You are a Senior Manager at a company called TLA. You and your team are managing the development and launch of a fictitious new product named the Database Framework Initiative (or DFI for short). Your job is to produce the best new database framework possible while managing people, quality/features, and cost. The product leverages a lot of the tech from previous projects at TLA. It is both innovative and incrementally improves what TLA already sells. From a technical standpoint, that is all you need to know since the simulation is not about the technology or the actual product, but rather the types of relationships you manage.
DFI is extremely high profile within TLA. Richard, the Head of Marketing, has been active from the start providing Marketing’s perspective. Lia, the marketing manager working for Richard, is your main contact with Marketing and has also taken an early interest since DFI will have a significant presence in the EU marketing strategy—and hopefully in Asia as that strategy becomes clearer. The Marketing team is clamoring for positioning pieces and the product isn’t even in alpha yet. Claudette, from Testing, has been driving the customer perspective fiercely in the design meetings. From time to time she and your immediate boss, Anand, bristle with friction over conflicting priorities. Although you don’t engage with Claudette often, she certainly plants a lot of information in Anand’s ear.
You were chosen as the senior leader of this highly important initiative because of your past success at TLA, having worked in Vancouver, Los Angeles, and most recently London. You and your team must satisfy the needs of a cross-section of leaders from testing and marketing and beyond to make the best new product ever! It will be legendary! Stakes are indeed high. Seamus is driving hard to have enough development complete in order to showcase DFI at E3 and has asked for an aggressive launch date.
Remember, while the simulation will use DFI as the context, you will not actually build it. You will be asked to engage in multiple activities, delivering outcomes that teach you how to better manage and engage people. Be careful not to spend too much time on the technical aspects of the product development or you will miss your key deliverables throughout the program.