When you say that the ideal candidate has nine years of experience and will be responsible for your online message, your product’s online look and feel, your communication with customers, your first contact with disgruntled customers, a team of not less than two other people and possibly a dozen, contributing to your marketing strategy, managing live events, and building global partnerships…

…you cannot seriously think you’ll only pay that person fifty fucking grand a year.

This list does not replace sensible exit polling, quit surveys, thoughtful CSRs, or community people. This isn’t just about games. This could apply to any product or service, to the point that I remember seeing similar principles in b-school textbooks. Also, if anything on this list is a shock or a surprise to anyone who has been in the workforce more than a year, kittens will be killed, drowned by the tears of the baby Jesus. I am blogging this only because I have managed to be trapped in a conversation on this topic TWICE since the year began. Twice, people. That’s embarrassing for everyone involved.

People quit games, products, services and relationships because:

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