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About Justin Ziran
Justin Ziran is a veteran of the collectible and strategy games industry. He has decades of experience shaping some of the most successful brands in tabletop gaming. He began his career at Wizards of the Coast, where he played key roles in product teams for Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, and the Pokémon Trading Card Game. In 2012, Justin became the President of WizKids, where he spearheaded the expansion of the company's product lines and reach. Under his leadership, HeroClix became a best-selling collectible miniatures game featuring Marvel, DC, and other licensed properties. He has overseen numerous board game releases and innovations across various product lines, blending business acumen with a deep passion for gaming.
With a business school background, Justin brings a unique approach to game publishing, combining data-driven insights, market analysis, and creative intuition to make impactful decisions. He firmly believes in "why not both?" thinking—seeking innovative solutions that challenge traditional trade-offs. His ability to merge strategic foresight with product passion has led to consistent success across multiple gaming categories. Throughout a highly successful career, Justin has focused his innovation and talent on the one metric I've always said matters most: player experience.
Ah-ha! Justin’s Takeaways
Consensus Management is Death: One of the most powerful realizations in Justin’s career is that seeking consensus can be fatal to innovation. In many organizations, consensus is used as a way to spread responsibility so thin that no one is truly accountable—and that’s when great ideas get watered down into mediocrity. Instead of designing by committee, Justin champions small, agile teams that can move quickly and make bold decisions. The best products don’t come from trying to make everyone happy—they come from clear, decisive leadership that isn’t afraid to take risks.
Question Everything: Justin has seen it time and again: a company releases a hit product, and suddenly, everyone starts treating their instincts as infallible. But the reality is, success doesn’t mean you’re always right—it just means you were right once. His philosophy? Play devil’s advocate with yourself. Challenge your own ideas, seek out dissenting opinions, and surround yourself with people who aren’t afraid to push back. The best game designers and business leaders are the ones who stay humble, stay skeptical, and never stop learning.
Make Bad Information Impossible to Ignore: One of the biggest blind spots in leadership is losing touch with the front lines of your business. The higher up you go, the easier it is to be insulated from what’s really happening with your players, customers, and community. Justin’s approach? Force the bad news to the surface. If a game isn’t landing well, if a product isn’t resonating—he wants to know. The best leaders aren’t the ones who chase good news; they’re the ones who actively seek out where they’re failing and fix it before it’s too late.
Show Notes:
“I literally have an interview on the show floor at Origins at the Wizards booth.” (00:04:10)
Justin starts by telling us how he landed his first job at Wizards of the Coast. After not receiving a response to his application to be the project manager for Dungeons & Dragons, he confronted the hiring team at a convention. This moment is a fantastic example of the power of persistence, seizing opportunities, and making an impression in person. For anyone looking to break into the game industry, sometimes you have to create your own luck, and you always have to do your best to add value where and when you can.
“Do what you love. Don't let me stand in the way and let us know how we need to support you.” (00:12:44)
Next, Justin shares a deeply personal moment when he told his father he wouldn’t pursue a traditional career path in engineering or medicine. I can relate—dropping out of law school wasn’t easy to tell my parents! However, instead of resistance, his father surprised him with encouragement. This turning point solidified Justin’s belief that following passion is important to success and that external expectations shouldn’t dictate your career choices.
“What Pokemon taught me was passionate decision-making about doing what's right for the business.” (00:24:35)
Justin’s time working on Pokémon taught him an important lesson: while passion is essential, it must be paired with clear, strategic decision-making to drive success. Unlike Magic and D&D, where he was emotionally invested in every decision, Pokémon forced him to step back and focus on what was best for the business. This experience helped him develop a more objective, data-based approach that allowed him to make tough calls without being clouded by personal attachment. Great leadership isn’t just about loving what you do—it’s about making the right decisions, even when difficult.
“Everybody thought, 'Oh, this is going to kill Magic.' But instead, Magic went on to have a decade of its biggest years ever.” (00:32:05)
Justin talks about the unexpected success of Digital Magic, explaining how the online game didn’t cannibalize physical sales (the way many fans and employees believed it would) but instead expanded the audience. The lesson is that new technology doesn’t always replace old formats—it can complement and strengthen a brand’s ecosystem. We then discuss the release of Digital Magic, drawing parallels to SolForge Fusion—my latest game, which leverages Web3 technology, giving digital ownership to players and introducing a significant innovation to the TCG world.
“When you're consensus-driven, you're managing bad decisions.” (00:49:24)
As mentioned in the Ah-Ha! moments, Justin shares that consensus-driven management often leads to watered-down decisions. Instead of pushing for the best possible outcome, teams choose the safest, most agreeable option, which can halt innovation and progress. The lesson here is that you don’t want to aim for universal agreement. Instead, focus on making bold, strategic choices and taking responsibility for the results. Looking for consensus may feel safe but often leads to a mediocre outcome.
“Why not all? Why not all?” (1:21:46)
Throughout the episode, Justin challenges the idea of forced trade-offs, urging people to pursue multiple opportunities instead of limiting their choices. He emphasizes that great business decisions don’t have to be either / or—they can be both or even all. This mindset has helped him scale businesses, expand product lines, and push innovation beyond conventional limits.
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