Rise and Play Podcast

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In this raw episode of Rise and Play, we welcome back Ioana Hreninciuc, co-founder of Runware and former CPO at Huuuge Games and Homa Games. Ioana has held some of the biggest leadership roles in gaming and tech, and today she reflects openly on the founder journey, the highs and lows of VC-backed startups, and the importance of choosing yourself before burnout chooses you.

"It wasn’t luck — it was luck with a lot of homework. Ten years of work led to that one call from Andreessen. But the real lesson is: you can build a company without losing yourself in the process. And if you feel you are — choose yourself first."

From building side projects that went viral, to receiving that life-changing call from Andreessen Horowitz, to stepping away from her own company at the height of its momentum, Ioana shares the raw truths behind the glossy founder narrative.

💡 Key Learnings

Founding ≠ Career LadderBecoming a founder is not the next rung up from being an executive. It’s a fundamentally different path that demands resilience, risk tolerance, and constant rejection management.
The Co-Founder FactorHaving a co-founder is not just about skills but also psychological support and surviving the rollercoaster.
Resilience in FundraisingExpect 20–30 rejections for every yes. Fundraising is harder than dating apps, and persistence matters more than early luck.
Choosing Yourself Over BurnoutIoana describes reaching anhedonia (a flat emotional state linked to depression). Her decision to step back after fundraising was about survival, not weakness. And the company continued without her.
Boundaries Create SustainabilityHigh performers often put identity and well-being aside to succeed. Ioana highlights the importance of setting boundaries early to avoid collapse later.
The Power of Support CirclesPrograms like ORIN, and networks of executives who share openly, can provide validation, reflection, and perspective that family or friends may not fully grasp.
Diversity Lifts EveryoneMixed teams across gender, race, and background, create healthier, more empathetic, and higher-performing environments for all, not just underrepresented groups.

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit riseandplay.substack.com

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In this episode, host @Sophie Vo sits down with Claire Rozain, a leader in the gaming and tech space, community builder, and entrepreneur. Together they reflect on Claire’s unconventional career journey, her bold move into solopreneurship, and the lessons she has learned about resilience, freedom, and building meaningful communities.

Claire shares her perspective on navigating layoffs, redefining success beyond corporate life, and creating ventures that address real gaps in the market—from gaming communities to women-led festivals and Femtech initiatives. The discussion is deeply personal, exploring how life experiences, including moments of trauma, can shape one’s courage to live authentically and take risks.

Listeners will come away with powerful reminders about trust, self-belief, and the importance of surrounding yourself with supportive people who empower you to build the life you truly want.

“Unemployment is not an end—it’s an opportunity to evolve.”

Leadership Learnings

💡 Leading With Courage

Facing mortality builds clarity: A near-death experience pushed Claire to live boldly, take risks, and reject fear of failure.
Employment ≠ identity: Layoffs, while painful, can be reframed as opportunities for reinvention and growth.
Corporate limits: Promotions and career ladders often cap personal growth. Entrepreneurship opens new paths, but also requires resilience.

💡 Entrepreneurship & Solopreneurship

Gap spotting as strategy: Every venture Claire started—from communities to femtech—began with identifying unmet needs.
Solo founder ≠ working alone: Building partnerships and communities is essential, even without co-founders.
Bootstrapping > dependency: Funding freedom can matter more than chasing investors and exits.

💡 Building Communities

Authenticity is power: Claire’s success stems from being unapologetically herself, even in male-dominated spaces.
Community > scale: True connection and diversity create lasting impact, not vanity metrics.
Support networks matter: Behind every strong leader is a circle of peers, mentors, and allies.

💡 Life & Business Alignment

Design life around values: Entrepreneurship is not just about money, but about crafting a lifestyle aligned with authenticity, ethics, and joy.
Emotions are a GPS: Feelings are a guide, not a weakness, when making business and life decisions.
Equality requires awareness: Recognizing historical and structural inequities is key to building more inclusive futures.

Resources & Links

📕 Rise and Play – Coaching, workshops, and resources for conscious leadership
🔗 Follow Claire Rozain on LinkedIn

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In this episode, Sophie Vo sits down with indie game developer and studio Filipina co-founder Danni Ann Taylor to explore the realities of starting and running a game studio—while raising a family—without outside funding.

Dani shares her journey from early gaming passion to launching Yang Yang Mobile with her husband in the Philippines, building a reputation for high-quality visual novels like The Letter, and developing their latest title, High Time.

From risky leaps of faith to strategic pivots, Danni discusses the balance between creative vision and business realities, the challenges of working with your life partner, and how to grow a team without losing the joy of making games.

She also opens up about her unconventional daily schedule , the role of her support system, and how she handles founder guilt while raising three children.

Key Learnings

Starting Before 30 & Bootstrapping

Danni and her husband started their studio shortly after she gave birth, believing it was better to “fail early” than wait until later in life.
Bootstrapped the business using life savings, layoff packages, and small family loans—no investors, to keep creative freedom.

Finding Success By Pivoting To What You Love

Initially aimed for hyper-casual mobile games but shifted to visual novels after realizing mobile required heavy UA spending.
Created The Letter and used Kickstarter to secure funding, leveraging her own passion and understanding of the VN audience.

Indie Studios Success: Standing Out in a Niche

Elevated the standard for indie visual novels: full English voice acting, animated backgrounds, branching storylines that impact the journey—not just the ending.
Added minigames and interactivity to make titles more engaging for streamers and viewers.

Sustainable Growth vs Scale

Grew from a 7-person team to around 20—deliberately staying small to balance creative work and manageable leadership.
Avoided scaling too fast after seeing the strain of expansion.

Balancing Family & Business

Relies on family and trusted help for childcare and household management.
Embraces a night-owl schedule with split work blocks to balance deep focus time, family moments, and personal space.

Top Quality Is The Best Marketing

Focus on making a “really darn good game” so fans and streamers want to share it.
Built a small but loyal fanbase who amplify launches and sustain visibility.

Links & Resources

Yang Yang Mobile Website
Wishlist High Time on Steam: Steam Page Link
Rise and Play Leadership coaching

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In this heartfelt conversation recorded in a relaxed setting in Berlin, Sophie Vo is joined by Maria Gillies, Product Director at Pixion Games, for an intimate exploration of career pivots, leadership rooted in values, and returning to one's authentic self.

Maria shares her unique journey from working in the fishing industry to becoming a leader in mobile free-to-play games. With openness and depth, she discusses the personal and professional transformations she's undergone through the Rise and Play coaching program ORIN, including moving back to Portugal, rediscovering joy, and reshaping her leadership style.

"I didn't want to be on the hamster wheel anymore—I just wanted to make great games with great people."

Sophie and Maria explore themes of alignment, creative leadership, feminine power in tech, and the importance of building humane studios and communities.

💡 Key Learnings & Takeaways

Purposeful Career Planning: Maria’s entry into games wasn’t accidental—it was a deliberate, 10-year plan that involved leveraging transferable skills and continuously learning outside of work.
The Cost of Success: Chasing career milestones can cause disconnection from one's values. Realigning with personal principles often requires pausing, reflecting, and sometimes rewriting the “playbook.”
Creating Joyful Workspaces: A creative industry like gaming thrives when workplaces are safe, joyful, and aligned. Maria emphasizes that fun is essential not only in the games we create but in how we make them.
Leadership Rooted in Humanity: Rather than copying leadership styles, Maria champions being guided by your morals and heart. Vulnerability and reflection are essential to lead well.
The Power of Coaching & Community: Through the ORIN mastermind, Maria found clarity, balance, and deep friendships. Investing in personal growth led to professional transformation—and vice versa.
Remote Work and Returning Home: Maria’s move back to Portugal wasn’t just geographic—it represented a personal full circle, reclaiming joy, language, and creative inspiration.

🌐 Resources & Mentions

PlaytestCloud — Podcast sponsor and a powerful player research tool for game developers.
Rise and Play — Leadership coaching, resources, and the ORIN mastermind program.
Pixion Games — Studio behind Fableborn, where Maria leads product and creative direction.

🙌 Connect with Us

Maria Gillies: LinkedIn
Sophie Vo: LinkedIn | riseandplay.io

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit riseandplay.substack.com

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In this heartfelt episode, host Sophie Vo sits down with Luna Javier — the first female game developer in the Philippines and a true pioneer with over 20 years of experience.

Luna shares her extraordinary journey from an aspiring filmmaker to game writer, designer, and eventually co-founder of Altitude Games. She opens up about the challenges of burnout, the unexpected leap into entrepreneurship, and how she helped shape the Filipino game development industry from the ground up.

Luna also discusses the evolving role of women in games, the importance of mentorship and inclusivity, and the emotional transitions that come with founding, scaling, and eventually selling a studio.

"I didn't want to be an entrepreneur — I just wanted to design games with friends."

In her recent chapter, Luna explores life beyond her long-time leadership role thanks to coaching and attending ORIN program, embracing teaching, mentoring, and new creative opportunities, all while rediscovering her true self.

Sophie and Luna reflect on the power of community, coaching, and the courage it takes to continually reinvent oneself.

Key Topics Discussed:

Luna’s unexpected start in gaming from filmmaking to game writing
Laumching the first Filipino game development company, Anino Games
The birth of the Philippines game industry and the "Anino alumni" phenomenon
Shifting from creative IPs to work-for-hire to survive as a studio
The emotional rollercoaster of founding and exiting Altitude Games
Lessons on leadership, culture, and team care during acquisitions
The rise of women in games in the Philippines and Asia
Luna’s transition to teaching, mentoring, and designing her next chapter
The importance of coaching, mentorship, and asking for help
Embracing freedom and self-discovery after leaving a long-held identity

Learn more about ORIN women leadership program

Connect with Luna on Linkedin

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In this powerful episode, host Sophie Vo sits down with Susan Cummings — co-founder of 2K Games, Tiny Rebel Games, and now 10Six Games — to explore her 25+ year journey through the gaming industry. From signing legendary IPs like Bioshock and Borderlands to founding and evolving multiple studios, Susan shares unfiltered insights on intuition-driven leadership, building (and rebuilding) companies, and the courage to start again after failure.

This is a masterclass in resilience, creativity, and navigating the business side of game development.

🎮 Key Highlights

Founding 2K Games & Legendary IPsSusan talks about co-founding 2K Games, the origin stories behind signing Bioshock and Borderlands, and the importance of trusting instincts over rigid P&L analysis.
The Role of IntuitionShe emphasizes how gut instinct, developed over years of experience, led to taking big risks that paid off — like acquiring the Civilization IP and signing Bioshock when no one else would.
Tiny Rebel Games Journey (first venture)Suzanne reflects on building Tiny Rebel with her husband, starting as a lifestyle business and evolving into a venture-backed studio, including their work on Doctor Who and AR projects like Wallace & Gromit.
Scaling Challenges & Lessons LearnedCandid lessons about growing too fast after raising a $7M seed round, and how scaling quickly can undermine agility and creative freedom.
New Lessons: The Power of Small Teams & Indie SpiritHer renewed belief in small, senior, highly aligned teams — what she describes as a "rock band" model — and how it fosters creativity and faster iteration.
Personal Resilience & Founding 10Six GamesAfter closing Tiny Rebel, Susan shares the emotional and practical challenges of transitioning, grieving, and finding the energy to build again with 10-6 Games.
Working with a Life PartnerHonest reflections on co-founding multiple companies with her husband, the unique dynamics of mixing work and family life, and how they divide creative and business roles.
New Ventures & Generative AIInsights into how Suzanne is now leveraging generative AI and building a new roguelike game experience with 10-6 Games.

💡Leadership Insights

✅ Trust your instincts, even when the data says otherwise.Original IP often requires leaps of faith

✅ Validate early and often.

✅ Small, senior teams can stay agile, avoid heavy process overhead, and iterate faster.

✅ Scaling too fast can be a trap.Hiring quickly to match a large funding round can lead to misalignment and risk when market conditions change.

✅ Leadership means making hard calls.As a founder, you must be willing to take responsibility for big decisions, even when unsure.

✅ Founding with a partner requires strong boundaries and deep trust.

📣 1 spot lef for our next ORIN cohort

You and a highly-curated mastermind of 9 exceptional women will be guided by our team through a 6-month coaching journey of inner growth, healing, regenerative energy, group empowerment and transformation.

Are you ready for ORIN? We have 1 spot left.

Contact sophie@riseandplay.io for inquiry.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit riseandplay.substack.com

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7 factors of success for game studios

Download the full report, share with your team: DOWNLOAD REPORT

Grab your FREE TRIAL with our partner PlaytestCloud: https://start.playtestcloud.com/rise

In this episode, Sophie Vo sits down with Kanessa Muluneh, an Ethiopian-born serial entrepreneur, Web3 educator, and the creator of Rise of Fearless — Africa’s first blockchain-enabled mobile battle royale game. From humble beginnings as a refugee in the Netherlands to raising $10M in under 10 days through social media, Kanessa shares her transformative leadership journey, her mission to reframe Africa’s global image, and how she leveraged storytelling, blockchain, and gaming to empower African youth.

💡 Key Learnings:

Selling a Startup at 22: Though she earned a medical degree, Kanessa discovered her true path in solving real-world problems through business—starting with a telehealth platform she sold for €1M at age 22.
Serial Entrepreneurial Growth: Kanessa went on to build and exit multiple ventures. Her approach: identify a big problem, validate a solution, test with real users, and execute relentlessly.
Building in Africa Means Building With Africa: Kanessa’s strategic use of TikTok helped her circumvent traditional gatekeeping by generating visibility and credibility with the public—and eventually, investors.
NFTs and Blockchain in Action: By launching an NFT collection and accepting crypto, Kanessa created a groundbreaking way for Ethiopians in rural areas to transact online, bypassing broken financial systems.
Rise of Fearless – A New Gaming Paradigm:
A mobile battle royale game inspired by African history (notably, the Battle of Adwa).
Designed to instill pride, knowledge, and a new narrative of African strength and unity.
Built for mobile to maximize access, and powered by blockchain to enable ownership and decentralized engagement.
The Big Africa Gaming Vision: Kanessa plans to build a platform for other African creators to launch games. She sees this as the starting point of a movement beyond just a company.

🔗 Resources & Links:

🎮 Rise of Fearless Game Website
💌 Connect with Kanessa

📣 Calling Women Leaders Ready For Transformation

You have ticked all the career boxes, you’ve achieved the power and status you’ve wanted and still… you feel something is missing. Are you sure you want to continue the next 20 years of your life this way: exhausted, unfulfilled, uninspired.

You are not alone. But you’ve never found the right way to solve it.

Are you ready for ORIN? We have 3 spots left.

Contact sophie@riseandplay.io for inquiry.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit riseandplay.substack.com

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In this leadership-centric episode, host Sophie Vo welcomes Zoë Curnoe — a seasoned production and operations leader turned leadership coach — for a candid conversation about the highs and lows of a 22-year career in the gaming industry, including co-founding Timbre Games and leadership roles at Coalition Studios, Riot Games, EA, and Pandemic Studio.

From early days navigating creative chaos, to leading major game launches, to founding a studio and eventually pivoting to coaching, Zoë opens up about what it takes to truly lead in times of complexity, change, and uncertainty.

“People want to be led by someone real — not someone who pretends to have it all figured out.”

Together, Sophie and Zoë explore the evolution of leadership, the human cost of performance culture, and the emotional labor of building and sustaining creative teams.

Whether you’re an executive, a founder, or just navigating your next career step, this conversation offers insights, hope, and a call for more compassionate leadership.

💡 Leadership Takeaways:

Factions and Blame Culture: Teams often fall into “us vs. them” mentalities under pressure. Zoë identifies this as a persistent leadership issue that undermines collaboration and ownership.
The Mask of Performance: Leaders often hide struggles behind a facade of control. True leadership requires vulnerability — being able to say “I’m struggling, and I need help.”
Coaching as a Lifeline: Coaching isn't just for top executives. It helps untangle the mental and emotional knots of leadership and offers a mirror for self-awareness and growth.
Authentic Leadership: The path to sustainable leadership lies in being true to your values — not performing a version of leadership based on outdated norms or external expectations.
Studio Founder Lessons: Zoë shares her own learning from Timbre Games, where even with the best intentions, she didn’t always create the safety she aimed for. A humbling reminder that even founders need reflection and repair.
Career Transition & Midlife Shift at 50: Zoë candidly discusses her transition into coaching at age 50, managing menopause, and redefining success on her own terms with her new venture, Lumina Leadership.
Emotional Wellbeing at Work: Fast-paced industries like gaming often neglect the emotional realities of workers. This episode underscores the importance of integrating heart and body into professional life.

Zoë Curnoe is the founder of Lumina Leadership and now supports leaders through coaching and consulting, with a mission to make the industry more human, inclusive, and resilient. Connect with Zoë.

This episode is brought to you by PlaytestCloud — your partner in delivering fast, reliable, and actionable player research.

Thanks for listening to Rise and Play! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.

📣 Calling Women Leaders Ready For Transformation

You are not alone. But you’ve never found the right way to solve it.

We make that time and space for you, with a powerful sisterhood.

Are you ready for ORIN? Find out by answering our preliminary self-reflection questionnaire. We will reach out soon. We have 2 spots left.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit riseandplay.substack.com

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7 factors of success for game studios

Download the full report, share with your team: DOWNLOAD REPORT

Grab your FREE TRIAL with our partner PlaytestCloud: https://start.playtestcloud.com/rise

In this special episode focused on community building, host Sophie Vo sits down with Julianne Becker, co-founder of Coconat — a workation retreat and co-living space in Brandenburg, Germany. Far from a typical tech leader, Julianne shares her remarkable journey from NGO work in Vietnam to launching an award-winning rural innovation hub that fosters creativity, collaboration, and community for creative and game founders.

