In his book Changing the Game, Retired President of Nintendo of America Reggie Fils-Aime references what it took for him to leave the hospitality industry and join a video game company. During the recruiting process, Fils-Aime confided in his mentors and colleagues in similar positions that he’d been in. Most of them advised him not to join Nintendo, that Nintendo was a dying brand and joining them would basically be career suicide.
In a bold move, Fils-Aime requested a meeting with President of Nintendo Co. LTD Satoru Iwanta. The purpose was to ask clarifying questions that would allow him to make an informed decision and ensure that said decision would be what is best for himself and Nintendo. This was seen as somewhat disrespectful because Fils-Aime was being recruited for the role of Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing. In japanese business culture, it’s considered unprofessional to go over the heads of prospective supervisors and ask for meetings with company heads. After explaining why he needed the meeting, Iwata-San agreed.
Iwata-San and Fils-Aime spent the better part of an hour on a video call in which Reggie asked why it was a good move and what the future of Nintendo looks like. At the end of the meeting, Iwata-San gave a clear message:
“Reggie, accept the job and come to Kyoto. I will show you how Nintendo will continue to innovate.”
Fils-Aime joined Nintendo in December of 2003. In a matter of weeks he took that trip to Kyoto and was introduced to the Nintendo DS; the most popular handheld in gaming history and the second highest selling game console in history, trailing only sd.
