The Great Game of Business

What The Great Game of Business does

The Great Game of Business, Inc. (GGOB) is a privately held management consulting and training firm headquartered in Springfield, Missouri and wholly owned by employee-owned SRC Holdings Corporation. Founded in 1983 alongside SRC's buyout from International Harvester, the company commercializes an open-book management (OBM) operating system built on three pillars: Know & Teach the Rules, Follow the Action & Keep Score, and Provide A Stake in the Outcome. Core intellectual property is packaged under a set of registered trademarks including Critical Number™, MiniGames™, High-Involvement Planning™, A Stake in the Outcome®, and Huddles™, supported by a content library spanning multiple books (over 300,000 cumulative copies sold), a Shopify storefront, hundreds of blog articles, and a YouTube/podcast presence.

Revenue is generated through a layered set of motions: (1) certified-coach enterprise engagements sold via a 30-minute free coaching call and delivered through three coach deployment paths (Licensee, Contract, Internal Coach); (2) workshop products ranging from a free "Discover the Game" virtual intro through paid Great Game Experience Workshop and Leading the Game Cohort; (3) the annual Great Game Conference, recognized by Forbes as a Top-5 business conference; (4) Great Game GO, a subscription community platform with 14-day free trial; and (5) books, workbooks, and DIY resources sold via e-commerce and major retailers (Amazon, Barnes & Noble). Customer base spans mid-market and enterprise operators primarily in manufacturing (food, diesel systems), professional services, catering, financial services, and includes named practitioners such as Grupo PDC, Tasty Catering, Kiolbassa Provision Company, AMBAC International, Venturity Financial Partners, and Total Solutions Group.

Customer acquisition blends content marketing (blog, podcast, DIY tools), community-led PLG (Great Game GO and free email courses), and event-driven demand generation anchored by the annual conference. Distribution is hybrid: direct enterprise sales through certified coaches for mid-market/enterprise, and self-serve e-commerce plus community membership for SMBs and individuals. Leadership comprises Jack Stack (founder/methodology originator, SRC CEO), President Rich Armstrong, and Vice President Steve Baker; the broader delivery layer is staffed by certified coaches matched to clients by industry experience.

Name

The Great Game of Business

Legal name

The Great Game of Business, Inc.

Website

https://greatgame.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Great Game of Business is a private management consulting and training firm that commercializes a 40-year-old open-book management operating system, delivering it to mid-market and enterprise business owners via certified coaches, workshops, an annual Forbes Top-5 conference, books, and the Great Game GO community platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Springfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Business Coaching Services: Personalized coaching services from certified business coaches. Multiple engagement models: Licensee Coach (annual licensee fee), Contract Coach (revenue split model), Internal Coach (small annual fee). Coaching process takes approximately 90 days including 3-4 days on-site and weekly conference calls.
2. Training and Events: Revenue from workshops (Discover the Game, Great Game Experience Workshop, Leading the Game Cohort), annual conference attendance, and on-site training workshops.
3. Books and Publications: Sale of books including 'The Great Game of Business' (20th Anniversary Edition), 'Get in the Game', 'A Stake in the Outcome', and 'Change the Game'. Also includes workbooks and training materials.
4. Community Membership (Great Game GO): Online community membership with 14-day free trial. Provides tools, resources, On-Demand videos, and peer-to-peer connection. Subscription-based access to learning hub and ongoing content.
5. Training Kits and Courses: Step-by-step implementation kits and training materials available through online store. Designed with focus on practical implementation inside organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Great Game of Business delivers an open-book management operating system that helps organizations build financial transparency, employee engagement, and an ownership culture. Core deliverables include certified business coaching engagements, structured workshops (Discover the Game, Great Game Experience Workshop, Leading the Game Cohort), the annual Great Game Conference, the Great Game GO online community, and published books such as 'The Great Game of Business' and 'Get in the Game.' Customers are business owners, CEOs, and leadership teams across manufacturing, construction, retail, healthcare, food services, and professional services.

Product overview

The Great Game of Business is a business operating system centered on open-book management, employee engagement, and financial transparency. The core offering combines the foundational GGOB methodology (books and coaching) with integrated tools including MiniGames (90-day focused initiatives), Workplace Huddles (regular team meetings), Critical Number (key metric focus), Gain-Sharing Bonus Plans, High-Involvement Planning, and Succession Planning. The company delivers its methodology through business coaching services, workshops (Discover the Game, Great Game Experience, Leading the Game Cohort), the annual Great Game Conference, community membership platform (Great Game GO), and DIY resources. Published works include 'The Great Game of Business' and 'Get in the Game' books. Additional offerings include podcast programming, on-site training workshops, High-Involvement Planning Accelerator, and business coach certification programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Great Game GO: Online learning hub and community platform for business leaders, coaches, and practitioners passionate about open-book management.
• MiniGames™

