Capsim

[camc]

Starting this in a couple of weeks.

http://www.capsim.com/

Anyone done it? Any tips?

I'm thinking:

Borrow in the early rounds to fund R&D etc, then target either size and performance markets (multiple products in both segments to reduce overall costs and R&D time etc.).

[alexpham]

It's pretty easy to score within the top 99% of teams. Just borrow as much debt and issue as much common stock as you can in the early rounds. The key of course is to pick a strategy and stick with it. Be low cost or be a differentiator, it's tough to be both. Going the low cost route is usually the easiest, but make sure you invest heavily in automation in order to squeeze out as much savings as possible. Even if you don't go low cost it's beneficial to have high automation.

Putting multiple products in a market segment is a good idea, the more you can spread out your marketing and sales cost the better. Rule of thumb is that you need at least 2 products in any segment that you seriously want to compete in.

The big money makers are Low Cost and the average or normal segment, forgot what it is called. Hardly anyone tries to compete in the Size and Performance segments, so you can have it all to yourself if you're lucky. Unfortunately, the profit margins in both of those segments are razor thin, so you won't make as much money as in the other market segments.

[alexpham]

It's ok to lose money in the first couple of rounds. Don't sweat it. Plan for the future and not for the present round. Plan your turnaround into profitability by round 3 or 4. If you're not turning a profit by round 4, you need to re-evaluate your strategy.

[AstroWolf]

alexpham just schooled the shit outta you.

[camc]

thanks man. you pretty much confirmed exactly what i was thinking. the only other really important thing ive noticed is to keep a close eye on the competition. sounds obvious but its easy to lose sight of the big picture and try and lone wolf it.

hopefully all goes well. my tutor reckons the big 4 come calling if you do really good. aside from that its by the most interesting and enjoyable unit i have done for a while. someone should make this game for general entertainment purposes.

[Manitobob]

Any good strategy is centered around building for the future. You can easily make 150 millio nin profit and lose money in the first two or three rounds. What I would do is use a broad differentiaion strategy and keep a presence in every segment. Then add at least two new products and focus on the buying criteria. I placed in the 99th percentile and I used an online guide to help me. The guide basically told me exactly how to forecast and exactly what to do. I got it at www.capsimexperts.com