In this episode, we cover:

The realities of transitioning careers into entrepreneurship
The challenges of building a coliving space and thriving ecosystem from scratch
Insights on funding, bootstrapping, and grassroots marketing
How to create meaningful community integration in rural areas
Balancing family life while building a values-led business
The power of diverse, inclusive residencies, especially the acclaimed Rabbit Indie Game Residency (application deadline: June 15). Rabbit Residency is a standout initiative offering indie game developers a month-long retreat to collaborate, innovate, and connect globally — with a focus on diversity and inclusion.
Exciting developments, including Coconat's new role as a Brandenburg Startup Accelerator to support game devs, mobility innovators, and more through funded residencies.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in creative leadership, rural innovation, the future of work, or indie game development.

💡 Key Takeaways:

Start before you're ready: Juliane emphasized the importance of talking about your idea early, even before it's fully developed, to shape it through feedback and co-creation.
Community-first entrepreneurship: Coconat was built not only for digital nomads but also with and for the local community — from hosting local events to supporting regional development initiatives.
Bootstrapped & bold: Juliane and her partner self-funded the venture through loans and creative incentives (like early volunteer vouchers), showcasing that you don’t need VC money to start strong.
Resilience over perfection: From internet infrastructure setbacks to bureaucratic hurdles, they adapted constantly without losing sight of their values.
Integrating work and family: Coconut was literally built alongside Juliane’s children — a real-world case of family-integrated entrepreneurship.

🔗 Resources & Links:

🐇 Apply for The Rabbit Indie Game Residency (Deadline: June 15th, 2025): https://coconat-space.com/the-rabbit-games-residency-2025-call-for-applications/
🏡 Learn more about Coconat: https://coconat-space.com/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit riseandplay.substack.com

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7 factors of success for game studios

Download the full report, share with your team: DOWNLOAD REPORT

Grab your FREE TRIAL with our partner PlaytestCloud: https://start.playtestcloud.com/rise

In this episode Tiffany Keller welcomes Julia Zhan, CPO of Series Entertainment, and Burcu Hakguder, the CRO of Layer AI who celebrates their recent close of their seed round for over $6M. Burcu Hakguder started Layer after half a decade at Unity Technologies spearheading new business development initiatives that contributed to the company’s successful IPO. Today Layer AI is embraced by top studios like Zynga, SciPlay, Huuuge Games, and over 200 others to revolutionize game production powered by inferences across many models optimized for 2D, 3D assets and video generation.

Julia Zhan is Chief Platform Officer at Series Entertainment, a company revolutionizing game creation through generative stories & worlds after raising over $35M and acquiring Pixelberry and Netflix as a distribution partner. Previously, she managed League of Legends production and operations for China and helped pioneer Valorant at Riot Games. After that, Julia led the game vertical & developer success at Snap, empowering 3P developers to build hyper-social gaming experiences.

We break down the AI x Games market today from the founder perspective- how they successfully raised and delivered on investor and customer expectations despite taking very different sides of the AI platform and gaming market. Julia and Burcu share their methodology for finding their “unique selling position” in the market and how that has shaped their advice to game makers looking to integrate AI tools.

We discuss a bit of 4D chess on the future of gaming AI platforms and how both large and small companies will need to adapt to remain competitive. For every studio facing a build vs buy question with AI, Julia and Burcu break down how game makers can draw from their USP to define their next steps in harnessing AI. Expect some spicy while incredibly thoughtful takes that reveal how many ways there are to succeed as a game studio armed with the right AI workflows.

Try Layer AI today to 5x your game content creation productivity

Play Series Entertainment’s new game, Single’s Inferno, on Netflix Games today to see what Rho, their AI engine, and their acquisition Pixelberry can do together

🇪🇸 Barcelona. June 2 — Not your Princess, Just my Own Hero: Innovating for Women in Mobile Gaming

Join us for an inspiring afternoon celebrating the impact and innovation of women in mobile gaming. Speakers are from Gamehouse, Scopely, Rise & Play, Funcraft, Appsflyer & Appcharge!

Stick around — the evening wraps up with a lively party to continue the conversation and connections.Welcome - Claire Rozain, Founder Rzain Society

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit riseandplay.substack.com

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In this heartfelt and deeply inspiring episode, Sophie Vo sits down with Subina Kiani, founder of the global recruitment company Eleven Eleven, to unpack the story behind building a people-first business from the ground up — starting from personal rock bottom.

Subina shares her journey of rebuilding her life as a single mother, finding meaning in synchronicities like Eleven Eleven, and challenging the transactional nature of traditional recruitment.

We cover in this episode:

🌱 The power of starting from where you are — no grand plan needed
🧭 Leading with intuition, alignment, and authenticity in a tech-driven world
💼 Why recruitment is not just about jobs, but about identity, dreams, and human connection
💡 The myth of work-life balance and how to intentionally design a fulfilling life
🤖 How AI is shifting leadership and recruitment — and why emotional intelligence is the future

Whether you're navigating a career pivot, launching a purpose-led business, or rethinking leadership in the age of AI, this episode will give you the courage to trust your gut and just start.

💡 Leadership Takeaways:

Breakdowns can lead to breakthroughs — especially when aligned with purpose.
Recruitment isn’t about transactions; it’s about transformation.
Emotional intelligence and human connection are rising in value in an AI-heavy future.
Real leadership starts with self-trust and the courage to be visible.
Building a life that aligns with your values is not only possible — it’s necessary.

Eleven Eleven is a global recruitment firm trusted by 40+ gaming and tech studios. With over 15 years of experience, Subina is redefining recruitment through intuition, bringing humanity back to hiring. Learn more here: https://eleven-eleven.io/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit riseandplay.substack.com

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7 factors of success for game studios

Download the full report, share with your team: DOWNLOAD REPORT

Grab your FREE TRIAL with our partner PlaytestCloud: https://start.playtestcloud.com/rise

Thanks for reading Rise and Play! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

In this episode, Sophie Vo welcomes Jen MacLean, former Xbox executive and now founder of Dragon Snack Games. Jen shares her personal and professional journey—from leaving a corporate role to founding her own studio—with deep reflections on purpose, family, and alignment. They dive into building a value-driven studio, the importance of intentional team culture, early-stage prototyping, and engaging a player community early in development.

Jen discusses Dragon Snack's mission to create collaborative, player-driven experiences for Gen Z and Gen Alpha, while emphasizing the power of belonging and connection through games. A conversation packed with wisdom for founders, leaders, and anyone seeking to build meaningful, human-centered companies.

Topics Discussed:

Why Jen left a high-powered job at Xbox to start her own studio.
The personal wake-up call: how family conversations revealed deeper misalignments.
Asking two critical questions: What’s the worst that can happen? and What’s holding you back?
Building Dragon Snack Games with intention: starting with values and principles, not just product ideas.
The importance of co-founder alignment, clear roles, and trust from the beginning.
Why Dragon Snack targets Gen Z/Alpha and focuses on social, collaborative game experiences: "We’re building a neighborhood, not a metaverse."
Early prototyping and the belief in bringing players into the process far earlier than traditional models.
Fundraising challenges and staying true to the company’s vision and community-first approach.
Designing for emotional needs: belonging, validation, and impact through gameplay.
The future of Dragon Snack Games and how listeners can follow or get involved.

Resources Mentioned:

Book: The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt (discussed around digital validation and Gen Z behaviors)
Learn more on Dragon Snack Games : dragonsnacksgames.com

💫 WOMEN LEADERSHIP CIRCLE: LEADING WITH YOUR INTUITION

I am hosting a free intimate online circle for women leaders who are interested in learning more about ORIN and the magical spaces I create: a space where you don’t have to perform, to feel safe in a group, to ‘be’, and discover who you are beneath the mask when you give yourself permission to.

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What are the 7 key differences of successful studios leveraging player insights?

Insight #4 Successful studios nailed their player profiles

Insight #7 Successful studios playtest their competitor’s games… 💡

Download the full insights and share with your game teams: DOWNLOAD REPORT

If you are not doing Player Research yet, you are taking risks every day shooting in the dark. Act now and grab your FREE TRIAL with our partner PlaytestCloud: https://start.playtestcloud.com/rise

In this new episode, host Sophie Vo Vo speaks with Kimber Dall, SVP of People at SciPlay, a global mobile games leader.

With a decade of experience scaling the company from 100 to over 1,000 employees across five countries (Israel, Ukraine, US, India…), Kimber shares hard-won wisdom about building culture, navigating global and geo-political crises, and supporting people-first leadership at scale.

We cover in this episode:

Evolving a startup into a global company of 1,000+ employees while preserving its heart
The non-negotiable in performance management—and how to scale them
Hiring leaders who live your values, not just talk them
Supporting employees during geo-political conflicts—with empathy and action
Preventing burnout in 24/7 live games with practical tools and transparency
Managing across generations—and why Gen Z requires new leadership muscle

Whether you're a founder, people leader, or game industry veteran, this episode will inspire you to rethink how you scale culture, invest in your people, and lead from the heart with clarity and structure.

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See why 80% of the top-grossing game studios rely on the Player Insights Platform™ to ensure a game's success (before it's even released).

We are proud to announce PlaytestCloud as our key partner in 2025 and offer a FREE TRIAL here: https://start.playtestcloud.com/rise

In this episode, host Sophie Vo Vo and Odile Limpach cover entrepreneurship in the gaming industry. Odile shares her journey from being a managing director at Ubisoft to co-founding SpielFabrique, a video game catalyst company. She discusses how after 16 years in the gaming industry, particularly at Ubisoft where she helped grow the company from 500 to over 10,000 employees, she decided to start her own venture. Odile emphasizes the importance of having financial stability, a strong network, and the right personality to handle uncertainty when starting a business.

The discussion delves into SpielFabrique evolution over 10 years, growing to a team of seven people and running several programs including EVA (European Video Games Accelerator) which receives around 100 applications from 15 European countries annually. Odile highlights their expansion into Africa and cross-industry initiatives involving books, cinema, and music in gaming.

A significant portion focuses on the challenges faced by indie game developers, particularly the balance between creativity and business acumen. Odile stresses the importance of early business planning and understanding one's purpose in starting a game company.

Learn more about SpielFrabique’s programs for indie developers: https://spielfabrique.eu/Thunderfox/

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See why 80% of the top-grossing game studios rely on the Player Insights Platform™ to ensure a game's success (before it's even released).

We are proud to announce PlaytestCloud as our key partner in 2025 and offer a FREE TRIAL here: https://start.playtestcloud.com/rise

In this episode, host Sophie Vo welcomes Brett Nowak, founder and CEO of Liquid and Grit, a leading product research and consultancy firm specializing in mobile gaming. Brett shares his entrepreneurial journey, leadership philosophies, and insights on building a sustainable, independent business. He discusses his motivations for bootstrapping his company, the importance of autonomy, and how he built a unique company culture by questioning traditional business norms.

What we cover in this episode:

💡Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs:

Identify what you want from your business (e.g., financial independence, control, creative freedom).
Choose a business model that aligns with your risk tolerance and long-term goals.
Validate your ideas by selling early and iterating based on feedback.
Avoid traditional constraints—design a business that works for your strengths and lifestyle.

💰 Bootstrapping vs. Venture Capital:

Brett prioritized full ownership and control over his company, choosing not to raise external funding.
By keeping initial costs low and maintaining a day job, he was able to test and validate his business before going full-time.

📈 The Role of Discipline and Long-Term Vision:

Running a business successfully requires long-term commitment, persistence, and a willingness to push through discomfort.
Brett’s structured approach ensured steady growth without external dependencies.

👥 Building a Non-Traditional Work Culture:

Liquid and Grit operates remotely with minimal meetings and a strong emphasis on autonomy and efficiency.
The hiring process is unconventional—focusing on skills-based assessments rather than traditional interviews.
The company structure reduces bureaucracy, allowing employees to focus on delivering high-quality work.

💛 Mental Health and Work-Life Integration:

Brett emphasizes the importance of balancing business growth with personal well-being.
Having a psychiatrist for professional and personal guidance has been one of his most impactful decisions.

More Resources:

Liquid and Grit
Connect with Brett Novak
Shoe Dogby Phil Knight (Recommended Book on Entrepreneurship)

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See why 80% of the top-grossing game studios rely on the Player Insights Platform™ to ensure a game's success (before it's even released).

We are proud to announce PlaytestCloud as our key partner in 2025 and offer a FREE TRIAL here: https://start.playtestcloud.com/rise

In this new episode host Sophie Vo sits down with Sigurlína (Lína) Ingvarsdóttir, a veteran of the gaming industry and founding partner at Behold Ventures. Lína shares her incredible journey from working on AAA franchises like Star Wars Battlefront and FIFA to transitioning into venture capital and founding Behold VC.

She discusses the importance of resilience in game development, the evolving investment landscape in gaming, and what she looks for when funding early-stage game studios.

This episode covers insights for game developers, entrepreneurs, and anyone who wants to learn more about the intersection of creativity, business, and investment in games.

Resilience and Passion Still Matter in Gaming Startups:

Investors are drawn to teams that demonstrate long-term commitment, adaptability, and passion, even when facing challenges like funding difficulties.

The Role of Intuition vs. Data in Investments:

While investment decisions often involve commercial potential and market trends, a strong emotional connection to a project can also drive successful funding.

The Nordic Region’s Game Development Strength:

The Nordic region continues to be a powerhouse for game innovation, producing both AAA and indie successes. Behold Ventures focuses on early-stage investments in this space.

The Journey Transitioning from Game Operator to Investor:

Lina’s transition from game development to venture capital was fueled by her strategic mindset, experience in production, and desire to shape the industry’s future.

💡 The Future of Gaming Investments:

Behold Ventures prioritizes multiplayer, social, and community-driven games over single-player experiences. They are cautious with VR and Web3 but remain open to groundbreaking innovations.

VCs as Partners, Not Just Funders:

Founders should seek investors who bring more than just capital—mentorship, industry knowledge, and long-term support are key.

Resources & Links:

Learn more about Behold Ventures:

https://behold.vc/

Connect with Lína Ingvarsdóttir on Linkedin

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Enjoyed the episode? Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share with fellow conscious leaders in the gaming industry!

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See why 80% of the top-grossing game studios rely on the Player Insights Platform™ to ensure a game's success (before it's even released).

We are proud to announce PlaytestCloud as our key partner in 2025 and offer a FREE TRIAL here: https://start.playtestcloud.com/rise

In this episode, co-host Nina Kim interviews Alicia Fortier, lead game designer at SpryFox. Alicia discusses the differences between AAA and indie game development, the importance of having mentors, and fostering a supportive work environment. She emphasizes self-belief, overcoming imposter syndrome, and the crucial role of leaders in nurturing team dynamics.

Alicia provides valuable advice on maintaining a sustainable career, finding motivation, and how understanding oneself can guide professional growth, whether you are growing to a leadership position or keep growing your leadership skills.

02:42 Meet Alicia Fortier: Lead Game Designer03:24 Early Signs and University Days06:57 AAA vs Indie: Team Dynamics10:21 Mentorship and Personal Growth13:35 Advocating for a Healthy Work Environment18:50 Navigating Feedback and Community Support26:34 The Importance of Mentorship and Advocacy42:56 Finding Motivation and Leadership Values47:26 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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We are proud to announce PlaytestCloud as our key partner in 2025 and offer a FREE TRIAL for our listeners here: https://start.playtestcloud.com/rise

In this episode, host Sophie Vo is joined by Bibbi Wikman, Head of Brand and Business at Aurora Punks and Founder of PlayCap, the first angel network for women in the gaming industry. Together, they dive into Bibbi's leadership journey, her motivations for creating PlayCap, and the unique opportunities the network provides to elevate women in the games industry as investors and game changers.

What we cover in this episode:

The Journey to PlayCap: Bibbi shares her inspiration behind PlayCap, the challenges of launching a women-centered investment network, and the powerful response it received from industry leaders.
Why PlayCap Matters: Exploring the gaps PlayCap fills in the investment ecosystem, from creating a safe space for women to learn about investments to fostering a power network of experienced professionals.
Playcap Today: Insights into the network's rapid growth, the diversity of its members, and its collaborative approach to investments.
Knowledge Sharing and Collaboration: The importance of PlayCap's active knowledge-sharing sessions and its impact on both new and seasoned investors.
Future of PlayCap: Sneak peeks into the exciting possibilities for expanding Playcap’s influence in the industry.

How PlayCap differs from traditional angel syndicates:

Investment is about more than capital; it’s about knowledge, collaboration, and fostering diversity.
PlayCap empowers women to confidently enter the investment space with support and resources tailored to their needs.
The gaming industry benefits from diverse voices in investment and on the cap table, shaping a more inclusive and dynamic future.

Join the Movement 🔥: Interested in joining PlayCap or submitting your new venture or studio for investment? Visit PlayCap's website to apply or learn more.

See why 80% of the top-grossing game studios rely on the Player Insights Platform™ to ensure a game's success (before it's even released).

We are proud to announce PlaytestCloud as our key partner in 2025 and offer a FREE TRIAL here: https://start.playtestcloud.com/rise

Thanks for listening to Rise and Play! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.

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In this episode, host Sophie Vo Vo engages in a deep and insightful conversation with Allan Cudicio, an Italo Ghanaian game developer, about his journey of founding Twin Drums in 2019 and eventually closing it in 2024, as the studio behind The Wagadu Chronicles.

Allan provides an intimate look at the highs and lows of his entrepreneurial venture, discussing the challenges of raising funds as an indie and innovative IP studio, the importance of diverse cultural representation in gaming, and the emotional toll of shutting down his company.

We delve into the difficulties and learnings from innovating with a niche and culturally rich IP, and the broader implications for underrepresented founders in the gaming industry.

The episode also highlights the essential role of mentors, the inevitability of failure as a part of growth, and the ongoing quest to bridge cultural stories with modern technology.

Closing a studio marks the end of a business, but it doesn’t have to signify the end of the movement to bring more cultural representation into games. There is a growing demand among the gaming audience to discover such content and stories. If you’d like to explore this further, get in touch with Allan.

