.

Gamification can be a structured way to create motivation and engagement. Gordon sees a human potential crisis due to a lack of motivation, especially among the younger generation. He stresses the need for regenerative motivation to keep countries and cultures thriving.

Gordon uses his “Wow Scale” to measure the effectiveness of a game. A great game has a wow factor in the first session, ten goods for every not good, and zero “oh fucks.” Elements like novelty, surprise, flow, and leveling up contribute to a successful game design.

When it comes to evaluating gaming startups, Gordon places immense value on the founder’s passion and vision. He believes in a vertical-first approach in game development, advocating for building a single successful game before expanding horizontally. Gordon emphasizes the importance of the founder and the founder team when investing in gaming startups. He looks for founders with a clear vision and a proven track record in the gaming industry. Platforms are less risky than single projects, but they often originate from a single success.

Understanding the gamer’s age and motivation is also key, with distinct preferences and motivations observed among pre-teens, teenagers, and adults. Pre-teens prioritize physical control and games that allow them to express their identity. Teenagers use games to explore their identity and goof around. Adults seek self-improvement and escape through games.

For a game pitch to be effective, Gordon emphasizes the importance of visuals and a customer-centric approach, which are critical for resonating with players and achieving commercial success. A game pitch should include key visuals and a well-designed Kickstarter campaign. Founders should create a mock package or an Apple App Store/Steam detail page to demonstrate their focus on customer experience.

Jeff Bezos’ Leadership Qualities and Amazon’s Culture

Jeff Bezos, the iconic leader of Amazon, exemplifies a set of leadership qualities that have significantly contributed to his and the company’s success. These include active listening, clarity of communication, a focus on content-based discussions, first principles thinking, and systems-based thinking. Amazon’s culture is shaped by these principles, fostering an environment of constructive discussions, systemic problem-solving, and continuous improvement.

Bezos has evolved into a better CEO by developing his listening skills. The use of six-pagers at Amazon fosters clarity of thought and facilitates effective listening. Amazon excels in maintaining content-based discussions, avoiding tone-of-voice arguments. Bezos emphasizes first principles, systems-based thinking, and leadership principles that shape the company’s culture.

A crucial aspect of Amazon’s ethos is its non-punitive approach to risk-taking. The company encourages experimentation, viewing failures as valuable learning opportunities. Success is measured not just by the outcome but also by the underlying factors, ensuring recognition for genuine contributions.

Sebastian Thrun and Bing Gordon on Innovative Learning Methods

Bing Gordon and Sebastian Thrun, pioneers in the field of education, discuss innovative learning methods that challenge traditional approaches and emphasize student engagement and practical application of knowledge.

Thrun critiques traditional education for its lack of focus on students’ needs and outcomes, advocating for a student-centric approach where understanding students’ needs and perspectives is paramount. This philosophy is evident in Udacity’s methodology, which emphasizes feedback and continuous improvement based on student input. Thrun also emphasizes the importance of designing courses that are not easily compressible, as this encourages students to finish the course. Project-based learning, Thrun argues, is more effective than lecture-driven instruction in engaging students and increasing success rates. Mentors play a crucial role as coaches who actively support students in completing projects.

Gordon complements Thrun’s perspective by emphasizing the value of conciseness in writing and project-driven learning. He advocates for a consultative teaching approach, where teachers act more as coaches than authoritative figures. His unique perspective on grading, where real-world achievements determine student success, aligns with his emphasis on practical, industry-relevant education.

Gordon and Thrun propose the creation of a knowledge graph that can be personalized for each student, based on their progress and achievements. This graph would provide a comprehensive view of a student’s learning journey and could be used to tailor future learning experiences. They also discuss the concept of a teaching and grading rubric where students can only earn an A by receiving positive feedback from the real world, such as downloads, funding, or media coverage. This approach emphasizes the importance of empowering students to take ownership of their learning and depowering the professor’s role in determining grades.

A New Era of Engagement and Learning

The insights from Bing Gordon, Jeff Bezos, and Sebastian Thrun shed light on the essential elements of engaging gaming experiences, effective leadership, and innovative learning methods. These pioneers, each in their respective fields, pave the way for a new era of engagement, whether in gaming, leadership, or education, underscoring the importance of innovation, customer focus, and real-world relevance.

Notes by: ChannelCapacity999