"Our products are basically flight simulators for project management," says Debra Louison-LaVoy, a producer/engineer at business-software creator Thinking Tools. "They help people think about problems that are too hard to get ahold of with a pencil." So far, the company has just one title for sale, Project Challenge, where you can choose between "benign," "realistic," or "hostile" levels of difficulty creating a hypothetical product while juggling budgets, customers, and a virtual boss.
More than three years ago, Thinking Tools spun off from Maxis, makers of SimCity and its progeny. The start-up first created custom games for corporate executives to simulate their most complex project management problems - SimRefinery has you running an oil refinery, and SimHealth has you working on health-care reform.
Business sims have existed for a long time. But Thinking Tools believes their sims are unique because of their adaptive agent technology, which gives the digital characters and factors in their games "intelligence" and the ability to learn from mistakes. The games get tougher as you play.
Recently, the company, which has industry forecaster Esther Dyson on its board of directors, began the transition from developing single-client games - SimHealth was made for a social advocacy foundation - to making software it will sell off-the-shelf to the public.
Take note: Compelling as the products may be, Thinking Tools just had an IPO last October and has so far posted substantial losses while making the changeover to this new strategy and preparing for two new product releases over the next year. "We talk about both good news and bad news every week," says Louison-LaVoy of the company's all-hands meetings. "And if there are apprehensions outside the meetings, they get addressed. The flow of ideas is fast and furious."
Clearly there is work to be done at Thinking Tools. The company is hiring a director of engineering. Barbara Portner, VP of Human Resources, says that in addition to having the requisite 15 to 20 years' experience, BS or higher degree, and past success in bringing a PC-based product to market, the head of engineering should also be able to motivate programmers. "If an engineer comes to you with a problem in the code, I expect you to guide that person to do it right, not just take over and do it yourself," says Portner matter-of-factly. The VP will travel between the Monterey, California, office and the company's proposed San Jose office. The compensation package comes with stock, benefits, and a salary between US$125,000 and $150,000.