01:40 Meet Allan Cudicio: From Berlin to Ghana

02:01 The Birth of Twin Drums and Wagadu Chronicles

03:42 Challenges and Learnings as an Entrepreneur

12:46 The Importance of Representation in Gaming

21:44 Building and Scaling a Remote Team

24:38 Testing and Early Feedback

25:08 Navigating Market Changes and Innovation Challenges

27:17 Financial Struggles and Fundraising Hurdles

28:32 The Emotional Toll of Shutting Down

30:06 Reflecting on the Entrepreneurial Journey

34:18 Embracing Failure and Looking Forward

39:13 Cultural Heritage and Future Aspirations

43:50 Final Thoughts and Advice for Entrepreneurs

We are thrilled to be working with PlaytestCloud as our key partner in expanding Rise and Play’s impact in 2025! Greetings from Berlin from Sophie and Dana 👋 🇩🇪

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We are back in 2025! In this episode, new host Tiffany Keller interviews Emily Yim, the co-founder and CEO of Superbloom, a studio dedicated to developing lifestyle games that empower women and have successfully launched their first home decor game, Venue. Her career spans 15 years across mobile gaming at Dots and Glu, where she helped scale hit games that resonate with millions worldwide.

At Superbloom, Emily is driving a new wave of gaming experiences that blend creativity, connection, and inclusivity to redefine entertainment for women.

Since coming on the podcast as one of our first guests two years ago, her mission as a first time founder uncovered some surprising revelations about motherhood mixing with executive management. She doles out lessons in leadership on the startup rollercoaster, straight from the startup playbook no one teaches you.

Emily divulges her secret to remaining authentic in how she designs games for women, by women. Her studio is majority femme staffed, more than doubling the average for the industry despite not screening for women, just those equipped to best serve the female gaming market.

Her go to market strategy approaches from a different angle, bridging the gap between digital and real world designer goods. While Roblox have changed the gaming landscape with their Shopify integration and creator economy, it remains tough for standalone mobile games to venture into white labelling or merchandise big ticket items such as furniture. Leveraging well known brands within your investors' network is fair game however, as she conveys the value of the Chainsmokers' collaboration to her launch of Venue.

Download Venue today and put your home decor skills to the test at: https://www.venuegame.co/

Get your 2025 guide to hybrid monetization strategy born from new research done by Tiffany with AdInMo in the Hybrid Monetization 2024 Trends Report and with Appsflyer in the 2024 State of App Monetization Report!

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We are thrilled to announce PlaytestCloud as our key partner in expanding Rise and Play’s impact in 2025! Stay tuned for future events and insights ✨

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In this new episode, host Sophie Vo interviews Nicola Mizon, co-founder of VIZTA DGTL, who dives into her journey from game design to becoming a startup founder in the gaming industry.

Nicola shares insights on the challenges of raising pre-seed funding, the importance of adapting your pitch to your audience, and the significance of innovation in the fashion gaming space. She emphasizes the need for more female founders in the industry and encourages women to be brave and execute their ideas. Throughout the conversation, Nicola discusses the integration of fashion and gaming, the evolving market, and VIZTA DGTL ambitions for the future with Kutur Runway, the NextGen Fashion game.

01:38 Introducing Nicola Vizon and Vizta Digital

03:06 Nicola's Journey in the Gaming Industry

05:42 The Inspiration Behind Fashion Games Leading To Kutur Runway

16:47 Founding Vizta Digital and Overcoming Market Challenges

24:17 Innovating in the Fashion Gaming Space

26:30 Fundraising State and Future Plans

40:24 Encouraging More Female Founders To Break Entrepreneurial Barriers

42:07 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Learn more about Kutur Runway and join their BETA list here: https://www.kuturrunway.com/

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In this new episode, Sophie Vo Vo interviews Ludovic Bodin, a serial entrepreneur, investor, and author of the book 'Atomic Scaling.' Ludovic shares his journey from starting his first tech company in France at age 20 to becoming an influential figure in the gaming industry and a successful investor. He emphasizes a shift from traditional blitzscaling to a model he calls Atomic Scaling, which focuses on keeping teams small, leveraging AI and automation, and maintaining a strong sense of community and user-centric approach.

Ludovic also reflects on his personal motivations evolving from seeking entrepreneurial success (i.e. becoming a billionaire) to prioritizing freedom, impact, and supporting the rise of women in leadership roles. This intimate conversation offers insights into the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship, the importance of aligning with one's values, and a vision for a more inclusive and community-focused business world, instead of profit-focused.

To learn more, order the book Atomic Scaling: https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Scaling-Small-Create-Growth/dp/1544544995

01:36 Meet Ludovic Bodin: Serial Entrepreneur and Investor

03:15 Ludovic's Early Entrepreneurial Journey

06:54 Venturing Abroad and New Beginnings

09:28 The Shift to Gaming and Building CMUNE

15:42 Investment Journey and New Goals

17:40 Redefining Success and Freedom

19:46 The Concept of Atomic Scaling

21:05 Writing the Book: Atomic Scaling

22:38 Entrepreneurial Struggles and Advice

23:28 Implementing the Supercell Model

24:47 COVID-19 and Investment Strategies

25:34 Writing Atomic Scaling

27:52 Publishing Journey and Book Launch

30:02 Key Concepts from Atomic Scaling

33:13 Navigating Business with Atomic Scaling

42:32 Empowering Women in Entrepreneurship

46:54 Final Thoughts and Future Vision

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In this episode, host Sophie Vo is joined by Derk, former CEO and co-founder of Paladin Studio, and co-host Tiffany Keller , a product leader with extensive experience in the gaming industry, to discuss the powerful impact of leadership retreats. They share personal stories and insights on the value of retreats, ranging from medicinal ceremonies in Colombia to silent meditation retreats in Peru, exploring different practices and their benefits.

Whatever type of retreat resonates with you, the conversation emphasizes the necessity of taking intentional breaks to reconnect with oneself, manage stress, and foster personal growth. Accessible recommendations are provided for those new to the concept, including yoga, meditation, and breathwork.

Tune in this special episode, which will broaden your perspectives on self-care and take a step back with retreats.

01:21 Personal Experiences with Retreats

04:01 The Impact of Retreats on Personal and Professional Life

07:49 Defining and Understanding Retreats

09:35 Triggers and Motivations for Intense Retreats

16:55 The Process and Benefits of Medicinal Retreats

29:36 Accessible Practices for Everyday Life

30:21 Introduction to Self-Reflection Techniques

30:45 Exploring Physical Activities for Stress Relief

31:20 The Power of Ecstatic Dance

32:21 Diverse Spiritual Practices

35:05 Personal Meditation Practices

35:58 The Importance of Retreats

41:24 Challenges in the Gaming Industry

49:35 The Value of Self-Awareness

55:59 Conclusion and Future Plans

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In this episode, we reconnect with gaming industry veteran Steve Cuss to discuss his journey from traditional to liberated leadership, starting The GamePlan Consultancy and publishing his first book, Liberated Leadership. Steve shares his insights on the challenges and rewards of fostering a more inclusive and authentic workplace, exploring the significance of authenticity, vulnerability, and emotional intelligence for creative leaders.

Steve emphasises the importance of self-awareness for leaders and the opportunities for self-transformation through retreats and personal inner work. We delve into the significance of creating psychological safety, balancing control with autonomy, and aligning personal and organisational values to find a deeper purpose in leadership.

01:46 Steve Cuss’s Journey Over the Past Year

04:05 Challenges and Insights in Leadership Training

09:34 The Evolution of Leadership in the Gaming Industry

10:51 The Concept of Liberated Leadership

15:12 Personal Growth and Authenticity in Leadership

26:45 The Power of Vulnerability in Leadership

27:40 The Importance of Deliberate Pauses

29:09 Creating Psychological Safety

30:10 The Need for Feedback in Leadership

31:39 Integrating Values and Purpose

38:22 Challenges in Leadership and Gender Differences

43:20 The Business Case for Emotional Intelligence

48:21 Practical Steps for Leaders

This conversation is a follow-up to a discussion we had with Steve a year ago, introducing the concept of Liberated Leadership, and its genesis. You can listen to that episode here:

You can buy the book “Liberated Leadership” here: https://amzn.eu/d/6lHxbAW

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In this episode, host Sophie Vo interviews Eric Tan, a highly experienced executive with 17 years in the entertainment and music industries. Eric shares his journey from being a business executive to embracing his role as a creative executive, his experiences and struggles in the gaming and music industries, and his insights on the importance of music partnerships in gaming. They discuss Eric's career highlights, including his roles at Riot Games, Sony Music, and his own company, Fifth Journey Limited. Eric also shares his vision for the future of music in games and offers advice for entrepreneurs navigating similar paths.

Interested in exploring a music partnership? Reach out to Eric here: https://calendly.com/erictanhk/call-with-eric

01:34 Introducing Eric Tan: A Music and Gaming Executive

03:55 Eric's Journey into Music and Gaming

05:38 The Evolution of Music in Games

07:41 Music Marketing Strategies in Gaming

10:38 Challenges and Opportunities in Music Partnerships

20:04 Reflecting on Fifth Journey Limited

24:21 Lessons Learned and Moving Forward

31:17 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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In this episode hosted by Nina Kim, we delve into the leadership journey of Amy Graves, an experienced marketing strategy specialist who has led social media marketing for game studios such as Natural Motion, Epic Games, the Irregular Corporation and Square Enix. Amy discusses her transition from film to games, her journey from a behind-the-scenes role to taking on significant leadership responsibilities, the lessons she learnt on taking new roles, and her career transitions. Amy shares powerful stories on how she has built a culture of constructive feedback in her teams, adapted leadership styles across different cultures, and embraced leading with effective empathy.

01:41 Meet the Guest: Amy Graves

02:34 Amy's Journey from Film to Games

08:06 Challenges and Learnings in Leadership

15:05 Adapting Leadership Styles

28:41 The Importance of Feedback

39:58 Values and Future Aspirations

43:02 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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⭐️ Exclusive partnership promotion: Get DevGAMM tickets 15% off with the promo code: devgamm15 ⭐️

In this episode, Sophie welcomes Maria Chyrvona, the CEO of DevGAMM, to discuss the evolution of the gaming conference since its inception in Ukraine in 2008. They dive into the personal and professional experiences that shaped DevGAMM, including navigating the challenges of COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine.

Maria shares insights into the organization of events, their business model, and the unique values that make DevGAMM's events feel like a community and personalized experience. Don’t miss out on the upcoming DevGAMM Lisbon event on November 14-15, notable speakers including John Romero, and an exciting indie developer contest with cash prizes of $100,000!

For more info, check the DevGAMM Awards 2024 info and how to submit your game.

00:37 Guest Introduction: Maria from DevGAMM

01:49 The Origins of DevGAMM

07:59 Challenges and Resilience During the War In Ukraine

17:26 Business Model and Event Organization

24:42 Creating a Unique And Personalized Event Experience

37:28 Upcoming DevGAMM Lisbon Event in November and Indie Game Awards Prize. Get event tickets 15% off with the promo code: devgamm15

44:20 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

⭐️ Exclusive partnership promotion: Get DevGAMM tickets 15% off with the promo code: devgamm15 ⭐️

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What is the impact of coaching and what should you expect when you receive coaching?

Some even ask: What is the ROI of coaching?

In this special coaching episode, host Sophie Vo sits down with Hannah Mattil, the Senior Team Lead for Research Operations at PlaytestCloud. They reflect on Hannah’s personal and professional growth over six months of leadership coaching.

Hannah shares her journey from initial skepticism about coaching to the valuable lessons and self-awareness she gained. They discuss the importance of self-reflection, receiving and acting on feedback, and setting clear goals. Hannah emphasizes how the coaching experience has helped her develop confidence, composure, and a deeper understanding of her strengths and weaknesses.

This episode is a testament to the transformative power of coaching and its impact on leadership and personal development. Sophie Vo openly shares her unique approach and process to coaching, with her 16 years of leadership in games.

For people considering coaching, this episode will highlight what to expect, and when is the right time to invest in yourself.

Coaching is a process that needs full readiness from the coachee for the most optimal outcome.

01:37 Special Episode: Hannah's Leadership Journey

03:33 Hannah's Background and Entry into Gaming

05:08 The Coaching Journey Begins

10:33 Overcoming Challenges and Building Confidence

13:01 Reflecting on the Coaching Experience

26:34 Applying Coaching Lessons in Real Life

29:49 Final Thoughts and Advice on Coaching

35:30 Conclusion and Call to Action

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it and leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

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In this new episode, we sit down with Charlotte Gailledreau, a French game studio founder, narrative RPG enthusiast, and ex-Game Lead at the Oh Bi Bi and Gumi studios. Charlotte shares the story of founding her game studio, Sunny Lab, in 2022 alongside her associate Hugo Sahuquet.

They discuss their journey from mobile to console & PC gaming, the significance of storytelling in their projects, and the trials of fundraising and team building.

Charlotte opens up about the emotional and practical challenges of being a first-time CEO, emphasizing resilience, community support, and the importance of maintaining a balanced life. The episode is a heartfelt exploration of the unspoken difficulties in the gaming industry in 2024 and offers valuable insights into the personal and professional aspects of leading a game studio.

Be sure to check the upcoming launch of their new game The Witch’s Bakery 🥐 on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sunnylabgames/witch-bakery-paris-2d-adventure-rpg

01:45 Charlotte Gailledreau’s decade as a product leader in gaming

02:47 Charlotte's Background and Sunny Lab

04:16 Building Sunny Lab: Challenges and Wins

20:43 The 2024 Rollercoaster Of the Fundraising Journey

34:13 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

38:09 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

🙋🏻‍♀️ Need A Coach? Book a call with me and let’s figure it out together!

📆 🇩🇪 Don’t miss out on our networking event with Kolibri in Berlin on Sept 5th

Space is limited: Save your spot HERE!

💡 Get more leadership resources on: riseandplay.io

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it and leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

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This story serves as an inspiring example for all independent studios considering their funding options in 2024, reminding us that collective willpower and fearlessness can be as powerful as more seniority and money.

In this episode of Rise and Play, guest host Shelby Moledina returns. Shelby is a Game Director and Film Director with 30+ titles shipped, and 20+ years of experience at large and small companies (WB Games, DeNA, Double Loop Games, and more). This week, she speaks with Ayla Derrick, the founder of Cave Bear Games, an all-volunteer studio that went unexpectedly viral earlier this year.

Ayla, a newcomer to the game industry with a background in education, shares how and why she started Cave Bear Games in 2024, which has been a historically apocalyptic year in the games industry. Ayla discusses how she harnessed CBG's viral success to build the studio, and to spread the wealth far beyond CBG by creating a strong volunteer and junior game dev community. We cover essential topics such as the importance of trusting your instincts to find your own way to solve problems, networking with genuine passion, and fostering a positive studio culture.

Ayla and Cave Bear's journey make it clear that there's real power in taking fate into your own hands.

02:19 Starting an All-Volunteer Studio, for Junior Devs

20:25 Growing the Team AND a Dev Community...at the Same Time

33:04 Using a Newcomer's POV to Tackle Business Challenges in Novel Ways

37:36 The Importance of Communication, Genuine Outreach, and Passion

47:22 Like PB&J: ADHD and Game Development

54:18 Final Thoughts and Future Plans

💡 Get more leadership resources on: riseandplay.io

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it and leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

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In this inspiring episode, we switch roles with Shelby Moledina, as our new co-host on the show who interviews Sophie Vo to share her journey of breaking barriers within the gaming industry, focusing on building inclusive and conscious game companies and studios.

Sophie discusses her experiences in establishing key projects like Rise and Play, her role as CEO and co-founder of Kylan, a new game studio in Vietnam, and transitioning from corporate structures to startup environments. She highlights the importance of leadership, pitching, fundraising, and above all alignment within co-founder teams.

Shelby and Sophie discuss the challenges and learnings from their entrepreneurial ventures (Shelby was the co-founder of the studio Double Loop Games which closed in 2023), underscoring the significance of personal growth, connections, and embracing changes in the pursuit of their missions. Sophie also introduces her upcoming project, Olivya, aimed at innovating at the intersection of coaching, technology, and games.

01:30 Special Co-host: Shelby Moledina

02:26 The Birth of the Podcast Rise and Play

04:30 Navigating Leadership and Consciousness In Business

08:19 Fundraising and Building a New Studio in 2024 (Kylan)

14:07 Personal Growth and Overcoming Fears

16:11 Lessons from the Co-Founders Journey

25:37 Discovering Sophie’s ‘Why’ out of games

33:09 Continuing the leadership journey with Olivya

💡 Get more leadership resources on: riseandplay.io

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it and leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

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Share your opinion on the future of game monetization in their market research survey with a chance to win Gamesforum tickets!

In this episode of Rise and Play, new cohost Tiffany Keller joins the podcast. Tiffany has spent the past decade in product management across several billion dollars plus earning franchises at three of Gaming’s top five acquisitions and the most downloaded games of the decade. She sits down with Joanne Lacey, COO and Board Director at Adinmo, a privacy-first in-game monetization platform working with free-to-play mobile game publishers and developers.They dive into her path to the executive suite in multiple ad ecosystem roles that span Board Director of the trade body shaping GDPR for mobile, senior roles in multiple start-ups that have gone on to be acquired by larger companies and a Board Trustee for a cancer charity. Jo shares her leadership philosophy as a “Defender” to foster team cohesion in remote working, even during instability such as the Ukraine conflict. Jo shares how Adinmo is shaping the evolving relationship between the gaming and advertising industries- highlighting the importance of understanding the intersection of player behavior and brand values to create valuable ad experiences in games.

For those experiencing layoffs or wanting a change, Jo advises how your career could branch out into adjacent game ecosystem roles.

Take their survey now for a chance to win Gamesforum tickets: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RGKZDK3

02:46 Introducing Joanne and Adinmo

07:21 Jo's Career Journey

17:58 Leadership and Company Culture

22:04 Navigating the Gaming and Advertising Ecosystem

26:15 Product Market Fit and Industry Trends

34:31 Career Insights and Opportunities

37:51 Conclusion- Take their market research survey now!

