When I left video game development to design plush toys, people thought it was a wild leap where I needed to start from scratch. In reality, moving between industries does not mean leaving your past behind. Instead, it means sorting your habits and skills into two categories: what accelerates you in your new field, and what slows you down. Over the years, I have learned three lessons that apply to anyone considering or undergoing a transition.
1. Prototype in public
In games, we often hid our half-built work until it was polished and perfect. However, when I transitioned into consumer products, I discovered something that applies across industries: sharing early, rough prototypes and being open and transparent about them can actually spark more engagement than the finished product.
The key is reframing the development loop. People, especially Millennials and Gen Z, want to be part of the messy middle and love exploring work-in-progress content. Sharing raw drafts builds trust, invites feedback and creates loyalty. If you are moving into a new industry, resist the instinct to hide your rough work. Put it out there, even when it feels unready.
Development is not only about improving a product, but it’s also about building trust by being transparent about the process.
2. Reinvent the familiar
A product on its own is nothing new. If it doesn’t solve a specific problem, it becomes just another item on the shelf. Across industries, the best products combine proven elements with new purpose and meaning.
If you are moving into a new field, look for ways to reframe what seems ordinary. By attaching fresh meaning to something familiar, you can redefine the category and create an entirely new space for your work. From a marketing perspective, the impact can be immediate.
Consider what sentiments, ideas and conversations you want your brand to be associated with. When people search for these terms, will your brand come up? Explore how to tie these unique elements to your product, messaging and brand identity to give your work a new meaning.
3. Burn what doesn’t translate and continue learning
While experience in other industries can be valuable, not all knowledge can be carried over. In fact, one of the hardest lessons I learned was knowing when to discard old expertise and habits.
Game development, like many fast-paced sectors, often demands extreme hours at breakneck speeds. I fought hard in my previous industry to shield my teams from this crunch culture. Meticulous planning, detailed schedules and constant production oversight were prioritized to keep people from burning out.
The consumer product world turned that lesson on its head. Manufacturing means working with scattered suppliers, shifting timelines and unpredictable results. No amount of rigid scheduling can make that world perfectly efficient. What I learned instead was to build flexibility into our process, accepting and even highlighting uncertainty.
Habits that are key strengths in one industry may only hold you back in others. Enter new sectors with a learner’s perspective, and thoughtfully explore what skills you can apply or adjust, and which need to be shelved.
Change can be your biggest advantage
Shifting industries is not about discarding your past or starting from zero. The trick is to treat the move like a design challenge: prototype openly, solve real problems and build adaptive systems that match your new environment. Some skills will transfer, while others will not. The leaders who thrive are those who can discern the difference and adjust quickly.
Significant career changes can be turbulent, but they are also incredibly rewarding. Fortune favors the bold, and success favors the adaptive. Strap in for the ride; it’s worth it.
Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.
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