By Pete Cooper
CEO, Skillion
Being a program manager isn’t just about managing Gantt charts or tracking deliverables—it’s about understanding what really drives success in complex projects. Back in 2009, while leading the Server Based Gaming (SBG) program at Aristocrat, I had the opportunity to see this up close. The SBG initiative was groundbreaking, aiming to bring a dynamic, on-demand gaming platform to casinos around the world. It came with a $75M acquisition price tag and one clear directive from the CEO: “Make it work.”
So, What Makes a Program Successful?
The first challenge was defining what success actually meant. We needed a return on investment, but that meant digging deeper—how would revenue be generated? Who were our customers? What obstacles would we face? This is where Key Success Factors (KSFs) come in.
Here’s what we learned (and applied):
1. Define the Business Case
Before anything else, you need to build a clear business case. For us, it meant calculating how many casinos would adopt SBG, how many machines they might run, and what revenue that could bring. Even identifying what products it would displace was important. Your success metric should always tie back to real-world impact.
2. Move Fast with a Pilot
We zeroed in on one casino—MGM Macau—and set up a live trial. Why? Because showing one real success story is often more persuasive than 100 slides. It gave us data, credibility, and momentum.
3. Find the Right Allies
Program success isn’t just technical—it’s human. One of our biggest supporters at MGM had personal motivations for seeing this project succeed. Building strong relationships—especially with on-ground staff—was crucial to overcoming obstacles.
4. Nail the Customer Experience
SBG allowed players to pick their game on the spot, which was revolutionary. But we had to prove it actually led to players spending more time (and money) at a machine. Our hypothesis needed field validation. Always test assumptions in real conditions.
5. Plan for the Unexpected
The trial had its hiccups—machine outages, system bugs, staging delays. At one point, every SBG terminal went offline. We worked around the clock in dusty back rooms to debug and stabilize the system. Program management is sometimes glamorous… but more often it’s troubleshooting under pressure.
6. Build Emotional Buy-In
You can have perfect spreadsheets and still fail if people aren’t onboard. Whether it was the Swedish developers, MGM staff, or internal execs—we needed their belief and buy-in. People make decisions every day to support (or stall) your program. Relationships matter.
7. Keep Iterating
Even after installation, success wasn’t instant. The first trial didn’t deliver blockbuster results. But we used that data to evolve the product—new games, better features, more engaging experiences. Program success is rarely a straight line.
Final Thoughts
Program Management isn’t about control—it’s about clarity, curiosity, and consistency. It’s about defining success early and rallying the right people around it. It’s staying grounded in the numbers but open to human complexity.
The SBG program went on to shape future offerings at Aristocrat and earned me recognition for Program Execution. But more importantly, it reinforced this: great programs aren’t just managed. They’re led.
— Pete Cooper