💡 Get more leadership resources on:

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We're excited to have on this episode a new podcast host at Rise and Play: Nina Kim. Nina is a Senior game designer who previously worked on games like Merge Dragons, Cozy Grove, and Sea of Thieves. With a deep interest in wholesome mechanics and approaches to well-being, Nina strives to contribute to nurturing creative teams within the industry. Let's give her a warm welcome on the show 👏. In this episode, we interview Crystin Cox, the Director of Business Strategy for Xbox Game Studios Publishing. Crystin shares her journey from theatrical design to a career in gaming, her early experiences in QA, and her transition into leadership roles. We cover leadership practices on how to give feedback in complex corporate environments, effective management training, and how to navigate cultural differences in business. Crystin also talks about her passion for LiveOps, her holistic approach to strategy, and her experience running the podcast 'The Art of LiveOps'.

01:27 Meet Crystin Cox

02:18 Crystin's Journey into Gaming

05:10 Early Leadership Challenges

07:19 Management Training and Growth

13:52 Cultural Influences in Leadership

20:46 Joining Xbox Game Studios

30:29 The Art of LiveOps Podcast

35:32 Future Goals and Balance

Check Crystin's excellent podcast on Live Ops: https://open.spotify.com/show/1CWGHYnXqsXeivngmKqENq

💡 You will find more leadership resources on https://www.riseandplay.io/

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it and leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit riseandplay.substack.com

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In this new episode, we interview Charlotte Lavergne, who shares her journey co-founding Supercosi Games in 2020, a mobile studio focused on evergreen games.

Charlotte shares the context of bootstrapping the company in 2020 until they raised 2M€ in 2022. She also discusses the challenges of raising seed/Series A funding through VCs in 2024, despite having healthy financial results. She explains her strategic process focusing on evergreen games and the multiple iterations that led their team to find their 'hit' title in 2023: Word Search Puzzle Challenge, and how they keep scaling the game in 2024.

This episode is an open-hearted testimonial about the ups and downs of being a game entrepreneur, reminding all founders that whatever you are going through this year, you are not alone. We do the best with what we have and can control, and try to survive the wave(s) 🌊

01:55 Meet Charlotte Lavergne: From Gameloft to Supercosi Games

03:58 Charlotte's Early Career and Transition to Gaming

09:55 Founding Supercosi: The Journey Begins

14:19 Building the Team and Early Prototypes

20:14 Fundraising and Scaling Up

29:14 Challenges and Learnings in 2024

34:43 Final Thoughts and Reflections

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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In this episode, we delve into an inspiring conversation with Emma Delage, CEO of Studio Camelia. Emma shares her journey from working at Ubisoft Paris to founding her own independent game studio based in Montpellier, France. We cover the challenges and wins of starting a new game company, focusing on JRPGs, and navigating the complexities of fundraising and Kickstarter campaigns. Emma's story exemplifies resilience, conviction, and the importance of staying true to one's vision, offering invaluable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs and independent game developers, when plans A, B, C and D fall apart.

Congratulations to Studio Camelia for closing their Kickstarter Campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/studiocamelia/seed-a-vibrant-tribute-to-jrpg-classics

Follow their JRPG Alzara: https://studio-camelia.com/

02:28 Meet Emma Delage: CEO of Studio Camellia

03:46 Emma's Journey Before Studio Camellia

05:36 The Birth of Studio Camelia and JRPG Passion

09:50 Building the Team and Early Challenges

13:47 Funding the Dream: From Surveys to Investors

19:33 Kickstarter Success and Community Support

29:18 Values and Vision: Creating a Unique Studio Culture

32:31 Reflections and Future Aspirations

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

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How to combine games and education, and is there a case for it?

We interview Melissa Cash, co-founder and CEO of PokPok, a company creating educational and engaging digital content for children. They discuss the challenges and strategies of developing non-addictive, educational content for young children, focusing on the importance of designing tools that integrate seamlessly with a parent’s daily life.

Melissa shares insights into her entrepreneurial journey, balancing professional and personal life, and highlights the critical role of networking as a CEO. We also touch on PokPok’s unique approach to early childhood education and the importance of community and collaboration in achieving success.

Pok Pok, raised $3 million in seed funding in 2022. The company was founded in 2019 after it spun out of Snowman, the small studio behind award-winning iOS games Alto’s Adventure, Alto’s Odyssey, Skate City and others.

Pok Pok is a great example of how games can be taken beyond the gaming industry to consumer and educational apps. Learn more about Pok Pok: https://playpokpok.com/

03:02 Melissa's Journey to Pok Pok

12:08 Building the Product

16:09 Marketing and Business Model

19:15 Challenges and Parental Concerns

23:20 Balancing Toddler Activities and Screen Time

24:03 The Healthy Screen Time Debate

24:40 Understanding Pok Pok's Unique Value

26:15 Challenges and Differentiation in the Market

30:36 Team Composition and Educational Approach

33:18 Reflections on Entrepreneurship

39:02 Balancing Family and Business

41:34 Future Plans and Excitement

43:27 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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In this episode, we interview Olya Caliujnaia, the CEO and co-founder at Sanlo.io, on a mission to help game businesses thrive revenues. Olya shares her entrepreneurial journey, from growing up in a family of resilient entrepreneurs, to eventually founding her own company in the gaming industry. Before Sanlo, Olya managed product and growth at Playfish, EA, Getty Images, SigFig, Wells Fargo and worked with early-stage companies as an entrepreneur-in-residence at XYZ Venture Capital.

Olya shares her process, trial and error of finding the right co-founder, the early stages of customer discovery, and the importance of building a committed and complementary co-founder team. Olya also talks about the products Sanlo offers, including web shops and capital financing for gaming companies, and emphasizes the importance of financial health and sustainable monetization, as vital components of a game business.

More on Sanlo.io: https://www.sanlo.io/

01:33 CEO Olya Caliujnaia's Journey: From Product Leader to Gaming Entrepreneur

02:12 The Entrepreneurial Path: Olya's Journey to Founding Sanlo.io

09:41 The Co-Founder Search: Lessons Learned and Finding the Right Match

12:40 Customer Discovery and Product Development Insights, Pivoting to PMF

18:01 Building a Team and Overcoming Challenges in the Gaming Startup World

24:36 SanloToday: Products, Vision, and the Future

29:08 Closing Thoughts and Future Directions

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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We continue our short series on fundraising in games in 2024, following the journey of Sophie Vo, founder of Rise and Play and CEO of Kylan, a new studio created in 2024.

In this episode hosted by Clair Rozain, Sophie shares what she wishes she had known before fundraising and how she would approach it a second time with all she has learned: start by bootstrapping instead of relying solely on VC/fundraising, have a founding team who can build the product, and be critical about your business like an investor.

A hard self-reflection question: If you had to invest your own money in your business, would you do it? If the answer is no, then how can you expect other investors to invest in you too? What do you need to change or pivot to make it investable for yourself?

This episode will provide insights on mistakes to avoid before fundraising with VCs.

00:19 Launching a New Game Company: Insights and Challenges

01:16 Deep Dive into Pitching and Fundraising in 2024

10:06 Understanding the Venture Capital Landscape

22:32 Empowering Women in Gaming and Entrepreneurship

27:41 Reflecting on the Pitching Experience and Looking Ahead

30:21 Closing Thoughts and Future Directions

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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In this episode focused on fundraising, we hear the stories of three powerful women and founders who raised with VCs in seed and round A between 2015 and 2023. All you need to know while you are fundraising with VCs in 2024, and asking yourself, is this the right path for you?

Julia Palatovska, Dorian Games, $19M raised.
Aurora Klæboe Berg, Megacool and Medal TV, $60M raised.
Ioana Hreninciuc, Runware (PicFinder), $3M raised.

Host, Sophie Vo alongside founders Julia Palatovska, Aurora Klæboe Berg, and Ioanna Hreninciuc, share their firsthand experiences and lessons learned from fundraising with VCs, including the importance of iteration on the pitch, building a strong team of co-founders, and the journey from concept to securing investments, as a major responsibility of a CEO role.

We cover the different fundraising rounds, the impact of investors' feedback, and strategies for creating a compelling pitch. Additionally, the episode covers the dynamics of working with co-founders, the realities versus expectations of fundraising, and practical advice for other founders navigating their fundraising efforts in 2024 and beyond.

01:37 The Realities of VC Fundraising: Stories from the Front Lines

07:32 Hope vs. Reality: The Fundraising Experience

21:38 Navigating Feedback and holding Vision in Fundraising

30:10 FOMO, Fundraising Matchmaking

38:05 Advice for Future Fundraisers in 2024

Episode available on Youtube: https://youtu.be/Sig-w3_2aYo

Learn more about Aurora's journey: Our Roller Coaster $1.6m Seed Fundraise

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

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It takes courage to build a game company. It takes courage to decide to close a company. It takes double courage to talk about it and share the learnings.

In this episode, we follow the journey of Shelby Moledina, co-founder of Double Loop Games, from the aspiring start in 2019 to the difficult decision to close the company in 2023.

Shelby shares the story of founding Double Loop Games, focusing on creating mobile games for underserved audiences, particularly women, and the process of building the company from prototyping to fundraising. Despite the eventual closure of Double Loop Games due to market pressures and funding challenges, Shelby's story is one of resilience, strategic pivoting, and commitment to her team until the last day of closing the company.

This episode sheds light on the importance of community support as a founder, self-reflection, and the courage to make tough decisions for the team's well-being and personal integrity.

Double Loop Games raised a seed round of $2.5M in 2020 and $8M in Series A in 2021: https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/double-loop-games-raises-8-million-to-create-meaningfully-charming-mobile-games

02:42 The Founding Story of Double Loop Games

03:12 From Corporate to Co-Founder: Shelby's Transition

15:13 The Early Days of Double Loop: Prototyping and Team Building

20:05 Navigating the Fundraising Landscape: Seed to Series A

28:45 Adapting to a Changing Investment Environment in 2024

32:29 The Evolution of Game Development Strategies

32:30 Insights from Soft Launch Experiences

33:26 Reflecting on the Final Months and Decision to Close

33:42 Pivoting to a New Game Concept

36:11 Exploring the Merge Game Market and Strategy Development

38:56 The Emotional Journey of Shutting Down and Moving Forward

53:20 New Beginnings: From Game Development to Filmmaking

58:57 Reflections and Future Directions

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

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Is that a crazy idea to start a new game company in 2024?!

We are resuming the podcast in May, tackling the multiple challenges of building a new company/studio and surviving in 2024.

We kick off this new season, with the journey of Sophie Vo, founder of Rise and Play and first-time CEO of a game company.

Sophie shares her process of becoming a CEO, the challenges of fundraising and pitching, applying the learnings from 100+ entrepreneurs she interviewed in the podcast, building a company like a studio/product, and the importance of digging into co-founders' team dynamics and trust.

Co-host Claire Rozain interviews Sophie, exploring topics from the necessity of curiosity and learning in leadership roles to practical advice for new founders.

The discussion covers the strategies used by Sophie to navigate her company through difficult times, turning constraints into creative opportunities and not being afraid of making the hard call in times of business crisis.

04:04 Sophie Vo's Leap into Entrepreneurship: Building a Game Company in 2024, why???

09:46 Facing Skepticism and Embracing the Challenge

16:23 The Importance of Continuous Learning and Curiosity

19:50 From Solopreneur to Co-Founder: The Decision to Collaborate

20:09 The Solopreneur Journey and Team Dynamics

21:35 Building an Aligned Founding Team and the Role of a CEO

24:47 Effective Leadership and Role Clarity With Mission Cards

28:02 Building Trust and Embracing Challenges

33:47 Adapting to Market Constraints and Embracing Innovation

36:13 Final Thoughts and Advice for Entrepreneurs in 2024

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

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In this special episode, Sophie Vo shares a heartfelt thank you to the community for their loyalty and support over the past three years, and reveals a major personal update: the start of her new game company, Kylan. This new venture will lead to a short break in podcast content, but we assure listeners that this is just a brief hiatus!

We are onboarding new co-hosts so if you're interested in giving it a try, contact us at sophie@riseandplay.io
Workshop and 1-1 coaching inquiry at sophie@riseandplay.io
Next networking event in Berlin on April 25th: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rise-and-play-x-starberry-x-metacore-networking-brunch-tickets-861332878827?aff=oddtdtcreator

We're back in May! In the meantime, enjoy the evergreen top content from the previous episodes:

91. Founder Jens Begemann's⁠ Retrospective on Running Wooga For Over A Decade

90. Solving the Team Culture Map Puzzle with Jen Donahoe

77. Master Emotionally Charged Conversation

59. How to Plan and Nurture Your Career in Games with Miska Katkoff and Sophie Vo

52. Running your 1:1 in a modern workplace (remote) - with Marko Kecman

43. Coaching episode: Tamara Rose Morales, On Examining Your Life Script

32. What You Did Not Know About UX- with Devon Wyland, Head of UX at Solsten

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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In this episode, we interview Jamie Smith, a principal game designer at People Can Fly, about the challenges and insights into design leadership for AAA development. While agile development with quick feedback loop is common for mobile games, it is not for AAA! So how do you combine the mindset of agility and traditionally long and siloed AAA game development?

Jamie Smith, with over 13 years of experience working on AAA titles like Tom Clancy's The Division, FIFA, and Call of Duty, discusses his career journey, the transition from production roles to a leadership position, and the importance of team autonomy, cross-discipline collaboration, and decision-making structures in delivering successful game projects. The conversation sheds light on the balance between creative direction and the multitude of factors influencing game design, including technical limitations, publisher expectations, and market comparison, aiming to provide valuable insights for improving management skills and understanding the complexity and legacy of AAA game development.

More about Jamie's work and open AAA design learnings: https://youtu.be/q250xvbn9hg?si=kOEbYofqAGMJzVeH

02:42 The Evolution of a Game Designer, from IC to Leader

12:01 Leading Teams and Defining Quality in AAA Game Design

17:00 Navigating Conflicts and Priorities in Game Development

23:35 Adopting a Holistic Approach to Game Design

29:57 Reflecting on 13 Years in AAA Game Development

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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In this episode, we deconstruct the success of Beatstar, from the lens of design and company culture at Space Ape Games, with our special guest Charmie Kim, Game lead at Space Ape Games.

We explore the evolution of game development from first-mover advantages beginnings to the complex, research-driven approach necessary in today's competitive market.

Through Charmie's journey from working on Samurai Siege Live Ops to leading the highly successful music game Beatstar, we uncover insights on how to innovate within various game genres, and the importance of research, marketing, and adapting to the market. Beatstar has grossed over $125m and has attracted over 60m players since its launch in September 2021.

Key takeaways: the significance of direct player engagement, the strategic necessity of market research before genre selection, and the pivotal role of diverse team adaptability in meeting contemporary gaming demands.

01:35 Charmie Kim: A Trailblazer in Game Design and Leadership

06:00 Tracing Charmie Kim's Journey from Fashion to Game Design

15:47 The Strategic Shift at Space Ape Games: Exploring New Genres

20:32 Innovating in the Music Game Genre with BeatStar

32:06 The Importance of Market Research in Modern Game Development

37:13 Concluding Thoughts and the Future of Game Development

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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We interview Derk De Geus, co-CEO and Co-Founder of Paladin Studio to explore leadership lessons learned over two decades in the gaming industry. The episode covers the genesis of Paladin Studio, its transition from a service company to a game development studio, and how it navigated challenges and growth without external investment. Bootstrapping successfully a studio is a rare story we hear of these days!

Derk shares insights on the importance of self-awareness, empathetic communication, and aligning one's core being with their professional roles. The discussion delves into the pitfalls of rapid scaling, the benefits of retreats for personal and leadership development, and the significance of creating a supportive and creative company culture.

01:37 The Genesis of Paladin Studio: A 20-Year Journey

03:50 Navigating the Early Days and the Shift to Entertainment Games

09:20 The Evolution of Leadership and Business Strategy

16:14 The CEO's Dilemma: Balancing Creativity and Business and Finding Balance

23:20 Embracing Creativity Beyond Work

24:11 The Synergy of Creative and Business Minds

26:13 The CEO Role Reimagined: Co-CEO for Creative Freedom

26:25 Navigating Operational and Strategic Challenges

28:33 The Transformative Power of Retreats

35:26 Leadership as a Journey of Self-Discovery

39:59 Cultivating a Culture of Shared Values

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Different teams make different games, for different audiences,

In this episode, we interview the duo Caroline Marchal and Charu Desodt, respectively CEO and Studio Director at Interior Night, to share their journey building an innovative AAA studio from scratch.

Interior Night is an independent game studio formed by Quantic Dream and Sony veterans based in London, dedicated to creating innovative interactive stories for a broad and mature audience. They are the crreators of the original interactive drama As Dusk Falls , a new take on narrative games which received unanimous reviews (9/10 IGN, 9/10 GameSpot, 9/10 Steam).

We cover the evolution of the AAA industry, the growth of representation of women in gaming, the journey of starting a new AAA studio and the significance of having a clear vision and being persistent with it. Caroline had a strong vision of a new kind of AAA narrative games she wanted to make for a mature audience (mothers, non gamers, spouses), and supported by a highly experienced diverse team, she materialized that vision successfully with their first title As Dusk Falls.

01:16 Interior Night Studio: A Female-Led Game Development Studio

02:21 The Journey of the Studio Founders: From Game Designers to Studio Leaders

06:26 The Birth of Interior Night: A Leap of Faith into Entrepreneurship

09:44 The Making of 'As Dust Falls': A Unique Interactive Narrative Experience

18:54 The Impact of 'As Dust Falls' on Players: A New Approach to Gaming

22:01 The Journey of Funding and Building a Game Studio

30:38 Reflections on Leadership and the Future of the Gaming Industry

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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In this episode, we follow the journey of Laura Carter, CEO and co-founder of TreesPlease Games, with the mission to bring a positive impact on the planet, through games. After a stellar career at companies such as Natural Motion, Square Enix, The Walt Disney Company and PlayStation Studios, Laura decided in 2019 to take a leap and bring her passion for the planet and business together and found TreesPlease Games.