Products and services

• Business Coaching Services Personalized one-on-one coaching delivered by certified GGOB coaches who guide organizations through implementation of the open-book management operating system, including financial literacy training, MiniGames design, bonus plan structuring, and leadership development. Available via three engagement models (Licensee Coach annual licensee fee, Contract Coach revenue split, Internal Coach small annual fee) for business leaders and CEOs.
• Discover the Game (Free Introductory Workshop) A free virtual workshop introducing GGOB principles, financial transparency basics, and gain-sharing bonus concepts for business owners considering implementation. Includes exercises, strategies for generational motivation, and Q&A with a certified coach.
• Great Game Experience Workshop An in-depth workshop for organizations ready to implement GGOB, covering the full operating system including financial literacy, scoreboarding, huddles, and bonus plan design.
• Leading the Game Cohort Virtual leadership development program for open-book companies focusing on coaching skills, ownership mentality development, and organizational alignment.
• Great Game Conference Annual flagship conference featuring learning tracks, case studies, practitioner networking, and the All-Star Awards ceremony for GGOB practitioners and business leaders.
• Great Game GO (Community Membership) Online community platform providing access to tools, on-demand videos, peer-to-peer connections, and ongoing resources for GGOB practitioners with a 14-day free trial.
• Business Coach Certification Certification program for internal coaches, licensee coaches, and contract coaches to deliver GGOB methodology within organizations.
• On-Site Training Workshops Customized training delivered at client locations by expert facilitators, tailored to any group size with flexible scheduling.
• High-Involvement Planning Accelerator Virtual training directed by a certified GGOB coach including deep-dive into short-term planning with up to 6 participants.
• The Great Game of Business (Book) Foundational book by Jack Stack and Bo Burlingham that launched the open-book management movement, explaining the principles of employee engagement and ownership mentality. Sold via the GGOB store, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Books-A-Million.
• Get in the Game (Book) Step-by-step implementation guide by Rich Armstrong and Steve Baker covering the 10 steps coaches use to fully implement GGOB, with a 90-day QuickStart challenge.
• The Great Game of Business Store Shopify-based online store selling books, training materials, workbooks, and business resources for self-service purchase.

Quantifiable outcome

• EBITDA grew over 1,000% (Kiolbassa Provision Company)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• 21 HatsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerContent partnership where The Great Game of Business podcast content is delivered through 21 Hats platform, reaching CEOs with real-world business insight and organizational transformation stories.
• SRC Holdings CorporationcoreOthersSRC Holdings Corporation is the parent company and origin point for The Great Game of Business methodology. Jack Stack, founder and CEO of SRC, developed the open-book management approach in 1983 when he and employees bought the company from International Harvester.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Crucial Learning (formerly VitalSmarts): Corporate training company offering Crucial Conversations, Crucial Influence, and Change Anything courses with a certified-instructor network. Comparable to GGOB in the books-to-courses-to-coaching pipeline and trainer certification model for mid-market and enterprise clients.
• Gallup: Employee engagement research and consulting firm offering Q12 engagement surveys, CliftonStrengths assessments, and management coaching. Directly comparable to GGOB's focus on employee engagement, ownership mentality, and metrics-driven cultural change with book- and research-backed authority.
• Dale Carnegie Training: Long-established corporate training and coaching franchise (founded 1912) delivering leadership, sales, and employee engagement programs globally. Comparable to GGOB in the content-anchored, certified-instructor-delivered training model targeting mid-market and enterprise business leaders.
• FranklinCovey: Global leadership and organizational effectiveness consulting firm offering the '7 Habits' framework, coaching, and training subscriptions. Closely comparable to GGOB as a content-anchored (books, methodology) training and coaching company targeting business leaders with proprietary frameworks.
• Ken Blanchard Companies: Leadership training and organizational consulting firm built on 'The One Minute Manager' and Situational Leadership frameworks, offering coaching, workshops, and certifications. Highly comparable to GGOB's book-anchored methodology, certified coach network, and enterprise/mid-market training delivery.
• EOS Worldwide: Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) implementer network that helps small and mid-market businesses run on a codified operating system with certified EOS Implementers. Directly comparable to GGOB in providing a trademarked, integrated business operating system delivered through a certified implementer/coach network.
• EMyth: Small business coaching and operating-system consultancy built on Michael Gerber's 'E-Myth Revisited' methodology, with certified coaches and a coaching network. Closely comparable to GGOB as a book-anchored, coach-network-delivered business operating system targeting owner-operators.

Emerging players

• The Predictive Index: Talent optimization platform combining behavioral assessment software with PI consultancies/coaches. Partially comparable to GGOB as it merges a software platform with a partner coach network targeting people-and-culture outcomes for mid-market companies.
• Culture Amp: Employee experience SaaS platform offering engagement surveys, performance management, and development tools with light consulting. Comparable as an adjacent/emerging competitor that uses technology rather than coaching to deliver employee engagement outcomes that overlap with GGOB's value proposition.

Broad incumbents

• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm offering leadership development, executive coaching, and talent management. Comparable as a large-scale professional services peer in leadership/organizational development, but operates at a much larger scale and with a broader portfolio than GGOB's open-book management niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/GreatGameofBusiness
• Xx.com/Gr8GameBusiness
• Facebookfacebook.com/greatgameofbusiness
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/390023

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Great Game of Business