How DM Dave Went From Solo Blogger to a Team of 8: The Lean Startup Method for D&D Creators

Two years before this interview, DM Dave registered his domain and started blogging. By the time we talked, he had a staff of 8, a full-time income and working relationships with Wizards of the Coast professionals. His method: put something out, measure what works, and keep improving. In the final part of our DM Dave interview, he breaks down the Lean Startup approach behind his D&D business and what holds most creators back. In this episode: • Old-school RPG art: Clyde Caldwell, Wayne Reynolds, the World of Warcraft style shift and Dyson Logos' famous hatching • The Lean Startup in plain English: minimum viable product, test, measure, repeat • The 3 places creators get stuck: never shipping, posting to the wrong audience, and not learning from the data • Why Facebook is "pay to play" (10,000 fans, but only about 100 see your post) and where to grow instead • Using Reddit upvotes and link clicks to see what's working, and why you shouldn't fall for the sunk cost trap • "You have to write your Pablo Honey before your OK Computer": start with what people want • How he went from statting Marvel heroes to writing adventures, a niche few others could fill • Hiring the right people: "I went from one boss to eight" • Start today, not Monday: work backward from your goal and do it every day Mentioned: The Lean Startup by Eric Ries, Dyson Logos, Alex Ross, Clyde Caldwell, Wayne Reynolds Recorded in 2020. DM Dave: https://www.dmdave.com Find us: 🎲 Run paid games & find players: https://theroleplayersguild.com 💬 Discord:   / discord   👥 Facebook group:   / 577410296508144   Subscribe to learn what it really takes to be a professional Dungeon Master.