TreesPlease Games raised $8M in seed funding in 2023: https://mobilegamer.biz/treesplease-games-gets-8m-in-seed-funding-reveals-debut-game-longleaf-valley/

Laura shares about the process of navigating the challenges of starting a company as an initial solo founder, raising funds, assembling a team, making a game that aligns with the company's environmental mission, and managing the operational demands of achieving the company's goals. The team at Trees Please is proud to have planted nearly a million trees through their gaming activity and first casual puzzle title Longleaf Valley. Despite various challenges, TreesPlease aims to continue creating environmentally-themed casual puzzle games, with plans to launch more in 2024.

Learn more about TreesPlease reforestation project:

https://www.treespleasegames.com/real-tree-planting

https://www.edenprojects.org/

01:03 Laura's Journey into Entrepreneurship

03:34 The Birth of TreesPlease Games

05:23 Challenges and Triumphs of Starting a Company

06:57 The Importance of a Supportive Network

07:32 Balancing Motherhood and Entrepreneurship

10:01 Building the Founding Team

10:26 Securing Initial Funding

12:23 The Journey of Building Longleaf Valley

17:35 The Impact of Longleaf Valley, planting 1,000,000 trees

36:51 The Future of TreesPlease Studio

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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The podcast features Kim Nordström, a gaming industry veteran from Paradox Interactive and King, and the author of 'Up, Down, Up', a book about the life cycle phases of gaming startups.

We delve into Kim's analytical approach exploring startup successes and failures, identifying key patterns across companies. Over two years of research, Kim interviewed over a hundred gaming founders, CEOs, and leaders. Relevant topics ranging from the necessity of creative tension and disciplined decision-making in leadership, the four critical phases of development for startup companies as compared to a human life cycle, and the importance of knowing one's purpose in their role as founders or CEOs, and at the different growth and decline phases. Many practical and philosophical insights from the book are highlighted.

02:00 The Author's Gaming and Entrepreneurial Journey

05:28 The Process of Writing the Book

06:31 The Value of the Book

07:04 The Process of Interviewing Companies

08:43 The Structure and Purpose of the Book

14:48 The Importance of Discipline in Success

25:47 The Role of a CEO in a Gaming Company

29:47 Solutions and Challenges in Leadership

30:40 The Role of a CEO and the Importance of Support

33:40 The Struggles of Leadership and the Need for Self-Care

36:04 The Dynamics of Co-Founders and Team Composition

38:32 The Importance of Conflict and Challenge in Team Building

51:12 The Role of a CEO in Different Phases of a Company

54:48 Understanding Your Purpose As a CEO or Founder

Get your copy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/UP-DOWN-companies-succeed-others-ebook/dp/B0CR4D417V

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In 2023, there were 11.89% female CEOs and 8.95% co-founders (reported from 7 different funds) from approximately 400 companies and 1000 founders. It is progress but there is still a long way to go before we see more women accessing positions of CEOs, especially when they are not founding their own company.

In this episode, we interview Veronica Rojas, who climbed the ranks in her career from product marketing at Gameloft to Head of Studio, ultimately becoming the co-CEO at Uken Games. How does someone become a co-CEO/CEO? What does this role imply, and what should one consider before taking on those responsibilities?

The role of co-CEO has emerged more and more in the gaming industry as we recognize that the demands of a CEO role might become overwhelming as the company scales.

04:01 Veronica's Journey into the Gaming Industry

07:34 The Challenges of Starting a Gaming Startup With No Funding and Experience

15:32 Transitioning from Startup to Corporate

24:03 The Role of Product Marketing in Gaming

25:46 Joining UKEN and Rising to Co-CEO

37:05 The Challenges of Being a Co-CEO

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As the gaming industry is maturing, we become aware of the importance of diversity in audience, teams, and leadership. But what about the investment side?

In this episode, we interview Kelly Wallick, the former founder of Indie Megabooth and now a partner at 1Up Ventures, founded in 2019 by Ed Fries (Former Microsoft Vice President). Their mission is to build a diverse and inclusive community of the most talented, experienced, and creative independent game developers in the world. Their portfolio includes noteworthy emerging studios such as Lightforge Games, Superbloom, and Gardens.

We discuss the importance of diversity in the gaming industry, how a team that reflects its audience increases the potential for success, and the role of founders' community building in nurturing success.

Wallick shares her gaming journey leading her to the investment side, the vision for 1Up Venture, and the unique community-centered approach they bring to venture capitalism.

02:19 Kelly's Journey into the Gaming Industry

04:37 The Birth and Growth of Indie Megabooth

06:42 Transitioning to 1Up Venture

10:30 Investment Decision-Making at 1Up

20:45 Betting on Diverse Teams

21:27 Investment Structure and Strategy

22:14 Building a Founders Community within the Gaming Industry

27:16 Challenges and Successes in Community Building from a Venture Side

39:31 How to connect with 1Up

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"What if I build my own company? What if I have more money? Then, I will be happier!"

In this episode, Sophie interviews Miska Katkoff, founder of Deconstructor of Fun and former CEO of Savage Games, to reflect on the journey post-acquisition from PlayStation Studios in 2022.

We discuss the definition of success and the common pressures individuals face in attaining it. Miska shares his personal experience navigating his sense of achievement, dealing with external validation, and the value he places on self-reliance. He discusses the importance of understanding personal values and setting personal goals instead of adopting those prescribed by others. He also encourages listeners to seek therapy as a tool for understanding oneself and promoting mental health. We also touch on the role money plays in their definitions of success.

Link to the MindJournal mentioned in the episode.

00:47 Discussing the Concept of Success

01:38 External Success vs Internal Success

06:24 The Role of Comparison in Success

07:47 The Importance of Setting Personal Goals

11:05 The Role of Money in Defining Success

21:18 The Impact of Material Possessions on Happiness

24:27 The Importance of Therapy in Stressful Times

24:55 The Role of Therapy in Personal Growth

25:54 The Impact of Stress on Personal Relationships

27:13 The Struggles of Startup Life

28:17 The Power of Normalizing Therapy

28:38 Overcoming Prejudices and Resistance to Therapy

29:31 The Importance of Mental Training

30:56 The Journey of Self-Discovery through Therapy

31:24 The Role of Coaching in Personal Development

34:48 The Impact of Upbringing on Success Drive

37:34 The Importance of Self-Realization and Serving Others

44:18 The Power of Journaling and Self-Reflection

45:33 The Persistence of Internal Issues Despite Success

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With thousands of people being laid off in the gaming industry over the past few months, what does it look like to create your own job rather than waiting for the job market to recover?

Matej Lancaric, known for his prominent role in UA in Games, shares his journey as a solopreneur on the podcast. We cover Matej's transition from a corporate career to UA consultancy, his unique approach to providing value to the audience, the evolution of his content creation, and his definition of success. He emphasizes being true to oneself, maintaining authenticity, and cherishing the flexibility provided by being a solopreneur.

If you need help marketing your game, you should reach out to Matej: https://lancaric.me/

Follow his podcast on UA: two-and-a-half gamers.

00:35 Guest Introduction: Matej Lancaric

00:59 Matej's Journey in the Gaming Industry

03:35 Transition to Solopreneurship

05:10 The Power of Authenticity

05:50 The Leap into the Unknown

05:59 The Challenges of Going Solo

06:46 The Importance of Being Yourself

08:13 The Journey of Starting a Newsletter

08:41 The Reality of Launching Games

10:54 The Value of Sharing Knowledge

13:13 The Struggles of Being Criticized

19:50 The Evolution of Content Sharing

22:29 The Importance of Feedback in Solo Work

22:55 Building a Unique and Playful Brand

23:51 The Birth of the Dancing Unicorn and Two and a Half Gamers

24:59 The Evolution of Content Creation and Branding

27:05 The Role of Happiness and Authenticity in Personal Branding

32:46 The Challenges and Rewards of Being a Solopreneur

33:32 Defining Success as a Solopreneur

39:43 The Art of Time Management and Content Creation

41:42 Reflections on the Journey and Future Aspirations

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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In this episode, Mika Tammenkoski, the CEO and co-founder of Metacore shared the evolution of his gaming company since its inception in 2020. From a small team prototyping smartwatch games to novel merge mechanics, the company has grown to 190+ members.

The studio’s first global hit game Merge Mansion already has over 50 million players. Metacore is one of the fastest growing game companies in Europe, with EUR 129 million in revenue in 2022 and a team of 190 professionals. The company has raised EUR 180 million in funding from Supercell and is one of their portfolio companies.

Mika talks about the company's early meetings and experiences, his personal journey into the gaming industry, and the decision to shift focus from new technologies to more established gaming markets.

He also sheds light on the company's culture and the vital importance of a robust talent acquisition strategy. Furthermore, Mika provides insights on Metacore's expansion plans, with a new studio in Berlin and operations extending to other games.

00:00 Introduction and Background of Metacore

00:31 Interview with Mika, CEO and Co-founder of Metacore

01:48 Mika's Journey into the Gaming Industry

04:47 Mika's Experience at Digital Chocolate

08:08 Founding of Everywear Games and Transition to Metacore

10:28 Challenges and Learnings from Previous Ventures

17:06 The Birth of Merge Mansion

18:49 The Testing and Iteration Process of Merge Mansion

23:55 Reflections on the Development Process

27:10 The Journey of Game Development and Company Growth

28:06 Challenges and Learnings from Global Launch

28:43 Understanding the Role of Story and Advertising in Gaming

29:37 The Evolution of Company Culture

30:37 Influence of Other Cultures and the Importance of Adaptability

32:40 The Importance of Talent Acquisition and Internal Growth

34:33 Reflections on Company Growth and Expansion

34:59 The Importance of Defining and Evolving Company Culture

43:18 Looking Forward: Future Aspirations and Expansion Plans for Metacore

47:33 Challenges and Strategies in Scaling Skills and Leadership

48:03 The Role of Community in the Gaming Industry

53:50 Closing Thoughts: The Importance of Inspiration and Continuous Learning

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What would happen if someone leaked their company's full compensation information to the entire company? That's how you can evaluate your readiness to move your company toward an open salaries policy, or not. In the future of work, where more and more employees will prioritize transparency and equality, open salaries are poised to become a standard for Gen Z in Western cultures. If you want to remain competitive in the long term and hiring talents, you may want to consider embracing open salaries.

In this episode, Matt Schembari, CEO at Lightforge Games, shares the research on open salaries and the current state of the open salary movement and provides concrete benefits and challenges from Lightforge's experience practicing open salaries over the past three years.

You can find additional resources from Matt's GDC 2023 talk here.

As a recognition for their effort inpioneering a better culture for the game industry, Lightforge Games received the 2024 Game Changers Awards by Lightspeed and Gamesbeat.

Topics covered:

Why open salaries make sense in specific contexts and how to determine if it applies to your situation.
Steps to initiate open salary practices if you haven't already.
Establishing a company with open salaries from the ground up.
Exploring the pros and cons of open salaries, including potential pitfalls.
Embracing a coaching culture for leaders and employees.

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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🇮🇳 SPECIAL INDIA SERIES 🇮🇳

In this last episode of the series, we unleash India's gaming potential from an investment point of view with Vivek Ramachandran, early-stage investor at Matrix Partners.

We dive into the exciting world of game development and explore the potential of the Indian market.

We discuss the growth of the media and entertainment sector, the rise of mobile gaming, and the opportunities for global distribution. Vivek also shares insights into the challenges and opportunities for game development in India, the talent ecosystem, and the importance of quality and cultural context in game design.

Whether building for the Indian audience or targeting the global market, this episode offers valuable insights for game developers and investors.

Additional IGDC resources on building a VC backable studio in India: https://youtu.be/0y-h1WqUJXI?feature=shared

Topics Discussed:

Introduction of guest Vivek and his background in entrepreneurship, business, investment, and gaming.
The growth and potential of the Indian market in the media and entertainment sector.
Overview of India's digital landscape, including the impact of networking infrastructure and increased accessibility to entertainment.
The rise of mobile gaming in India and its success due to free-to-play models and improved internet access.
Opportunities and challenges in game development in India, including talent, game design, scaling, and user acquisition.
The potential for India-native gameplay formats and adapting games for different audiences.
The role of Matrix Partners in supporting early-stage game developers and the billion-dollar opportunity in the Indian gaming market.
Importance of quality, storytelling, and cultural context in game development.
Localization challenges in a country with multiple languages and the need for a strategic approach.
Insights for both Indian and international game developers looking to enter the Indian market and partner with Matrix Partners.

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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🇮🇳 SPECIAL INDIA SERIES 🇮🇳

In this episode, we follow the journey of Ram Reddy, CEO and co-founder at QuriousBit, and former product leader at Play Simple, which was acquired by MTG in 2021 for $510M.

QuriousBit was founded end of 2022 and raised its funding of $2 million from gaming-focused venture capital firm Lumikai and early-stage investor General Catalyst.

The studio is taking a fresh and innovative approach, both in game design and distribution, to achieve category-leading success in the highly competitive global casual gaming market, given current market conditions. Think of it as a mix of Tetris and Sudoku, with a lot of unique puzzle elements.

But the main reason why we're excited to talk to QuriousBit is the approach of how they built the company, focusing on the culture first. Like Netflix or Valve, they started with a culture handbook of 75 pages, that we will share in this episode!

QuriousBit marks the rise of a new generation of Indian gaming studios that want to leave a sustainable trace with their company, and we're excited to be part of it!

Read more at:
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/funding/gaming-startup-quriousbit-raises-2-million-in-funding-from-lumikai-general-catalyst/articleshow/103993791

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🇮🇳 SPECIAL INDIA SERIES 🇮🇳

In this episode, we go on a captivating journey into the world of gaming and e-sports in India. Joined by Roby John, the CEO of SuperGaming and former co-founder of June Gaming, we discuss the rise of India's gaming industry and the unique player-centric and cultural approach SuperGaming has taken in building its innovative Indo-Futuristic Battle Royale title: Indus.

More about Supergaming: https://www.youtube.com/@supergaming6686

More about Indus: https://www.youtube.com/@IndusGame

Topics Discussed:

Super Gaming's mission to build India's gaming revolution
The development of cross-platform games and SuperPlatform
Roby's background as a teacher and its influence on community-building through gaming
The journey of building June Gaming (Roby's first company) and the lessons learned
The success of Mask Gun and the importance of ground insights
The integration of Indian culture and festivals in their game Indus
The creation of Indus, an Indo-futuristic battle royale game
Super Gaming's focus on data, iterative improvements, and community building
The accessibility of the internet and a young demographic driving the growth of mobile gaming in India
Super Gaming's approach to creating Indian-specific games and storytelling
The significance of representation and empowerment in their games
The incorporation of traditional Indian music and instruments
The upcoming closed beta release and the excitement of player feedback
The talent and collective effort behind Super Gaming's games

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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🇮🇳 SPECIAL INDIA SERIES 🇮🇳

What if AI could be the answer to providing quality education for every child in the world? What if we could leverage tech and entertainment to have a social impact at scale?

That's the world problem Rishi and his Supernova AI team try to crack. In the episode, we go deep inside Supernova's fascinating journey, where the team believes that learning should be fun and interactive instead of just being a passive experience. We live in the age of user-centricity, and like every other product, educational experiences need to be a lot more user-friendly.

Targeted toward kids aged 4-12, the company started by Anirudh(Previously Co-Founded Myra Medicine & exited to medlife), Nawin & Maharishi in 2021 aims to redefine the current passive forms of learning by providing super fun & engaging Live Quizzes, “Byte-Sized” lessons & worksheets on CBSE topics. Every time kids come to one of Supernova’s Live Quizzes, they learn & practice a CBSE math skill in innovative 30-minute sessions.

See for yourself about the incredible capabilities of ⁠Supernova⁠: https://youtu.be/J_hVsEdzZz8

Supernova raised pre-seed funding of $1.1 million in 2022. The pre-seed round was led by Lumikai VC, with participation from Kae Capital, All In Capital, Goodwater Capital & strategic angel investors.

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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🇮🇳 SPECIAL INDIA SERIES 🇮🇳

In this episode, we sit down with Ojas Vipat, the CEO and co-founder of Mayhem Studio ($20 million raised in a Series A round led by Sequoia Capital), to uncover the untapped potential and lack of awareness surrounding the Indian gaming scene. Ojas shares his journey and what led him to break away from the norm and start his studio. We discuss the development of the gaming market in India, the shift towards more popular genres, and the rise of esports.

But what makes Mayhem Studio stand out? Ojas reveals their mission to build for India, showcasing the rich stories and heritage of the country through immersive gaming experiences. Their latest creation, "Underworld Gang Wars," is a mobile shooter game set in a meticulously crafted map called Dhantara, which pays homage to various locations in India. With over 6 million pre-registered players and positive feedback from closed alpha testing, the game is set to take the gaming world by storm.

More about the game here: https://underworldgangwars.com/

Topics discussed:

Development of the gaming market in India
Rise of esports in India
Mayhem Studio's aim to build India as a gaming powerhouse
Emerging community of esports in India and specific trends
Popularity of mobile gaming in India
India's competitive nature and the popularity of other sports
Mayhem Studio's journey and formation
Mayhem Studio's goal of showcasing Indian culture through gaming
Challenges and opportunities in the Indian gaming industry
Mayhem Studio's focus on creating a unique gaming experience
Talent shortage in the gaming industry in India and opportunity for global experts to help

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🇮🇳 SPECIAL INDIA SERIES 🇮🇳

In this episode, we are joined by Oliver Jones, CEO and co-founder of Bombay Play, one of the leading gaming studios in Bengaluru, India. Oliver shares his journey in the gaming industry before founding Bombay Play, from working at Zynga and Glu to founding his first company Moonfrog Labs (acquired for USD 90 million by Stillfront in 2021).

