Founder connections
- Tobi LütkePraised Stripe Press hardcoverHis original 2020 post says he loved Mechner’s book and identifies the Stripe Press hardcover; he adds that his son is reading it.Source
Summary
Jordan Mechner’s journals follow the creation of Prince of Persia and the years around its release. They record a young game maker’s technical work, creative choices and uncertainty as the project developed. The Stripe Press edition adds retrospective notes, drawings and material from the development process while preserving the original diary entries. It offers a working record of a creative project rather than a polished account written only after success.
Why read it Our view
Useful for seeing how a difficult creative product develops before its result is clear. Compare the diary’s current worries with the later notes. Keep a record of your own choices so that later success does not erase the doubts and changes that shaped the work.