ABOUT BRIGHT BLACK ASSOCIATES

Jordan Blackman

More than 20 years connecting product experience with business results.

I’m a product strategist, designer and producer based in San Francisco. I help app, software and game teams decide what to build, improve and test—with a focus on revenue and retention.

Through Bright Black Associates, you work directly with me. Growth Mode brings that experience to your team through a flexible monthly membership.

From shipping products to shaping what comes next.

My career spans production, writing, design leadership and independent consulting. I’ve worked on products before launch, through ongoing releases and as teams rethink how to grow.

The work I do today draws on all of that: assess the product as a whole, make the tradeoffs clear, and give the team a next step they can act on.

Career background.

Bright Black · 2017–present

Founder and Principal Consultant. Direct work with client teams on product strategy, monetization and feature direction. My work for Warner Bros. on Heads Up! has included product strategy, feature reviews and monetization decisions.

Independent consulting · since 2012

I began consulting as Lead Mobile Game Designer and Senior Monetization Consultant with Adrian Crook & Associates, before founding my own practice. My consulting experience includes Warner Bros., The Pokémon Company, Electronic Arts, AMC Networks and Nickelodeon.

Zynga · 2010–2012

Senior Design Producer and Lead Game Designer. My credits include FrontierVille and CastleVille. On FrontierVille, I led the creative team and guided the story and design roadmap through ongoing content releases.

Ubisoft · 2006–2011

Associate Game Producer, Game Producer and Senior Game Producer. My work included the original concept and production leadership for CSI: Crime City on Facebook.

NovaLogic · 2003–2006

Associate Producer and Producer. Credits include Producer on Delta Force: Black Hawk Down and Writer on Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising.

Disney Interactive Studios · 1999–2000

Production Intern. The beginning of my work in the games industry.

Full career history on LinkedIn →

How I work.

I help you connect what customers value with what makes the business work. That can mean pressure-testing a roadmap, reviewing a feature or user flow, interpreting existing data, or modeling how a product change could affect revenue.

You get a recommendation and its reasoning: the assumptions, the tradeoffs and what to test next. I may use a quick sketch or mockup to explain an idea; your team creates the finished designs and ships the product.

Much of my client work is confidential. I don’t publish client artifacts or business numbers without permission. The links below offer public ways to explore my thinking and hear from people I’ve worked with.

Speaking, interviews and published perspectives.

Conference speaking

Nordic Game · 2026
“Why the Best Games Are Winning by Squeezing Less”—a talk about making spending feel worthwhile and reducing friction in the product experience.

Digital Dragons · 2026
Conference speaker on product value and monetization. Read the organizer’s speaker announcement.

Published perspectives and interviews

PocketGamer.biz · Monetizer Mavens
Featured contributions on pricing, retention, business models and product decisions.

Read my perspective on acquisition, retention and monetization →

App Masters interview
A conversation about developing a successful game and the decisions behind it.

Playmakers Podcast
Conversations with people who make games, exploring their creative decisions, work and careers.

From people I’ve worked with.

My public recommendations cover client engagements and earlier studio roles. They describe product judgment, creative leadership, clear direction and what it’s like to work together.

Read recommendations on LinkedIn →

Bring your next product decision.

Explore Growth Mode →
Book a 15-minute fit call →
Explore consulting →