Oliver talks about the booming gaming ecosystem in India and how companies like Zynga and EA established their studios in the country to leverage local talent. He shares how Moonfrog Labs, his first startup, focused on creating content for the Indian market and eventually gained traction leading to the acquisition by Stillfront.

We dive into the challenges and successes of building a gaming company in India, including the importance of bootstrapping, building a strong team, and focusing on a specific genre. Oliver shares insights on their strategy of creating card games with a social casino twist, targeting a gap in the market. Oliver emphasizes the importance of quick iterations, adapting to the market, and taking bold bets in game development.

Check Bombay Play's latest title ⁠Block Heads⁠(a Duel Puzzle Game) in Soft Launch.

Topics Discussed:

The gaming ecosystem in India
Building Moonfrog Labs and Bombay Play
Bootstrapping and generating revenue
Focusing on specific genres
Cultural differences and working culture in India
Creating a purpose-driven culture
Quick iterations and adapting to the market
The future of the Indian gaming market

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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This episode is about the inspiring journey of a resilient young entrepreneur, who is committed to cracking the puzzle of fitness to mobile games for GenZ.

In this episode, we interview Jenny Xu, the CEO of Talofa Games, to discuss her journey in the gaming industry and the creation of their unique fitness RPG game, Run Legends.

Jenny shares her background in the industry, including her previous solo-founded company, JC Soft Inc., and being part of the Niantic Kickstarter Program leading to the creation of Talofa Games.

We dive into the details of Run Legends, a co-op fitness RPG game that combines modern gaming with fitness, aiming to surpass existing fitness gaming options. Learn more about the fitness habits and preferences of Gen Z, and what it takes to create a game experience for GenZ.

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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In this captivating episode, we dive into the revolutionary game publishing model of Kepler Interactive. Join our conversation with Catherine Chew, Senior Director of Investments and Business at Kepler, to uncover the secrets behind their unique co-ownership model.

In 2021, Kepler has raised $120 million from NetEase in a financing round as part of its launch.

At Kepler, studio founders become co-owners with a say in the decision-making process of the collective and are able to utilize the benefits that a model like this can provide. Marketing, operations, finance, publishing, technology and even team expertise: the combination of resources enables each studio to achieve their goals, all while maintaining creative freedom.

Among the founding studios at Kepler: A44, Alpha Channel, Awaceb, Ebb Software, Shapefarm, Sloclap and Timberline. The company's executive team is led by the founders of independent video game fund Kowloon Nights.

A co-ownership model sounds great on paper, but how does it work in practice?

Join us for an insightful conversation that will change the way you think about game development and publishing!

Topics Discussed:

Kepler Interactive's co-ownership model and its impact on game publishing
Cat's journey from consulting to joining Kepler Interactive
The origins of the disruptive publishing model created by the founders of Kepler
How Kepler strives for alignment and collaboration among studios
The criteria Kepler looks for when considering new studios to join the collective
The power of collaboration and synergy among studios within Kepler
Kepler's commitment to sustainable growth and organic expansion
The trade-off between rapid scaling and long-term sustainability in the gaming industry
Kepler's vision for the future and their commitment to unique gaming experiences

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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In this episode of the podcast, we interview Antti Hattara, CEO and Co-Founder at Starberry Games. We discuss Antti's journey in the mobile gaming industry, from the Digital Chocolate Alumni days to working on popular games like Jelly Splash (Wooga) to starting his own company in 2017. Antti shares his experiences bootstrapping, pivoting the company, securing funding, and navigating the challenges of the industry. We also talk about the growing gaming ecosystem in Berlin.

Starberry is known for its successful title Merge Mayor, released in 2019. We delve into market topics like platforms, merge games, social features, and the importance of making tough decisions as a founder. Antti emphasizes the value of persistence and adaptability in a volatile market.

Topics Discussed:

Antti's journey in the mobile gaming industry
Working on Jelly Splash and other games
Antti's decision to start his own company
Pivoting and securing funding
Challenges in the gaming industry
Merge games and social engagement
Making tough decisions as a founder: how to do the hard things the right way?
Why Berlin is the place to be to open a new studio?

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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In this episode, we invite Niek Tuerlings a seasoned F2P mobile game designer and writer for naavik.co, who previously worked at Spil Games, Wooga, Voodoo, and now at Moonlit Games, a mobile studio based in Berlin.

You can read the latest piece from Niek here: https://naavik.co/deep-dives/evolution-of-hybridcasual-deepdive/

We cover Niek's journey in games and the importance of broadening those 7 extra skills as a designer if you want to grow in the industry:

Game design core skills: UX/features/core gameplay/system design
Player understanding and empathy
Prototyping
Writing and communication skills
Product management, understanding the business of games
Narrative / Storytelling
Leadership

Niek and I built the first casual studio at Voodoo and launched Plantopia in 2020, as the first internal casual game published at Voodoo. We talk about how we approached game development developing casual games with hypercasual speed. We delve into player retention, monetization, and the value of smaller team sizes in F2P games.

Topics discussed:

Building casual games in a hyper-casual way
Career journey as a designer in the gaming industry
Experiences at Wooga and the development of Plantopia
F2P business model and player retention
Writing endeavors and gaining market knowledge
New venture at Moonlit Games and the influence of blockchain technology. Current game: Rogue Nation (⁠Android⁠/⁠iOS⁠) by ⁠moonlitgames.io⁠

If you want to get in touch with Niek:

Blog: ludocious.com

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

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In this episode, we are joined by Oscar Carbonell, currently serving as the Chief of Staff at Rossum, trained Coach and former Product Leader in games. We delve into the world of coaching and people leadership in the gaming industry, shedding light on the essential role it plays in fostering effective leadership and organizational development.

The discussion expands to reflect on the games industry's potential to learn from more mature industries and the power of coaching in supporting CEOs and engaging teams effectively. Sophie and Oscar examine the 3 key leaders' fears and their impact on leadership, as well as the concept of self-responsibility and its correlation with business outcomes. The importance of understanding oneself and resolving personal conflicts is emphasized as a prerequisite for impactful leadership. We also demystify the distinctions between coaching, mentoring, and consulting, with coaching being defined as a process that encourages individuals to find their own answers and lead authentically.

Topics Discussed:

Coaching and people leadership in the gaming industry
The role of a Chief of Staff in game companies
The importance of self-awareness in leadership
3 most common fears and their impact on leadership style
Coaching as a tool for personal growth and self-discovery
The distinction between coaching, mentoring, and consulting
The prerequisites for coaching and the commitment it requires
The transformative power of coaching in personal and professional life

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

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We interview Taehoon Kim, the co-founder and CEO of nWay, the successful multiplayer fighting games company behind Chrono Blades and Power Rangers: Legacy Wars, acquired by Animoca Brands in 2020. TK shares his journey into the gaming industry as a serial entrepreneur, including his experience at Samsung, Real Time Worlds, and founding Nurian Software which was later acquired by Netmarble.

TK shares the journey of nWay, a gaming company focused on delivering the best fighting multiplayer games with various IPs across multiple platforms. We delve into the 10-year evolution of the company, from initially creating games for Facebook, then expanding to mobile, console, and PC, all the way to collaborating with renowned IPs like Power Rangers and WWE.

For the funny anecdote, find out how Street Fighter characters made it into the Power Rangers universe! Disclaimer: The fans were very upset at first! Luckily it has been deescalated with humour!

Key points:

Key business insights on the challenges and rewards of building and selling companies such as Nway and Nurian Software.
Discussion on the significance of teamwork, passion, and pioneering new game experiences.
TK's take on the importance of an idea-driven company culture and avoiding the hiring of people with big egos.
Exploration of the ideal team size for innovative game development and the critical evaluation of culture fit during hiring process.
Insights into the funding and success milestones of Nway's popular games like Power Rangers and WWE.
Discussion about strategic partnerships with IP holders resulting from Nway's success.

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

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In this episode, Sophie Vo is joined by Anton Gorodetsky, the Head of Industry Relations at MyGames. Anton discusses the shift to hybrid work and MyGames' transition to fully distributed teams. They talk about the benefits of remote work, such as finding talent globally and working with international teams.

They also dive into the challenges and considerations of establishing offices and hubs in different locations, including legal and tax implications. Anton emphasizes the importance of analyzing market development and talent concentration when choosing office locations.

Sophie and Anton discuss the success of MyGames' game Rush Royale (over $230M lifetime revenues) and how it was made fully remote with a small, talented team. They emphasize the need for trust and collaboration among team members.

The conversation concludes with a discussion on the impact of different cultures on remote work and the importance of cultural awareness and education.

Topics discussed:

Shift to hybrid work and fully distributed teams
Benefits of remote work
Establishing offices and hubs in different locations
Legal and tax implications
Success of Rush Royale (over 230MM lifetime revenues)
Trust and collaboration in remote teams
Impact of different cultures on remote work

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

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In this latest episode, we welcome Kalle Kaivola, co-founder of Lightheart Entertainment, known for their hit game Mr. Auto Fire (over 16 million downloads). Together, we discuss the company culture and the challenges of building a holacratic culture, inspired by the Teal organization described in the book "Reinventing Organisations" by Frederic Laloux.

Holacracy is a system of self-management where leadership roles are not subject to a traditional hierarchy of command. Instead of having a static job description, individuals in a holacracy assume multiple roles, each associated with a purpose, domain, and accountabilities. It distributes authority and decision-making through a holarchy of self-organizing teams rather than being vested in a management hierarchy.

While it looks great on paper, how does that work in practice? This approach impacts all the layers of what makes a company culture and strategy:

Who joins the company?
Who makes the decisions and on what?
How decisions are being made (not by the CEO or leaders).
Which games are greenlighted?

Four years since its founding, the team has been growing with this core holacratic culture and delivering proven success with Mr. Autofire. Maybe there are aspects that you can take away from a holacratic culture for your own company. How ready are you to let go of control?

🎥 Watch it on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/O4NOnciptDg

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

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In this episode, Sophie Vo, founder of Rise And Play, and Miska Katkoff, former CEO and co-founder of Savage Games, and founder of Deconstructor Of Fun reflect on their key lessons in starting a new company.

We dive into the importance of self-esteem and self-awareness when throwing yourself out there to build your new business and being 100% behind it. We also cover strategies for dealing with negative feedback and the importance of self-reflection and self-evaluation.

The conversation shifts to the common pitfalls of leadership, specifically misalignment within teams. Sophie emphasizes the need for alignment in vision, values, and purpose within a company and highlights the challenges that can arise when co-founders have different motivations.

At the end, we offer avenues on how to achieve deep alignment in your team, through group mediation and sometimes therapy at an individual level.

🎥 Watch it on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/gREnrlUoG5I

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

Have a great week, don't forget to take care of yourself 💜

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In this latest episode, we welcome Martial Valery, co-founder of Oh Bi Bi, a French mobile video game studio known for their latest hit, Frag Pro Shooter (over 150 million downloads).

We are reflecting on over a decade of founding, building, and growing the studio, navigating the ups and downs of the company, including scaling up and down, company and game pivots. Martial opens up about the failures and lessons learned, such as the painful experience of a game flop, disappointment, and losing people. I appreciate how open and humble Martial is in sharing these entrepreneurial mistakes because there is as much to learn from the mistakes (if not more) as there is from the wins.

We will also delve into OBB's unique approach to game development, emphasizing its aim to create fresh, fun, and original games that leave a positive impact on gaming culture. The main lesson learned over a decade is the continued focus on hiring amazing talent and the importance of working with kind-hearted individuals is the foundation of a sustainable business in the gaming industry.

Topics discussed in this episode:

Martial's journey from Gameloft to starting OBB
Challenges faced as a young creative director
Lessons learned from game failures
Importance of company culture and direction, in hindsight
OBB's creative-driven approach to game development
Balancing creativity and business
Hiring practices and company values at OBB
Embracing growth as conscious leaders in the industry

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

Have a great week, don't forget to take care of yourself 💜

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In this episode, we interview Jens Begemann, the former co-founder and CEO of Wooga, the Berlin-based casual mobile games company behind the success of Diamond Dash, Jelly Splash, and June's Journey.

We cover Jen's journey in the gaming industry and the lessons he learned as an entrepreneur that led him to found Wooga in 2008. We also explore the growth of Wooga, its successful games, and the company's shift to mobile gaming. The conversation touches on the significance of company culture, hiring the right people, and the need for constant adaptation in the ever-changing gaming market. We discuss the difficult decisions and strategic mistakes made along the way, as well as the ultimate decision to sell Wooga to Playtika at the end of 2018. Today, when we observe the company's growth and revenues, Wooga is more successful than it has ever been.

Topics covered:

Challenges faced in the dot-com bubble burst in 2000
Importance of having a network and clear vision before starting a company
Growth of Wooga and its early successful games Brain Buddies, Diamond Dash, Bubble Island, Jelly Splash, Pearl's Perils
Shift from Facebook games to mobile games
Importance of company culture and hiring the right people, from the start
Challenges and mistakes made leading to a difficult year with layoffs in 2017
Decision to sell Wooga to Playtika in 2018
Why Playtika was the right choice for Wooga, post-acquisition

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

Have a great week, and don't forget to take care of yourself.

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We say it is essential to build diverse teams for innovation, creativity, and performance. Diversity of individuals sounds great on paper, but how do we make it work as a team in practice? How do you make people who avoid confrontation collaborate with confrontational people? How do you lead a team in an egalitarian way while most of what they've known is hierarchical leadership?

Thank you to our sponsor! Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠go.solsten.io⁠⁠⁠⁠ and mention Rise x Play for a demo and receive a free feature, theme, and art style study included with your Navigator purchase, a $20,000 value. Offer valid through 8/31/23!

In this episode, we deconstruct with Jen Donahoe (Game Marketing and Growth Leader, co-host for Deconstructor Of Fun) The Culture Map book by Erin Meyer, and how we applied the 8 cultural dimensions with teams in our career:

Communicating: Low vs High Context

Evaluating: Direct negative feedback vs Indirect negative feedback

Persuading: Principles- first or Applications-first

Leading: Egalitarian or Hierarchical

Deciding: Consensual or Top-Down

Trusting: Task-based or Relationship-based

Disagreeing: confrontational or non-confrontational

Scheduling: Linear or Flexible Time

No matter where you live or grew up, you need to be intentional about where you stand on the cultural spectrum as a leader and communicate it well to your team. It is not about cultural differences only, but also personality and cognitive differences where the same frameworks apply!

We are taking a break with the podcast and will come back in September with a new series on Change Management! Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠

If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

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"There's a whole bunch of leaders out there who wake up every morning and put on a mask. They transform into their work selves, playing a role they think they're supposed to play. It's like they're living a double life. But let me tell you, it's not easy to keep up this charade.

Behind that mask, these leaders face some serious challenges. They can't catch a decent night's sleep, and anxiety weighs them down day in and day out. Their energy levels go up and down like a yo-yo, and they feel exhausted most of the time..." Steve Cuss.

In this episode, I am talking to Steve Cuss, who has an extensive background in the video games industry, starting his journey in 1994 as a programmer at Intelligent Games and quickly rose through the ranks, eventually becoming the Development Director and co-owner after a successful management buyout. Steve later spent 20 years in leadership roles at EA and then Criterion, leading the development of notable titles including Black, the Burnout series, Star Wars Battlefront, and latterly focusing on the Need for Speed series.

In 2023, Steve decided to take his learnings outside of EA by founding The GamePlan Consultancy to help other leaders be their authentic selves with what he calls Liberated Leadership. Steve has also authored a book titled “Liberated Leadership: Lessons Learned from 20 Years Producing Video Games at EA,” which is scheduled to be published in the summer of 2023. Stay tuned!

If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend. Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog

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You just inherited or built a new team. You've made a mistake of judgment, communication, or decision with the team. Now, the team doesn't like you or trust you but you still need to achieve an outcome together. What do you do? How do you come back from that situation and rebuild trust? It is unfortunately a common leadership story in everyday business.

In this episode, we go through ⁠Jen Donahoe's⁠ 20 years of career and leadership learnings at Disney, Mattel, EA, Zynga, Scopely, and Riot Games as a Growth and Marketing Executive. Moving from one company culture to another is a transition, and you will inevitably make cultural mistakes. Jen and I will share how we used theTrust triangle framework to rebuild trust with our teams, sharing personal and professional anecdotes.

The 3 pillars to rebuild trust are Empathy, Logic, and Authenticity. Check Francis Frei's video for the full framework: https://www.ted.com/talks/frances_frei_how_to_build_and_rebuild_trust

If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend. Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog

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In this episode, we deconstruct with Marina Barthélémy how to make sound financial decisions for your company when things are going well, instead of making those decisions when things are going wrong. Marina has an impressive track record in gaming and finance. She previously worked as the CFO at Amplitude Studios, which SEGA later acquired in 2016. Marina and her co-founder Arthur, recently launched their own gaming fund PixCapital, to support premium studios.

We will cover in this episode how to prepare your company for an exit or funding, how to evaluate the right funding partner, and how to get your team ready for funding with a strong vision, culture, playable, and scope. Those principles apply to any business model in gaming (F2P, premium, web3) when money is less available.

Related episode on Why We Need More Women As Investors: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/riseandplay/episodes/39--Why-We-Need-More-Women-As-Investors---with-Salone-Sehgal-e1lv318/a-a8c2lb2

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Today is a special episode as we're witnessing an intimate leadership conversation between Maria Sayans and Daniel Gray, respectively CEO and Chief Creative Officer at Ustwo Games. What is it to be a leader at Ustwo Games?

Maria will share her leadership evolution from the McKinsey days to CCP Games to later becoming the CEO at Ustwo Games. The key transformation for her was to find her authentic style of leadership beyond the motherly expected leadership style.

We previously recorded this single episode with Maria, if you want to hear more about the company culture at Ustwo Games: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/riseandplay/episodes/42--Making-Games-With-Impact-At-Ustwo-Games---with-Maria-Sayans-e1nn9cs/a-a8h028l

We will also hear from Daniel and how he grew from being a QA manager at Kuju, to being a producer at Lionhead, to later becoming the Chief Creative Officer at Ustwo Games. Daniel contributed to the success of iconic titles such as Monument Valley.

