👋 This is Warner, creator of Assistants vs. Agents. Connect with me here.
📞 Our interview today is NOSTALGIC. Lindsay Barnett is a former 2nd grade teacher who just brought back one of my favorite childhood games ever: Backyard Baseball.
📞 The Call Log: Lindsay Barnett, Founder & CEO of Playground Productions
Lindsay Barnett, who spent nearly a decade teaching elementary school in Chicago, has brought back one of the most iconic franchises of all time: Backyard Baseball. When I say I grew up playing this game, I truly grew up playing this game. So when I heard the news it was coming back, I had to track her down.
Our conversation is below:
AvA: Tell me about your journey to where you are today. How did you get here? Why is the company called Playground?
Barnett: The company is called Playground because I spent almost a decade teaching elementary school. The experience working with my students inspired me to start a children's media company to create great content for kids and families.
AvA: Single biggest piece of advice you would give people coming up today.
Barnett: Dream big!
AvA: What do you think about the current IP marketplace and how Playground / Backyard fit into that?
Barnett: The original fans are overwhelmingly nostalgic for Backyard Sports - an IP that celebrates play, comedy, and joy of the game! Those millennial gamers are now introducing the brand to their kids, students, and younger family members with such fondness.
AvA: Biggest lesson you learned as a teacher that you apply today to the creative side of the games.
Barnett: As a teacher, I constantly think about accessibility and how to make the game appeal to as many players as possible including little kids learning about the sport for the first time, original fans of the game who need an increased difficulty level, gamers with disabilities, casual gamers, and competitive gamers. We are designing our games to be the most accessible games on the market.
AvA: Most lacking quality you see in people coming up today and how they could fix it to be most successful in their careers long term.
Barnett: I see so many people give up before they even try because they are afraid of failing. You'll never succeed if you don't try!
AvA: Biggest work-life-productivity hack?
Barnett: I take calls on the elliptical or treadmill, so I never miss my workouts. My team makes fun of me because they know that's why my camera is off.
AvA: Favorite song to listen to while working and what it says about you as an executive.
Barnett: I listen to a lot of 90s rap and 2000s pop music. Songs transport me back to the time period and give me nostalgic ideas for our fans.
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