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#687: Justin Gary — Taking the Path Less Traveled, The Phenomenon of “Magic: The Gathering,” How Analytical People Can Become “Creative” People, Finding the Third Right Answer, and How to Escape Your Need for Control

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Aug 16, 2023

Guest

Justin Gary

Justin Gary, an award-winning game designer and CEO of Stone Blade Entertainment, shares his journey from Magic: The Gathering champion to thriving entrepreneur. He discusses the transformative power of embracing uncertainty and the importance of teamwork over individualism. Gary also delves into the creative processes behind game design, emphasizing the role of iterative testing and community support in success. His stories highlight the balance between artistic integrity and financial realities in the gaming industry, making for an insightful and engaging conversation.

02:20:56

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ADVICE

Mitigating Risk

Mitigate entrepreneurial risk by having sufficient savings and a backup plan like another job.
This financial cushion allows for long-term decision-making and reduces fear of failure.

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ANECDOTE

Ascension's Development

Justin Gary developed Ascension to address shortcomings in another game, initially for personal use.
Positive feedback from others, including Rob Doherty, encouraged him to pursue it commercially.

question_answer

ANECDOTE

Shiny Beads and Attention

At a gaming convention, Justin Gary used shiny beads as placeholders, which unexpectedly became a hit.
This highlights the importance of attention-grabbing elements, even accidental ones.

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Elevate Your Health Routine with Comprehensive Nutrition

03:59 • 4min

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From Gamer to Champion: The Journey of Magic: The Gathering

08:21 • 8min

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From Cards to Critical Thinking

16:31 • 18min

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Transformative Lessons from Competitive Gaming and Career Reflections

34:20 • 3min

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Breaking Boundaries: A Journey from Law to Game Design

37:11 • 18min

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Navigating the Game Design Loop

55:06 • 23min

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Navigating the Game Design Journey

01:18:12 • 26min

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The Emotional Highs and Lows of Game Creation

01:44:42 • 19min

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Goal-Setting in Remote Teams

02:03:40 • 4min

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Embracing Uncertainty: A Journey to Empowerment

02:07:51 • 5min

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Engaging Connections and Nutritional Insights

02:12:49 • 5min

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Promoting Optimal Health and Versatile Eyewear

02:17:22 • 4min

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#63265

Dungeons & Dragons Art & Arcana

This book provides a comprehensive visual history of Dungeons & Dragons, showcasing its evolution through artwork, sketches, and other visual elements. It explores the game's impact on popular culture and its enduring influence on fantasy art.

#42272

A Whack on the Side of the Head

Roger Von Oech

Roger von Oech's "A Whack on the Side of the Head" is a highly engaging and practical guide to fostering creative thinking. The book challenges conventional approaches to problem-solving and encourages readers to embrace unconventional methods for generating innovative ideas. Von Oech's informal and humorous writing style makes the book highly accessible and enjoyable to read. The book's enduring popularity is a testament to its practical value and enduring usefulness. It's a must-read for anyone seeking to enhance their creative thinking skills.

#7621

• Mentioned in 7 episodes

Think Like a Game Designer

Justin Gary

#116

• Mentioned in 160 episodes

The 4-Hour Body

An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman

Tim Ferriss

In 'The 4-Hour Body,' Tim Ferriss shares the results of over a decade of self-experimentation and research, involving hundreds of elite athletes, dozens of MDs, and thousands of hours of personal testing. The book covers more than 50 topics, including how to lose weight quickly, gain muscle without steroids, sleep less and perform better, and improve sexual health. Ferriss emphasizes the importance of finding the smallest changes that produce the biggest results, making it accessible for readers to achieve significant improvements in their physical health and performance.

#1236

• Mentioned in 32 episodes

The Productivity Project

Accomplishing More by Managing Your Time, Attention, and Energy

Chris Bailey

In 'The Productivity Project', Chris Bailey shares the results of his year-long deep dive into the science of personal productivity. The book includes 25 powerful productivity tactics, derived from hundreds of experiments and interviews with experts like David Allen and Charles Duhigg. Bailey discusses counterintuitive insights such as slowing down to work more deliberately, shrinking or eliminating the unimportant, and the concept of productive procrastination. The book is designed to be practical and entertaining, offering actionable advice and exercises to help readers improve their productivity and overall well-being.

Brought to you by LinkedIn Jobs recruitment platform with 900M+ users, ROKA Eyewear high-quality sunglasses and glasses, and AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement.

Justin Gary (@Justin_Gary) is an award-winning designer, author, speaker, and entrepreneur. He is CEO of Stone Blade Entertainment and creator of the innovative and award-winning Ascension deck-building game series. Prior to designing games, Justin was the youngest ever Magic: The Gathering US National Champion. He has studied creativity and applied the principles of design to create dozens of products over his 20 years in the industry for brands that include Marvel, World of Warcraft, and the Wharton School of Business. Today, he designs, consults, and teaches creativity around the world as a digital nomad.

Justin is also the author of Think Like a Game Designer: The Step-By-Step Guide to Unlocking Your Creative Potential and host of the Think Like a Game Designer podcast.

Please enjoy!

This episode is brought to you by AG1! I get asked all the time, “If you could use only one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is usually AG1, my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body in 2010 and did not get paid to do so. I do my best with nutrient-dense meals, of course, but AG1 further covers my bases with vitamins, minerals, and whole-food-sourced micronutrients that support gut health and the immune system.

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This episode is also brought to you by LinkedIn Jobs. Whether you are looking to hire now for a critical role or thinking about needs that you may have in the future, LinkedIn Jobs can help. LinkedIn screens candidates for the hard and soft skills you’re looking for and puts your job in front of candidates looking for job opportunities that match what you have to offer.

Using LinkedIn’s active community of more than 900 million professionals worldwide, LinkedIn Jobs can help you find and hire the right person faster. When your business is ready to make that next hire, find the right person with LinkedIn Jobs. And now, you can post a job for free. Just visit LinkedIn.com/Tim.

[07:43] An origin story steeped in Magic.

[11:23] A debatable past.

[16:38] The life of a full-time Magic competitor.

[18:24] A philosophy major.

[19:45] Monopoly lessons learned from a family of lawyers.

[23:28] Innovations that made Magic an instant success.

[26:40] Magic game balance considerations.

[30:06] Justin exits his Magic career with an altered mindset.

[36:43] Too cool for law school.

[41:34] Risk is relative.

[43:39] From playing games to designing games.

[46:10] A Whack on the Side of the Head.