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How do you build the perfect teams based on psychological and motivational traits? How do you create those magical teams at different stages of growth of a company? The people who brought you from 0 to 1 may not be the same ones who help you bring the company from 1 to 10. How do you update your human systems while scaling your company?

We will deconstruct in this episode those questions with Bastian Bergmann, co-founder at Solsten, using the human psychological lens on teams, processes, and culture.

You can find additional resources on the topic with this HBR article written by Bastian and Joe, his co-founder: https://hbr.org/2016/07/a-data-driven-approach-to-group-creativity

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It is difficult to launch and scale a new casual game these days. However, a few studios found a way to survive the turbulences of the market and become antifragile. Hear the business success story of FunCraft, a lean and small casual studio founded in 2019 by ex-EA and Zynga Product Leader Michael Martinez and his co-founder Jason McGuirk. Learn how after failing their first startup Juicebox, the two co-founders came back together to try again, taking the key learnings from the past: focus on rapid development and testing with a lean and experienced team, a discipline and commitment to investing only in the game with the best metrics.

If you don't know yet about this studio, check out their awesome social Word games at https://www.funcraft.com/

If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend. Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: ⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog

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How often do we look back and share openly what led to a studio's closing? While we can learn from success, we can learn as much from failures. And we should, especially given how many studios are unfortunately closing these days.

In this episode, we go back to the story of Skunkworks Games, the makers ofMerge Friends, a notable successful merge game released in 2019 during the rise of other new merge games.

A few years later in 2022, we hear the company is shutting down and filing for bankruptcy. The game is no longer running, the whole team has to go and find a new job. What happened? What can we learn from this story to not repeat similar stories?

Learn from Collin Foss, ex-CPO at Skunkworks Games on the key lessons and postmortem of the studio. As the management, how do you close a company when you know this is the end? How do you communicate it to the team, when and how?

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In this episode previously streamed on 27.04 in partnership with Evolution Nordics, I will share my expertise on the principles of non-violent communication and how they can be applied in a leadership role.

Watch the full online workshop here: https://youtu.be/GDRPJL5Sm30

We will delve into the fundamentals of non-violent communication (framework from Marshall Rosenberg), exploring how it can promote understanding, compassion, and empathy in a leadership context. We will also discuss how leaders can utilize these principles to build stronger relationships with their teams, manage conflicts more effectively, and promote a culture of open and honest communication.
Whether you're a seasoned leader or just starting, learning the NVC framework will help you immediately enhance your communication and leadership skills!

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We are following up on the previous episode recorded with Miska Katkoff (How To Become A Stoic Leader And Control Your Emotions) to continue our applications of Stoicism to leadership and business. We invited this time, Arseny Lebedev, co-founder and CEO of Original Games and ex-Head of Studio at Machine Zone to talk about applying Stoic principles to business decisions. We all have our internal model to make decisions, but is it always reliable?

We will cover the 4 principles of Stoic philosophy: Justice, Bravery, Temperance, and Wisdom, and how you can apply those in the everyday life business. Arseny will share the case that led him to decide to relocate his whole company from Russia to Portugal when the war in Ukraine hit. Those business decisions always have pros and cons in the long term, but how to avoid the worse decisions? That's where a bit of Stoic thinking can help you!

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What is the most fundamental human need: to be seen and recognized for who we are? When holding a management position, how is being yourself a realistic expectation?

We discuss in this new episode with Miska the limitations of being truly yourself as a leader. It is easier and even recommended to be yourself when you're part of a game team (i.e. Product Manager, Producer), to build trust and connection with your team. When you are in a management role (i.e. CEO/C-level/VP, Game Director), your title precedes you, and being too much "yourself" can have damaging consequences for people and create an environment of anxiety.

Here are some pitfalls: revealing strategic information in the wrong timing or context, saying something that will be misinterpreted, or saying a bad joke.

We will share in this episode several frameworks of communication: Layer your communication with different groups and audiences. Be close and yourself with the people you need to be close to (your core team), not everyone in the company. Accept being disliked for your image, not for who you truly are. You are not a Lead to be liked. You are a Lead to make the right (and unpopular) decisions for the long-term benefit of the company and team.

Link to the video of the episode: https://youtu.be/FdrnkMVqe6Q

If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend. Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: ⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog

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Maverick Games is a brand-new AAA studio formed by the ex-Forza Horizon Directors. We interview today Harinder Sangha, their COO who shares the foundational journey of the company. Harinder has worked 20 years in tech, and 16 years in the games industry, including building successful studios with a great culture. Sangha is an award-winning studio leader who previously helped form SEGA HARDlight and Sumo Leamington.

Thank you to our sponsor! Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠go.solsten.io⁠⁠⁠⁠ and mention Rise x Play for a demo and receive a free feature, theme, and art style study included with your Navigator purchase, a $20,000 value.Offer valid through 8/31/23.

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How did you start your career in games? Did you also think that working hard, hustling, and reaching "success" at work would bring happiness and fulfillment? How do you reflect on those earlier years of sacrifice for work, that you will never get back? Hear the candid and personal story of the successful Game Designer and Executive Producer Ethan Levy (ex-EP at N3twork and Bioware), also known for hosting The Deconstructor Of Fun podcast, who reflects on his career in games. Ethan shares what he wishes he knew before he began his career and the feeling of regret of sacrificing his personal life for work. Is it ever worth it in the end?

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Getting into an emotionally charged conversation at work is one of the most uncomfortable feelings. As a leader, you cannot really get away from it. You start to feel uncomfortable and anxious about the hard conversation you need to have (i.e. dismissal, reassignment, negative feedback, project canceled, conflict resolution...). Your report can feel it too, so everyone feels uncomfortable. It doesn't help to get anywhere.

So how do you approach those conversations in a more serene way, while showing empathy? The work starts with you getting self-awareness of what the situation is and controlling your feelings, preparing for the talk. Learn from Julie Beaugrand (Head of Studio & VP at Rovio), Benjamin Chevalier (co-founder & COO at Mighty Bear Games), and Sophie Vo (General Manager at Savage Game Studios), who share their experience, their learnings, mistakes, and self-management tools.

Link to Julie's previous episode on Building The Next Casual Hit At Rovio

Link to Ben's previous episode on Building A Western Culture Studio in Asia

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: ⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog

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We often confuse the role of a manager and of a leader. Being a good manager doesn't imply that you are a great leader. Referring back to the episode "How To Lead With A Coaching Mindset" we recorded with Ben and Aaron, a manager's focus is to optimize the outcome of an existing system while maintaining or improving the status quo. A leader's focus is to influence others toward a common goal. A leader sets a direction or changes through influence and extremely good communication.

In this episode, we walk through Ioana Hreninciuc's journey from being the Head of Product at Game Analytics, to becoming the CEO of the company. What was the skill and mental switch required to fulfill the position? What can help you make the switch from "getting things done" to "influencing others to get things done"? The role and responsibilities of a C-level are not for everyone. Is that challenge the right one for you as you look to grow in your career?

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: ⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog

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In this episode, we are continuing on the topic of boundaries with Maria Maunula and Sophie Vo, and how to apply those in the role of Producer. When you are the Producer, everyone comes to you for every day's requests and problems. How do you master "Saying no" more often? Learn the communication tools on how to set clear producer boundaries at work. The best producers keep focus and push back distractions, so they can get things done.

Maria Maunula is currently a Senior Producer at Rovio. She has been a producer with years of experience in the games industry, working on businesses of all sizes, from small startups to big corporations such as Seriously, DoDreams, and Nitro Games.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: ⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog

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“Neurodiversity” explains the unique ways people's brains work. While everyone's brain develops similarly, no two brains function just alike. Being neurodivergent means having a brain that works differently from the average or “neurotypical” person. ADHD, Autism, Dyspraxia, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, and Tourette's syndrome are all examples of neurodiverse conditions. They're diagnostic labels used to explain the diverse ways of thinking, learning, processing, and behaving.

As the leader of your organisation, how inclusive are you of neurodiversity at work? Your employees won't tell you that they're neurodiverse if they don't feel part of an inclusive workplace, or trust that it won't be used against their career progression and performance. How can you be proactive and supportive about it as an employer? What talent opportunities are you missing out on by excluding neurodiverse people?

Learn more about ADHD and mental health conditions from Alice Bowman's testimonial, Product Lead at MAG Interactive. Alice is offering insights into the challenges of some of those mental health conditions, and how it could be a virtue at work and for leaders. Hear ideas of what you can implement in your workplace to be more inclusive for people with mental health challenges. Alice has previously worked for companies such as Trailmix, Netspeak Games, and Outplay Entertainment.

Shout outs:
Safe In Our World as a great wealth of resources and support for mental health in the games industry ✨
Adam Clewes-Boyne whose new community Playing Attention is dedicated to supporting folks with ADHD in the industry 🌟
Dominic Shaw who is constantly advocating for neurodiverse individuals through his work with Ukie - The Association for UK Interactive Entertainment, Autistica and #RaisetheGame 💪

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: ⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog

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You know it, you need to drastically pivot your company otherwise it will go bankrupt. So, what do you do, and how? Nicolas Godement, Managing Director at Twin Sails (previously known as Asmodee Digital) shares the exciting transformation journey of a company that started as a board game IP publisher to a PC and console game publisher. When Nicolas joined the company in 2022 to support the CEO, the financials were not good, the team morale was low. How do you start with that?

Get the practical steps from Nicolas on how to pivot a company strategy, team, and branding. How do you accompany the teams throughout this uncomfortable phase? Those changes don't happen overnight if you want to them be sustainable. They usually take 2 to 3 years. Are you ready to lead that journey in your company?

Thank you to our sponsor! Identify your ideal audience with today's sponsor Solstento streamline development decisions and get to market faster. Visit ⁠go.solsten.io⁠ andmention Rise x Play for a demo and receive 30% offyour first Solsten engagement crafted to your studio’s needs.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play:⁠https://www.riseandplay.io

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What is the one thing that the best CEOs do? They manage themselves and their time, above all. It is easy to get distracted by the everyday buzz, people's requests, emergencies, and life in general. How do C-suite and Executives manage their time and life, to make sure they keep the focus on the few important things? Managing your time guarantees a healthier and more fulfilled life.

In this episode, Simonetta Lulli (CEO at GameHouse) and Ioana Hreninciuc (CPO at Homa, ex-CEO at Game Analytics) share their Monday routines and tools to ensure they stay on top of things. How do they make time for themselves, to think of the big picture? How do they juggle the demand of personal and professional life? How do they incorporate White Space into their daily routine?

You don't need to be a CEO to apply those discipline tools for yourself. But you can learn from successful CEOs!

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/yG2oIWJ74vU

Thank you to our sponsor! Identify your ideal audience with today's sponsor Solsten to streamline development decisions and get to market faster. Visit ⁠solsten.io/contact-us⁠ and mention Rise x Play for a demo and receive 30% off your first Solsten engagement crafted to your studio’s needs.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: ⁠https://www.riseandplay.io

Don't miss out on episode #33 with Simonetta (How To Break The Bias Of Being A Female CEO): https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/rxweBnk4Lyb

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UX design is still a misunderstood field in games. Therefore, it is hard to hire great UX designers who understand games or game designers who deeply understand UX. How do we solve this human and skills puzzle?

In this episode, Olga Marushchak, UX Director at King, will deconstruct what makes a great UX designer. Olga will share practical tools on how to hire and identify great UX designers, when you don't have internally the knowledge yourself. She will also prove that it is possible to hire UX designers without a prior experience in games if they demonstrate certain key skills. Last, how do you train your UX designers in games, once you found the One?

Olga has been working in Game Dev for almost 14 years and has worked in various gaming companies: AAA, small indie startups, and medium-sized organizations such as Playgendary and Wargaming.

To learn more about UX, check out episode #32 What You Did Not Know About UX

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: ⁠https://www.riseandplay.io

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In this new segment of Rise and Play, I sit down with my business partner Miska Katkoff, CEO at Savage Games, and the founder of Deconstructor of FunIn those episodes, we will share with Miska our reflection thoughts on our leadership work at Savage Games.What can you gain from being more Stoic as a leader?As leaders, we tend to believe that we are responsible for everything that happens around us: company outcomes, actions, and behavior of others. The reality is that we have very little control over what’s going on around us. It takes wisdom to know the difference between precisely what we have control over, and what we don’t.“Identify what you can change and what you cannot change. Accept the things you cannot change, and have the courage to act on the things you can change.”The only things you can really control are your perception and actions. So, how do you apply this to your day-to-day business and process of decision-making, especially tough decisions? That's what we will cover in this segment today!

Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/OyIpv-cEViYhttps://youtu.be/OyIpv-cEViY

Thank you to our sponsor! Identify your ideal audience with today's sponsor Solsten to streamline development decisions and get to market faster. Visit solsten.io/contact-us and mention Rise x Play for a demo and receive 30% off your first Solsten engagement crafted to your studio’s needs.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

Read more about How to Lead Teams As A Stoic: https://medium.com/ironsource-levelup/leading-teams-as-a-stoic-1-2-d0045dd024d3

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Saara Bergström is the COO at Next Games, a Finnish mobile game developer recently acquired by Netflix, known for their successful IP mobile titles such as Stranger Things: Puzzle Tales and The Walking Dead: No Man's Land. Saara has had a close to a 15-year career in advertising, product marketing and public relations. At Next Games, where she has worked for nearly 10 years, she pivoted from CMO to COO last year and started a new journey officially in an operations role. In this episode, we will walk you through Next Games' cultural journey and transformation from its early startup days, to the company's financial restructuring, to going IPO, to becoming a Netflix studio.

Thank you to our sponsor! Identify your ideal audience with today's sponsor Solstento streamline development decisions and get to market faster. Visit solsten.io/contact-us andmention Rise x Play for a demo and receive 30% offyour first Solsten engagement crafted to your studio’s needs.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play:https://www.riseandplay.io

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Carol Miu is the CEO of PeopleFun known for the casual hit game Wordscapes. The company has seen tremendous growth from$100MM in annual revenue in 2018 to over $300MM currently. Carol shares her whole journey from joining the company in 2018 as the product leader on Wordscapes to becoming the CEO. Learn how Carol approached scaling an organization of 17 people to a mature organization of 100+ employees, and how to grow the team leaders in a sustainable way. After all, the leaders of an organization are the most influential people to steer the culture and company results.

How do you give the best chances of success and training for your new leaders in the company? Use theEDGE Technique to lead: Explain, Demonstrate, Guide, Enable. How do you ensure that leaders have a manageable number of reports? For a new leader, it should be one report. For an experienced leader, it should be six-seven reports maximum. How are you following those principles?

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

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For the occasion of International Women's Day, I want to celebrate with you all the virtue of Courage. The courage to be ourselves, the courage to change our lives when something is not right, the courage to listen to ourselves and to respect our needs, first.

A month ago, I did something I was really afraid to do: tell a personal story on stage.

The story you are about to hear is a performance I gave on stage at The Bear, a Berlin storytelling event with up to 100 people in the audience. You get up onstage, no notes, and tell a story that is related to a theme (on this evening, it was 'Work'). The more vulnerable you are, the more powerful the story ends up becoming.

I really wanted to do it because I felt I had something to tell. I was afraid because I thought I was not capable of doing it. I thought I would panic on stage and fail. But what I usually do when I face a fearful situation, I dive into it. Because I know I will grow from this, I will learn, even if it is scary.

I hope you will enjoy this special story, that will inspire you to do something daring and fun today, too. For yourself.

Happy International Women's Day!

If you've enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

Video of the show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP850uh36g0

Thanks to The Bear for giving me the space on stage! The piano song is played and composed by James Harper.

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A proven way to build a strong company culture starts from the top, with the leadership. Is this the only way?

Today, we discuss with Jussi Tähtinen, CEO and co-founder of Nitro Games, a Finnish mobile mid-core games studio, on how to build a culture bottom-up. How do you start the process when you want to involve your people in reevaluating your culture? How do you define company values bottom-up, and at which stage of the company should you do it? How often should you update you values and culture? Values are not just pretty words on the wall, so how do you turn them into everyday habits of the company life?

Identify your ideal audience with today's sponsor Solsten to streamline development decisions and get to market faster. Visit solsten.io/contact-us and mention Rise x Play for a demo and receive 30% off your first Solsten engagement crafted to your studio’s needs.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

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What is managing up? While there are plenty of books about how to be a good Leader, there are few to none about how to be a good follower. Why is that?

Wherever you are in this world, you will always report to someone, your boss, a stakeholder, or an investor. Making those relationships work is as important as the relationships you build in your team. How can you apply your empathetic superpowers to your manager? Managing up is good for you, good for your boss, and good for the organization as a whole.

In this episode, we cover how to "Manage Up" with Michail Katkoff (Managing Director at Savage Games Studios and Founder of Deconstructor of Fun)

How to be a good subordinate?
How do you identify the "type" of your manager, and how do you adapt your leadership style for each?
What are the upsides of managing up well?

Full video of the episode here: https://youtu.be/jlXkU0N2UKc

Check out the book Manage Up

More resources from HBR: https://hbr.org/2015/01/what-everyone-should-know-about-managing-up

If you've enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

Managing Up: How to Move up, Win at Work, and Succeed with Any Type of Boss

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In this episode, we cover the journey of Celine Pasula, Managing Director at Ubisoft RedLynx, on the evolution of the studio after the acquisition from Ubisoft. Being a game studio acquired by a big company is no longer a single story these days. So how do you manage this transition to preserve the DNA of your studio, people, and culture? Is this a realistic outcome to expect?

We will cover in the discussion how to tackle strategic communication when you are onboarded as the new General Manager/Managing Director/COO/CEO, post-acquisition. It might be tempting to execute core changes fast, but this will have a cost on the people and culture. You need to go slow, to go fast. Sit down, talk and listen to everyone in the company to understand the history, where is the company now, and where it needs to be.

