startup: the computer game

Managing a [computer|software|internet|web] company is a complicated thing, full of the kind of complex tradeoffs that would make a smashing sim.

You'd have to have some kind of broad strategy elements for adapting to changing technology in a changing marketplace, making decisions about what standards to use, what to patent and what to make open source, etc. But I see the bulk of the game being spent in managing individual projects. You'd want to assign programmers to the projects that they're suited for, but still give everyone some variety (good for morale and increases their skill sets and familiarity with your in-house codebase) and not become too reliant on one or two really smart people (in case they quit or get hit by a truck.) You'd want the marketers to give demos at the right time: before the competition has a similar demo, but not so soon that the product looks unready. You'd strive for the balance of maximum productivity: work people hard, but don't let them burn out.

A successful IPO would probably constitute "winning", although the player should be allowed to continue playing afterwards to pursue personal goals (like dominant market share).

Perhaps the most amusing thing about this idea is the thought that the people developing the game could research the subject matter by observing each other.