The differences between entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship brilliantly complement each other in the game development and technology industry. Both entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs are needed for building a culture of innovation and ensuring the continued growth and lasting success of companies in industries where the lack of innovation can lead to risk of failure or a decrease in financial projections.

In other words, this concept of decentralized leadership roles, allows for thinking of innovative solutions together, which is helpful for business leaders to prevent major company setbacks that may occur in the future, due to being unable to manage all operations at once.

In this article, I share the concept of intrapreneurship, contrast and compare it with entrepreneurship, and highlight how game development companies can thrive positively by embracing both.

What is an Intrapreneur in Business? Defining Intrapreneurism

Intrapreneurship refers to the practice of applying entrepreneurial skills and a mindset within an existing organization. Intrapreneurs are employees who are motivated to work towards innovation from within the company.

They are granted the professional freedom and responsibility to pursue new projects, creative thinking, and innovative ideas that align with the company's goals but are outside its regular operations.

This role allows individuals to act as entrepreneurs while using company resources, thus minimizing financial risk and maximizing the potential for innovations of both creativity and business in product development and services.

Differences between Entrepreneurs and Intrapreneurs: Career Path

The major difference between entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs lies in the context of their career path. Entrepreneurs start a business venture from scratch, assuming complete control of financial risk and making independent decisions for the entire company. They exhibit strong leadership skills, pursue their business idea with complete freedom, and are driven by the potential for financial gain and competitive advantage.

In contrast, intrapreneurs operate within the boundaries of an existing company, utilizing company resources and reducing personal risk, to bring innovative products from concept to market. While they have a level of control and freedom, it is not absolute, as their projects must align with the broader business goals and strategy of their organization.

Put simply, an entrepreneur, typically the CEO or founder, in a game development company, is the one that directs the company's overall business strategy, resource allocation, and oversees progress and operations of the entire company. Whereas an intrapreneur in a game development company, is encouraged to drive innovation, and focuses on business growth, and leading new ambitious projects within a subdivision of the company.

Examples of intrapreneural career positions in a game development company could be seen as game designers, lead programmers, product managers, marketing managers, or R&D specialists. 

Similarities between Entrepreneurs and Intrapreneurs: Mindset of Innovative Leaders

Despite these key differences, entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs share several key traits and goals. Both are characterized by an entrepreneurial spirit, innovative thinking, and a keen eye for opportunities.

Intrapreneurs may face the same challenges as entrepreneurs like relationship problems, of balancing family time and business, rejection of corporate partnerships, or simply, a lack of a successful venture.

However, both are motivated by the challenge of turning an original idea into a successful product or service, driven by a common goal to create value and promote economic growth. Their long-term success often requires a blend of creative and strategic thinking, and the ability to make quick decisions and take calculated risks.

How Game Development Companies Benefit from Building a Positive Intrapreneurship Community

Internal innovation is the core of market sustainability within the gaming industry. Game development companies stand at the intersection of technology and creativity, where promoting an intrapreneurial mindset amongst leadership roles can lead to innovative methods of success. This culture encourages employees to use the limited resources, organized business structure, and support of their companies to develop new gaming experiences, business opportunities, and operational efficiencies.

Alternatively, a company that doesn't allow employees to come up with creative solutions or give feedback on business plans, may find themselves bottlenecked or unable to keep up within the competitive market of the gaming industry. 

Innovative leaders within the gaming industry have a strong sense of vision combined with the capability to navigate and use the corporate environment to achieve their career goals, develop innovative projects, and reach new potential customers amongst the business landscape.

Advantages of Intrapreneurship: Creating an Encouraging Innovative Workplace Culture

An intrapreneurial environment within game development companies creates a workplace culture rich in collaboration, flexibility, and a shared sense of purpose. Employees are motivated to work, and encouraged to share feedback, leading to high levels of creativity, responsibility, and a positive, healthy, feeling of having a level of control over their lives.

This promotes trust among team members, boosts community relationships, enhances confidence and self-esteem, and develops effective leadership skills among the company.

Environments that allow intrapreneurship, may prevent the feelings of "quiet quitting", ensuring that the company attracts and retains top talent, significantly reducing burnout and turnover rates.

Examples of Intrapreneurship in Business: Riot Games

Intrapreneurship at Riot Games has driven significant innovation and expansion since the release of League of Legends. Encouraging employees to propose new ideas, and allowing them to drive the projects forward, has resulted in additional successful titles like "Valorant," "Legends of Runeterra," and "Teamfight Tactics," and “Arcane,” all originating from internal pitches and developed by dedicated teams.

1. Project Development: Riot Games encourages its employees to pitch new ideas and concepts for games or other projects. This has led to the development of new titles beyond League of Legends, such as "Valorant," "Legends of Runeterra," and "Teamfight Tactics." Each of these games started as internal projects led by small teams within Riot who saw them through into successful ventures.
   
   
2. "Arcane" Animated Series: The creation of Emmy-Award Winning "Arcane," an animated series set in the League of Legends universe, was developed by Riot's in-house creative team, composer, Christian Linke, and creative designer, Alex Yee, who pitched the series within Riot Games and were given the green light to proceed, resulting in a critically acclaimed series that expanded the company's reach into new entertainment sectors.

Learn More About Entrepreneurship, Business Growth, and Game Development Careers

Both entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial strategies play important roles in the business growth of the game development industry. As the founder and CEO of Playgig and a former executive at Riot Games, I invite you to join my entrepreneurial career journey, where I share insights on entrepreneurship, business growth, adept leadership, overcoming setbacks and career struggles, and the workings of the game development industry.

Both entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship share a commitment to risk-taking, the pursuit of rewards, and carving a path to success that influences and transforms entire industries. I started my international gaming company, Playgig, based on a professional understanding of the types of risks and how to approach them, market trends, and targeting the right audience. And now I share my insights with the world.

Interested in entrepreneurship? I’m Bruno Schirch, Founder and CEO of Playgig, dedicated to sharing professional gaming industry insights, updates, and my entrepreneurial journey. Subscribe to my blog in order to stay up-to-date, or join our gaming communities on Discord, Instagram, and X to continue this enriching conversation.

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