鱼与熊掌兼得：Zynga主管的摇滚人生

    在时间安排上，你是如何一边巡演一边完成工作的？

    去年我在欧洲进行了巡演，由于当时正在度假期间，所以没有工作任务。但是我随身带着电脑。虽然欧洲有时差，但是我一旦上了网事实上就能工作了。在这种技术行业，只要能用VPN（虚拟专用网络）上网，无论在哪里都可以工作。

    我再次开始巡演时，一切也都很顺利，因为我能在工作了8小时之后，再去进行校音和小型现场演出的工作，有时候演出结束以后我甚至还能上上网，帮我的团队解决问题。我有Zynga的Aircard无线上网卡，这样一来，即使在巡演途中，我也照样可以在车中工作。当然，无网可上或难以上网的日子也是有的。巡演过程中会常常因故暂停，这时候别人为了解闷会找些事做，而我则会工作。

    乐队成员会给你难堪吗？

    这些家伙有时候很讨厌。他们看着我整日用电脑，而我工作时真的很投入。如果和别人以及员工进行视频谈话，我会一连几个小时呆在电脑前。这时，他们会说：“哥们，把那破玩意扔掉。快来喝酒吧，”乔伊•凯普（Lagwagon乐队的主唱）每隔一会儿就会跑来对我说：“哥们，你玩这个的最好成绩是多少分？”

    你玩乐队经验给你领导团队带来哪些启示？

    乐队是个民主的大家庭。要工作就要有秩序。得敞开心扉接受其它思想。加盟乐队完全是个人行为。但是必须抛开个人对事物的看法。这一上来很难做到，但是一旦做到了，就会打开你与别人协同创作的大门，就会灵思泉涌。

    音乐创作与游戏开发有什么相同点？

    两者都得发挥创造力，不断改变，不断学习。作曲的主要任务就是尽可能创作出最好的作品。它总是充满挑战，无论做了什么或写了什么，无论制作了什么，总是能够不断找到可以进一步完善的地方。所以，一切都是学习过程。我在写歌的时候会去听自己以前写的作品，然后尽量找出自己那时不太喜欢的地方。领导团队也一样。想想我们过去哪个地方搞砸了？哪个地方疏忽了？我们怎样才能避免这些问题再次出现？

    你在台上的时候是否还会想着工作？

    不，完全不会。一旦关掉电脑，上路巡演，我就会忘掉工作。这时我通常会喝几盅尊美醇威士忌（Jameson），灌几罐啤酒。我会拿起贝斯练一会儿，让自己进入表演状态。这其实也是一种解压。我的精神获得了彻底的放松，这样当我回到工作时，就可以做到100%的投入。我可以进入忘我的状态，然后又回归现实。

    Logistically, how do you get any work done while you're on the road?

    I did a tour last year in Europe, and I wasn't supposed to work because I was on vacation. But I took my computer with me. And even though there's a time difference in Europe, when I logged on, I actually helped out. In this tech field, where I can VPN into a network, I can work from anywhere.

    When I went on tour again, it worked out really well because I was able to put in eight hours a day and still do sound check and the gig, and sometime even get back online after the show and help the team out. I have an Aircard [Internet connection device] through Zynga, and I'm able to work in the tour van while we're cruising. Of course, there are some days where you don't have a connection and you have issues getting online. There's a lot of downtime while on tour, and everyone else is trying to do things to keep busy so they're not bored. For me, I'm just working.

    Do your band mates give you a hard time?

    The guys give me shit sometimes. They see me working on my computer, and my job is really in-depth. If I'm Skyping people and stuff, I'm on my computer for hours. They'll say, "Dude, you've got to throw that fucking thing away. Drink some beer with us." Joey Cape [Lagwagon's lead singer] likes to come in every once in a while and go, "Hey, what's your high score on that thing, dude?"

    How has being in a band taught you how to lead a team?

    When you're in a band, it's a democracy. It has to be in order to work. You've got to be open to ideas. It's a very personal thing, being in a band. You have to let your personal opinion about things go. That's a hard thing to do at first, but once you do, it opens up the floodgates to being super creative with other people.

    How is creating music similar to working on a game?

    You're using creativity and constantly changing and learning. When you're songwriting, you're basically trying to make a product that is the best it can be. It's always challenging, and no matter what you do, no matter what you write, no matter what you program or make, you can always make it better. So everything is a learning experience. When I'm writing music, I listen to what I'd written before and try to take the things out that I didn't like about it. It's the same thing leading a team. Where did we mess up in the past? Where did we slip? How do we not let that happen again?

    Do you ever find yourself thinking about work while you're on stage?

    No, not at all. When I shut down my computer and I'm on the road, I'm done with work. That's usually the time that I start taking shots of Jameson and drinking a couple of beers. I grab my bass and start practicing a little bit and I get in the mode of performing. It's actually a great release, too. It frees my spirit enough that I can come back to work and hit it 100%. I can let myself go, then come back to reality.