One of the best things about video games is the ability to restart – you can use your learnings to move faster and avoid obstacles. We often think about what we would do differently if we were starting over in business and we figured others probably think about this as well and so we asked the community to share their thoughts with us.

Libby James

If I were starting over, I wouldn’t waste time mastering craft or developing my skills before seeking publication. I would write what mattered to me without censoring for tone, subject, or trying to stay in a genre. And I wouldn’t be so careful about where I submitted work. I’d send it everywhere. Constantly. Read more>>

Schuyler Somers

When most people start a business, they get the business license, insurance and bank account, then immediately think “we need clients and we need money”. We were feeling confident because we came in with solid systems from our previous jobs ranging from venue manager to caterer. We had been planning weddings separately and together for years, so we merged our best systems to create our company. What we didn’t do from the beginning is surround ourselves with the right professional support. If we had gotten an accountant and a bookkeeper the first year in business, we would have saved a lot of time and stress. Read more>>

Bianca Van Vuuren

If I were starting over, especially in the field of interior design, I’d be a lot more intentional with self-study. While formal education is essential to becoming a qualified interior designer, university only gives you the foundation. The real growth comes from what you teach yourself outside the classroom.

One of the biggest misconceptions is that your degree will teach you everything. It won’t. You need to do your own research, explore, and experiment, but that only works if you have a clear end goal. Interior design has so many paths: residential, hospitality, retail, even yacht or set design. Knowing which direction you want to take helps you focus your efforts and get there faster. Read more>>

Advait Gharat

With all the knowledge I have today, starting over would be amazing. I would avoid all the mistakes I have made in the past. Building a production company or a freelance video/film business is very hard, but the hardest thing I’ve faced through the years is hiring the right people for the job. Hiring crew has been a very tough task, especially because they are a freelance hire dependent on what kind of project it is going to be. Choosing the right person for the job can be very challenging, and scary too if you have not worked with them before. Depending on someone without working with them before is stressful, but I’ve figured out a few ways to determine who can be a good fit to work with and if their working method matches mine. Having those few filters makes hiring crew very easy, and if you have a good crew, any project can be breezy. An efficient, hard working crew is much more powerful than having a big, un-vetted crew. Read more>>