Jim Moran of Semper Smart Games: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became A Founder
An Interview with Doug Noll
Creating things takes a lot of effort. Be prepared to put the time and energy in. That’s what will determine the output.
As part of our interview series called “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became A Founder”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jim Moran.
Unexpected award-winning educational game creator and founder/CEO of Semper Smart Games, LLC. Proud father of daughters who inspired a mid-life (okay, maybe slightly post mid-life), take-a-chance career change. Previous senior strategist and policy advisor who authored numerous groundbreaking federal security strategies and developed policy at the highest levels of government. Formally recognized by DHS in 2016 as the most prolific author of Coast Guard Strategy in Service history. Retired officer with over twenty years experience leading dynamic teams in frontline security operations, national intelligence programs, and enterprise risk and program management, including seven years inter-agency assignments to CIA and DHS.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
Like most entrepreneurs, my current career path came in a roundabout way.
Most of my life was spent within the government.
After graduating from the Coast Guard Academy, I started on a career that had me spending long stretches of time at sea aboard large Coast Guard Cutters. During those seemingly endless patrols, I found solace in games. I would also play with younger crew members, and soon discovered that they didn’t know basics — like timetables or basic math skills. This lit an inspiration in me when I got home. I was a strategist by day, and SAT/ACT tutor by night.
Eventually, as my daughters grew up, I played basic math games with them to teach them skills. The inefficiencies I found with dice led me to create the first game — Playsmart Dice System. I then went on to create Election Night!
I guess you can say it was a culmination of different life experiences — professionally and personally — that landed me in the game creation space.
Can you tell us a story about the hard times that you faced when you first started your journey?
One of the hardest things I’ve faced so far is with the launch of my Election Night! Game. When people first hear it, they think that it’s something political. But, the thing is, it’s just not. It’s an educational game. It’s been really hard to break that barrier, but I’ve been finding ways to over time.
It’s important to do this if you’re meeting headwinds. For me, this came down to going that extra mile, and going to fairs to showcase it. I volunteered to go to classrooms to have real students test it. And you know, I demoed and played the game to prove it works.
Every time I went, kids would really respond powerfully. I made those moments into videos, got waivers from kids, and turned it into a Kickstarter that did pretty well. But, it just shows it wasn’t easy. I had to really go get the idea out there myself. Hit the pavement-type stuff.
Where did you get the drive to continue even though things were so hard?
My working background in the Coast Guard taught me to be resilient early on — you know, life or death situations while out on the sea. However, I’d also say, it just came through trial and error. For instance, nothing is more humbling than a kid rejecting your game.
So, how are things going today? How did grit and resilience lead to your eventual success?
I think I’m still experiencing the application of grit and resilience to drive my current success.
The thing that keeps me going is that when you actually go in, when you do create a game that kids actually like, and play through, and then they give it a thumbs up, it’s motivational.
It’s like “Ah!”. You feel like you had that aha moment when you’re tutoring someone who’s struggling with the subjects you’d like. You finally got, you finally got there, and you finally created something that’s going to live beyond you and it’s going to actually help someone long after you’re gone.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I think the funniest thing that happened recently was with my 11-year-old daughter. We were at an exposition and showcasing my Vocabulary game, Vocabulicious. I wanted her to give the demo. So, you know, I was trying to train her how to sell stuff from the demo. It’s a conversation topic of menus, like restaurant menus, and you pick a conversation topic off the menu, and then you have to draw five vocabulary cards to use and use those vocabulary words in sentences about something that happened to you recently. She pulled five cards that were about how she was frustrated with me. That was her demo. Hilarious, yes. But it taught me to let people go and do things in their own way without putting so much pressure on them.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
I believe there are two aspects to this. I frequently attend sales events and similar gatherings, and recently, I’ve encountered an increasing number of people who approach me and share their stories. They express that their children absolutely adore a particular game, and it’s significantly impacted them. They’ll say things like, “This is my kid’s favorite game,” and it’s fascinating how it brings them joy and valuable lessons. It’s a testament to the game’s ability to entertain and educate simultaneously.
For someone like me, who isn’t a professional game developer and is venturing into the gaming industry, this experience has been quite eye-opening. While I did have some experience with using games for educational purposes during my time in the military, there’s a substantial gap between that and transitioning from a career in the Coast Guard to launching a business centered around creating and marketing games. It’s been a unique journey, showing that sometimes, innovative ideas in the gaming space can come from unexpected sources.
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
I believe there are two schools of thought when it comes to approaching the world of gaming. On one hand, there are those who prefer to keep their creative process untainted by external ideas, while on the other hand, there are those who actively seek inspiration from others. I’ve found myself adopting a hybrid approach over time.
