4 Things That Every Business Can Learn From Esports
Growing up a fan of video games, long before esports ever became a multi-billion-dollar industry, I knew that the values I learned from gaming had an important cross-over to the real world. Little did I know that I would become an entrepreneur years later — both within and outside of the esports industry — who would depend on these very values.
To share what I’ve learned so far about business values from esports, I put together this short article. In it, I’ll go over these core principles from the competitive video game industry that, I believe, have widespread application market-wide.
1. Value Through Interaction and Inclusivity
Esports are inherently interactive and, in most cases, multiplayer. Brands that have succeeded in the esports world have done so by fostering interaction and community rather than focusing on traditional engagement channels such as messaging and advertising media.
From LAN parties to livestreams, e-conferences, Comic Cons and Twitch sessions, the best esports brands have always found a way to bring people together. They never promote exclusivity or status. Rather, they concentrate on finding ways to include.
Value creation via interaction doesn’t stop with esports. I believe that the broader market is turning away from exclusionary marketing and toward community-based interaction. If brands are going to compete in our increasingly inclusive marketplace, they should follow suit.
2. Teamwork First
The vast majority of esports are team-based. From first-person shooters like Call of Duty, Quake and Counter-Strike to multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs) like League of Legends and Dota 2, many of the world’s top esports games require intensely collaborative teamwork.
The interesting part is that team leadership is often fluid. Usually, there’s no appointed “leader” whose word is elevated above the others within an esports team. As the game progresses, leaders naturally emerge within the team according to the unique skill set of each player and the challenges that are thrown their way by the opposing team or game map.
Sometimes you need a playmaker to step up to the plate and call the shots, whereas other times you need a support player to rise to the occasion and set the team up for success. This has parallels to businesses with more horizontal leadership structures, because sometimes “role players” who have less authority are in a better position to lead.
In essence, esports taught me to “go with the flow” when it comes to leadership. With a distributed workforce, anyone can step up to the plate and take on a leading role within the team. It largely comes down to their unique skills and how they can apply them within the given context.
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3. Moderation Is Essential
Some estimates have shown that only about 10 percent of gamers qualify as being “addicted” to video games. Unfortunately, those who are involved in esports are more likely to fall within this category. As a young gamer, I was taught that moderation in gaming and limiting my screen time was vitally important for maintaining my mental and physical health and preventing burnout.
Not only that, but I also discovered that limiting my playing time also improved my skills relative to some of my peers. Since I never went overboard with my playing time, I stayed clear of carpal tunnel syndrome or tendinitis, whereas some of my rivals did. Nursing these injuries took them out of competition for weeks at a time and had a major negative impact on their play.
There’s an important lesson here for business leaders. Limiting the amount of time you spent at your desk is essential for not only your health and your passion for entrepreneurship, but also for maintaining your competitive advantage. In business, it’s rarely about how fast you go but rather about how long you can last.
4. Resiliency in the Face of Hardship
No matter how much you practice, you’re not always going to come out on top. When you’re an esports competitor, this is especially true. Sometimes you can put decades’ worth of playtime into perfecting your game only for a middle schooler to log in and put your performance to shame. This may not feel completely “fair,” but such is life — especially in business.
Competitive gaming taught me that losing is a natural part of one’s success in the long-term. The important part is that you continue through the hardship, refuse to give up, and keep striving for self-improvement.
Putting It All Together
The competitive world of esports can closely resemble the sometimes-cutthroat world of entrepreneurship. Fortunately, there are critical values we can learn from video games that can serve us well in our entrepreneurial careers. In my experience, the four key values listed above are essential for any success in video gaming and in business.
