I’ve been absolutely addicted to this new video game and it’s actually taught me some lessons about business.

Plus by writing this, it makes all that video game time feel productive.

Let’s get into It!

Only 5 minutes to read

This Game Made $100m in just 2 Weeks

Hollowknight: Silksong is a sequel to the popular 2017 indie game Hollowknight. With no real marketing & only 2 days notice before release, they sold 500k copies in one day & 5 million in the past 2 weeks. But don’t let this cute little 2D game deceive you, it is a frustratingly hard game.

Despite that I LOVE the game, and clearly so do many others.

But why?

Why Do People Like Hard Games?

Many have claimed that Silksong is actually too difficult. But the fans of the game defended this with their lives! “Just get good, this game isn’t for casual players” they said. An easier game might have gotten more people to actually finish it, but I’d argue it would’ve never gained the cult status it has without the intense difficulty.

So what’s the lesson here for entrepreneurs and content creators?

Friction builds Connection

Adding friction to your product can actually increase it’s perceived value. When people get past a particularly hard level, they share it with the world. With so many people doing that, it’s no wonder this game did barely any marketing.

The fashion industry is particularly good at this.

When Nike drops a new shoe with only 10,000 copies made and customers have to wait in lines to get them, the people who do will brag about it everywhere. Friction makes the product more valuable.

For services or digital products this can play out by limiting the amount of people you take on or the times when your product is available. If you only let 50 people into your event and it ends up being really good, the customers will feel so much more connected. It becomes more than just a service, but a part of their identity.

Friction Must Be Rewarding:

When I work with my clients, I let them know that growing on social media is simple, but it’s not necessarily going to be easy. Many aren’t ready for the challenge, but for those who are it becomes a very rewarding journey. The difficulty is acceptable when you’re able to see progress.

Beating a difficult level in a great game can be rewarding in 3 different ways:

• You feel a sense of intense accomplishment right after.

• You unlock a new level that compels you to continue the journey.

• You can get new abilities to watch your character grow

A well designed offer can do the same. For example, I recently had a student who implemented a new hook strategy & took their content from the 600 views range to around 5000 views on average. That’s not viral, but it’s enough progress to stay committed to their content journey.

You need provide a sense of progression & reward to the process. It can be as simple as reaching out after completing a service to see how it’s going. Or maybe the people who couldn’t get your limited offer, receive a video that no one else does. Friction for friction’s sake is not the point, the point is to make someone feel that everything they may have to go through, is more than worth it.

You Have to Start Beating The Game.

Content creation should be treated like a game & it can be challenging, but its extremely rewarding. However, I find that most people don’t even know the rules of the content game, let alone how to beat it!

I created the Content Foundry to help creators understand the rules & level up their content consistently. We’ll show you how to use hooks & content structures to grab and keep attention. Plus every week I look over your content and tell you what to fix.

5% better every single week is our way of life.

Keep creating, keep doing your thing, and feel free to forward this to a friend!

Talk Soon,

Ryan