Generally, I lean towards not letting too many external ideas influence my work. However, there are moments when I derive immense satisfaction from observing others engage with games, sometimes even more than playing them myself. It’s a shift in perspective that I’ve come to appreciate.
In the past, I was an avid gamer, relishing the competitive and learning aspects, the mental stimulation, and the strategies involved. But as I ventured into game development and became a parent, I realized that not every game is universally enjoyable. Finding experiences that could engage a group became crucial, particularly within my own family.
This shift in perspective was catalyzed by watching multi-generational family gatherings, like those with my in-laws, where I often chose to be an observer rather than a participant. They might have perceived it as me growing tired of games, but I was actually gaining new insights. I began to focus entirely on who was doing what during each turn and how it affected each person.
This change in focus opened up fresh perspectives and unlocked different facets of my creativity, ultimately leading to improvements in the games I create.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
Without a doubt, my family, especially my wife and kids, have played pivotal roles in my journey. My wife has been incredibly supportive and resourceful, particularly when it comes to handling tasks that I might not excel at, like working with spreadsheets or tech-related matters. She possesses a remarkable knack for problem-solving and is, in many ways, a versatile jack of all trades. Her assistance extends to practical matters, such as helping me with shipping labels when I’m unloading a container. She’s always been there to lend a hand.
On the other hand, my children have been a continuous source of inspiration throughout this journey. They’ve witnessed the evolution of my projects from their earliest stages, serving as the driving force behind many of my creations. Interestingly, as they’ve grown, so too has their involvement. They’ve been lifelong beta testers, experiencing numerous iterations of my games.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
Outside of just the educational legacy of the games themselves and giving kids the chance to learn in a fun way, it’s also doing school outreach. We’ve done a lot of stuff with disadvantaged kids. Give them toys that can fit in their pockets and provide them with educational enrichment. Getting away from traditional homework and being more creative with it.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me before I started leading my company,” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
1 . Creating things takes a lot of effort. Be prepared to put the time and energy in. That’s what will determine the output.
2 . Get super clear on your unique value proposition. Without it, you won’t have a North Star to guide you.
3 . Don’t underestimate the power of word-of-mouth in-person marketing. Sure, social media ads can help you, but there is nothing like going to a show and providing a demo of your product. This connection is unmatched and gives you a leg up. It’s free product research with your ideal client base — for me, that’s students.
4 . Always keep your thinking hat on. Continue to seek out the ‘next big thing’ all the time. Don’t settle on one idea and call it a day. Be exploratory.
5 . Keep it simple and trust your gut. That’s it. Just listen to your instincts and scale back when you are overcomplicating things.
Can you share a few ideas or stories from your experience about how to successfully ride the emotional highs & lows of being a founder”?
You get really excited about something, and maintaining patience is hard. There are some things you think will be great, and then they just don’t work. That’s fine. You have to learn and just put them aside for a while. You just have to be good with the fact that you may get many ideas, but only one will be the thing that works.
Also, keep the good reviews front of mind. It’ll help you ride the lows out.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
It would be game-based learning. Game schooling.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Twitter: @Semper_games
Instagram: @Sempersmartgames
Facebook: @Sempersmartgames
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sempersmartgames/
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
About the Interviewer: Douglas E. Noll, JD, MA was born nearly blind, crippled with club feet, partially deaf, and left-handed. He overcame all of these obstacles to become a successful civil trial lawyer. In 2000, he abandoned his law practice to become a peacemaker. His calling is to serve humanity, and he executes his calling at many levels. He is an award-winning author, teacher, and trainer. He is a highly experienced mediator. Doug’s work carries him from international work to helping people resolve deep interpersonal and ideological conflicts. Doug teaches his innovative de-escalation skill that calms any angry person in 90 seconds or less. With Laurel Kaufer, Doug founded Prison of Peace in 2009. The Prison of Peace project trains life and long terms incarcerated people to be powerful peacemakers and mediators. He has been deeply moved by inmates who have learned and applied deep, empathic listening skills, leadership skills, and problem-solving skills to reduce violence in their prison communities. Their dedication to learning, improving, and serving their communities motivates him to expand the principles of Prison of Peace so that every human wanting to learn the skills of peace may do so. Doug’s awards include California Lawyer Magazine Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers in America Lawyer of the Year, Purpose Prize Fellow, International Academy of Mediators Syd Leezak Award of Excellence, National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals Neutral of the Year. His four books have won a number of awards and commendations. Doug’s podcast, Listen With Leaders, is now accepting guests. Click on this link to learn more and apply.