Celine Pasula has over a decade of leadership experience in top mobile gaming companies including startups and bigger companies. She has been working with experiences on all platforms, mobile and HD. Celine is an expert in leadership, finance, legal and business development and also in building a great company culture.

If you've enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

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According to studies in the US and Europe in 2021, 1 out of 5 of your employees are experiencing a diagnosable mental illness, 53% are saying that their work or work environment negatively impacts their mental health.

While it is an uncomfortable topic for company leaders, we cannot ignore the fact that it is happening on a global scale. What can we do about it and where is the line to draw between an employer and employees?

In this episode, we tackle with Songya Why mental health issues happen and creep into the workplace. Impactful and durable changes happen from the top, so we will provide in this episode tools for leaders to first understand what mental health is about and how they can reflect on their own mental health. We will provide directions on how they can support the mental health of employees through the company environment they create.

Songya Kesler is an EXECUTIVE COACH who is PCC-accredited through the International Coaching Federation, Songya works with business leaders on (1) personal development, (2) leadership, and (3) business strategy. Contact her for coaching inquiries: https://www.songyakesler.com/

Reports and data sources on mental health:

https://www.mindsharepartners.org/mentalhealthatworkreport-2021

https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/the-implications-of-covid-19-for-mental-health-and-substance-use/

who.int/europe/publications/i/item/WHO-EURO-2022-6108-45873-66068

Thank you to our sponsor Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

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Netflix has been in the spotlight since it announced its game platform. How do you approach building a portfolio of games for an entertainment platform? What are the skills required as a Publisher vs a Developer? How do you select the game developers who will be the best partners from the point of view of a publisher?

Leanne Loombe has extensive career developing and publishing games over the past 18 years, working on iconic franchises such as Magic the Gathering, Need for Speed, and League of Legends. She is currently heading up External Games at Netflix and helping to change how we play games through Netflix. In this episode, Leanne shares her learning on Publishing, coming from the lens of a game developer.

Additionally, Leanne is a passionate ambassador for Women In Game and focuses on encouraging women to join the industry and creating diversity in teams through mentorship, panels, and events.

Thank you to our sponsor Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

More info on jobs at Netflix Games: https://jobs.netflix.com/team?slug=netflix-games-studio

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DEI has been a buzzword over the past few years. It has been overused as an employer branding strategy or an attempt to correct inequality in the workplace. But implementing a DEI department, DEI initiatives or training won't resolve the root of the inequality gap. Durable changes start at the company's core (and top): Why do you exist? What is your mission and why caring about DEI will support your mission and values? Only then, you can identify where DEI must be implemented as part of your processes, to reflect the culture and mission you support.

We will cover in this episode with Laura the concrete steps to incorporate DEI in your company: to be part of your hiring process, career development process, and feedback culture.

Laura is an organizational researcher and the former Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Bolt and the current founder of VALIDEI, a research agency specializing in assessments of DEI and scalability. Laura applies a data-informed approach to supporting viable businesses and ways of working.

Thank you to our sponsor Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

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We meet again in this episode with Joakim Achrén, founder of Elite Game Developers, to break the myth of the stressful busy entrepreneur, and that it is actually not good for you. Why is this so hard to talk openly about mental burnout among entrepreneurs and leaders? Why are we holding on that image of control? What's happening under the surface, and what are the long-term consequences in the long run of suppressing negative emotions?

We'll address in this episode:

The definition of burnout. What are the signs? Joakim and I will share our personal experiences.
What can you do once you know you are in a burnout or depressive state? How can therapy help?
What are still the blockers for leaders to seek help and therapy?

Thank you to our sponsor Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

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In this new segment of Rise and Play, I sit down with my business partner Miska Katkoff, CEO at Savage Games, and the founder of Deconstructor of Fun.

In those episodes, we will be sparring thoughts with Miska, reflecting on our leadership work at Savage. Full video of the talk: https://youtu.be/HwlPik-s8kk

Kicking off this segment, we tackle in this episode "How to plan your next career moves?"

How do I approach my career and nurture my Zone of Genius
How did I make the decision to join Savage (instead of building my own company? or continuing my former studio at Voodoo)? It. comes down to the question "How do I want to spend my time? Who do I want to spend time with?"
How does Rise and Play fit into my mission and career growth?
How did I ensure an effective integration at Savage, even before I officially started?
How do you develop your personal branding? And why does it matter? - Why developing your relationship capital is fundamental in growing to leadership roles?

Thank you to our sponsors.

Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.
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Marie Mejerwall has an extensive career in gaming and design. She started in esports in 2001 and in game development in 2008 and has been involved in both ever since. During her career, she worked at studios such as Ubisoft, Warner Bros, Eidos, and Capcom and climbed to become a game director.

Today, she is an advisor to game studios, publishers, and esports companies, and a popular host and event speaker. Marie shares her journey of building her own path in gaming, from engineering, to game design, to game direction, leading teams to building her own business. We talk about women (or the lack of them) in E-sport, what skills are expected of a Game Director, why game design is still such a young and evolving field and how to stay on top of it.

Thank you to our sponsors.

Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.
Appodeal: https://appodeal.com join the all-in-one growth platform for mobile app creators of any size.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

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Perfect timing for this episode, ending the year with reflection thoughts and taking a step back on your life vision! In this episode, we discuss with Tom Hammond (serial entrepreneur in games) a few exercises to help you gain clarity on your life vision: Why do you work, what do you live for? What are your priorities in life (when you are not working)? How are you building a company that will outlive you?

Here are a few tools we are sharing in this episode: value and life vision examination every 6 months, priorities and plans in the 5 core areas of your life (the 5F), envisioning yourIdeal Day, life reflection from the deathbed, create accountability in your life change, timeline and moodograph...

More about Tom Hammond: Tom has been an active contributor to the Live Ops community with his podcast Mastering Retention and recently the UserWise Academy. Tom is sharing his entrepreneurial journey in creating his two companies TheoremReach and UserWise, his company culture and values, and what led him to create the Mastering Retention podcast. To "give back" to the community.

Thank you to our sponsors.

Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.
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Isabelle Henriques has an impressive track record in games: 15 years of experience in management, operations, strategy, and production in the gaming industry. She is Brazilian and has a diverse background in gaming, previously acting as Studio Director and Lead Producer at Maxis and Electronic Arts, and has worked on multiple AAA blockbuster franchises including The Sims, Call of Duty, and Madden.

With solid experience in large AAA companies, Isabelle took a new journey as the co-CEO and COO of Klang Games, one of the best-funded gaming start-ups in Europe and is also acting as the Executive Producer for SEED, an MMO society simulator being developed at Klang.

In this episode, we cover the exciting challenges of joining a startup in a growing phase. How to integrate a leadership team that has history before you and build trust in a sustainable way? What is the pace of change when you come in to improve the culture, organization and process? I can relate a lot to Isabelle's challenges as I joined Savage Games and faced similar challenges. That's what we cover and debate about in this episode!

Thank you to our sponsors.

Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.
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Forest Swartout-Large is the co-founder & COO at Twin Suns Corp, a new fully remote, global video game studio developing action games for console and PC, leveraging existing IPs. Previously, Forest worked on Tomb Raider, Inside, and Hitman, and most recently shipped Hitman III as the Executive Producer. With their new company, Forest aims to make AAA game development more ethical, inclusive, and sustainable. In this episode, learn from Forest how to build large AAA teams who embrace remote work from the start, with no crunch. What are the processes to make such a remote team of 50+ people collaborate well, work in a healthy way, and trust each other?

Thank you to our sponsors.

Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.
Appodeal: https://appodeal.com join the all-in-one growth platform for mobile app creators of any size.

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Should the leader of today be a coach? That's what we cover in this episode with Aaron and Ben, ex-leaders at Riot Games. They are now running a consultancy organization called Valarin to grow holistic leaders across companies and our industry because better leaders make better games. Sharing the same mission as Rise and Play, that's how the three of us met in this episode. We are going back to the basics to remind the mission of a "Leader" vs a "Manager". How a Leader differs from a Manager, and why being a Leader requires different skills such as influencing, setting a vision, managing change, and active listening. What can you learn from being coached or being a coach? Why is it a competitive edge for you to grow your coaching skills now to become the leader of tomorrow?

Thank you to our sponsors.

Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.
Appodeal: https://appodeal.com join the all-in-one growth platform for mobile app creators of any size.

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To get in touch with Ben and Aaron, visit Valarin website here: https://valarinconsulting.com/

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Join us for a special and meta episode on... how to make podcasts! Have you ever considered starting your own podcast, and why should you consider a podcast to create content? That's what we are deconstructing with Lauren Kaye, the founder and host of the podcast She Plays Games. I was so happy to connect with another female podcaster in games, as we are very rare! Learn what you should consider before you create content (on youtube, on a podcast, or any media platform). Learn about our processes on how we design our content, source our guests, and edit our podcast episodes. Even if you're not planning to have your own podcast, this is still a young and untapped media platform you can experiment with!

SHE PLAYS GAMES is a podcast dedicated to celebrating women who work in the games industry. We want to make the various roles in games visible to anyone looking to join the games industry whether through programming, QA, producing, streaming, content creation, and so on.

Thank you to our sponsors.

Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.
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Marko Kecman was my ex Studio co-Lead at Voodoo. During our collaboration time at Voodoo, we spent long hours of thoughtful conversations to rethink how we could make our 1:1s meetings meaningful and impactful. It started with a simple question: What are the 1:1s for? Is it for us (as a manager), or for the people to grow? The format highly depends on what the goal is. We are sharing in this episode actionables on how to run your 1:1s when the primary goal is to develop your people: how to develop their self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and reflection skills? how to grow your future leaders? We will share the coaching tools we learned from being coached and trained (active listening skills, mirroring, the 3 levels of listening...).

Marko is an experienced Product & Project Manager with about 20 years of professional experience. His career started as a full-stack web developer where he quickly grew to become a Tech Lead, having to manage teams of developers.

Thank you to our sponsors.

Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.
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Julia Palatovska is the co-founder and CEO of Dorian, a new creator platform that enables anyone to turn fiction into games and make money out of them! With Dorian, Julia's team is democratizing how digital stories are created (no-code platform), empowering storytellers from all around the world to tell the stories that deserve to be told. Julia shares her journey as an entrepreneur, from Ukraine to the Silicon Valley, leveraging her prior experience as a venture partner at LVP. Julia also gives advice on how to fundraise and pitch, who to hire for an early-stage startup, and why it is important to have more female-founded companies make an exit to bridge the gap in the number of VC funds led by women as well.

Thank you to our sponsors.

Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.
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Read more about Dorian at: https://home.dorian.live/

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Lauren Clinnick is the CEO and co-founder at Lumi Interactive, an Australian, female-founded mobile game studio focused on games that make the world a kinder place. With a focus on social connection and well-being, their latest plant-focused title Kinder World is in development for iOS and Android for a global release in late 2022. Lauren shares her journey, failures, and learning building the game company. She shares how she approaches game development as a marketer exploring platforms like Tik Tok, leveraging the community of the game, getting a deep understanding of the audience, and understanding subculture trends. She shares their fundraising journey, their hurdles as a fully female-founded team, and how they iterated their pitch to finally find the best partner to support their mission and purpose.

Thank you to our sponsors.

Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.
Appodeal: https://appodeal.com join the all-in-one growth platform for mobile app creators of any size.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

Read more about Kinder World and open positions at Lumi Interactive: https://jobs.polymer.co/lumiinteractive

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Who hasn't played The Sims when they were young? The Sims has been part of our lives over the past 20 years and has evolved with our times as we evolved as a society. Join my conversation with Catharina Lavers-Mallet, VP/GM of The Sims & Maxis at EA. We talk about team culture, distributed teams at scale, and the evolution of The Sims franchise.

Prior to EA, Catharina also acted as General Manager and Head of Studio at King. She built and scaled their London games studios and played a key operational and product leadership role in the growth of the company.

Thank you to our sponsors.

Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.
Appodeal: https://appodeal.com join the all-in-one growth platform for mobile app creators of any size.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

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This is our first episode format with 2 guests, addressing the misunderstood and unspoken topics of motherhood and leadership. Betty and Emily share their personal journey as former Executives in big companies (Google, EA, Glu mobile), and what led them to build their own businesses once they became mothers. You will get insights into what is really happening when your employee goes through the experience of parenting, especially as a mother, and why many workplaces today are not adequate anymore for mothers who want to keep growing in their careers.

How could we design a better work environment to support parents and mothers to keep thriving? The change starts with more awareness, education, and appropriate reintegration programs for parents.

Thank you to our sponsors.

Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.
Appodeal: https://appodeal.com join the all-in-one growth platform for mobile app creators of any size.

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About our guests: Betty Lapeyre is a certified Integral Development Coach, who supports people live their lives truthfully and fully. You can book a coaching session with Betty here: https://www.bloomingwithbetty.com/

Emily Yim has over 13 years of experience in mobile games and held several product management leadership roles at companies such as EA, Glu, Dots, and Zynga. Emily gained her mobile gaming expertise in casual and lifestyle genres while working on successful franchises such as Covet Fashion, The Sims Mobile, Two Dots, and SongPop, and has led teams of various sizes.

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Vanessa Rouhani hasn't started her career in games or business. Still, she climbed the career ladders step-by-step thanks to her curiosity, and constant drive to learn and grow, which led her to become the SVP of Publishing and Product Marketing at Jam City. Vanessa shares how she is leading her marketing team at Jam City, focusing on people first while driving results. She also shares openly her vision of an inclusive workplace where mothers in executive roles can professionally thrive while keeping clear personal boundaries. Vanessa advocates how it is important to prioritize your personal life while having ambition for your career. Those are not mutually exclusive.

Prior to joining Jam City, Vanessa served on the Mobile Publishing team at global video game publisher, Electronic Arts. She contributed to the successful launch of highly-rated original and licensed games, such as Star Wars Galaxy of Heroes, The Simpsons Tapped Out, FIFA.

Thank you to our sponsors.

Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.
Appodeal: https://appodeal.com join the all-in-one growth platform for mobile app creators of any size.

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Julie Beaugrand, former VP North Americas Studios at Gameloft and Head of Studio of Toronto, shares her journey building a new game studio at Rovio on a mission to crack the next casual hit game. From her 6 years running a successful large studio in Toronto, operating the hit game Disney Magic Kingdom, she took those learnings to build her new dream team. Take away from this episode how to start your new studio when you are embedded in a company, who to hire as new talents, who to bring with you from previous teams, how to build your network of mentors, and how to approach the current casual market.

Thank you to our sponsors.

Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.
Appodeal: https://appodeal.com join the all-in-one growth platform for mobile app creators of any size.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

Check the open positions in Rovio Toronto.

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Take away from this episode how to think differently about money as an instrument to fulfill your life vision. Do you work for money or is money working for you?

I am debunking the key misconceptions about money and personal finances with Marcela Barrera, the founder of Investors Abroad and financial coach. Are you diversifying your portfolio of assets? Have you started to invest? Do you know the difference between a liability and an asset? Why is there a knowledge gap in finances for women, and what can we do about it? That's what we will bring to you in this episode.

Thank you to our sponsors.

Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.
Appodeal: https://appodeal.com join the all-in-one growth platform for mobile app creators of any size.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

Join and follow Afrogameuses: https://www.afrogameuses.com/

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Hear Jennifer Lufau's insights on how you can effectively repair racial inequality in your organization, and be part of the change too.

Jennifer shares her journey as a young player, not finding representation of herself in games, and what motivated her to later fund the non-profit organization Afrogameuses. Jennifer experienced racism playing online games. She could have remained a silent victim among many others. Instead, she decided to fight against racism and sexism in games and build a supportive community for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People Of Color) who stream, play, and make games. Additionally, Jennifer works as a social media and content manager at Ubisoft.

Thank you to our sponsors.

Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.
Appodeal: https://appodeal.com join the all-in-one growth platform for mobile app creators of any size.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

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In this new season, I am kicking off a series of episodes in the format of coaching discussions, with experts on leadership and self-development themes.

Today, I am sitting down with Tamara Rose, the Founder of Berlin Boss Babes, and a High-Potential and Leadership Coach for women.

Berlin Boss Babes' mission is focused on accelerating female advancement across career, business, and money. Prior to becoming a coach, Tamara was a top executive with 10+ years of experience in corporates and start-ups as a talent consultant.

In this episode, we tackle one of the most challenging life questions: What Do I Want In Life?

Why is this question so hard to address?

A lot of our life scripts come from our childhood, education, and culture. If we never had the chance to examine those, we run on auto-pilot until we hit the wall.

Tamara will share in this episode some practical tools on how to start to examine those questions for yourself:

The 5 Whys
Reconnecting with your inner child's dreams
Prototype your new life
Work with a Coach!

If you liked Tamara, reach out to her for a coaching trial session at tamara@berlinbossbabes.co

More info on her website!

I hope you will enjoy this new format of episodes!

To keep the conversation going, don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

Special thanks to our sponsors who believed in our mission and are making Rise and Play possible!

Game Refinery supports developers to empower game development, research, and ad targeting with the market’s largest dataset on mobile game genres & features, player motivations, and more.
Appodealis an all-in-one growth platform for mobile app creators of any size. Appodeal unlocks access to a new generation of advanced business intelligence tools to help you streamline your product, monetization, and predictive analytics to forecast LTV and ROAS. All, while keeping its customer support responsive, human and available 24/7, whenever you need them.

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I am kicking off a new season for Rise and Play with our special guest Maria Sayans, the CEO at Ustwo Games.

Maria has been helping games companies succeed in the digital space, build great brands, launch games and engage players for nearly two decades. She spent 14 years at EA building online functions and on marketing leadership roles for franchises like Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Dead Space, Star Wars, Mirror’s Edge and Battlefield. In 2015 she joined CCP Games, the Icelandic developer of EVE Online, as their Chief Customer Officer. Since she joined Ustwo games, she has been helping the company evolve beyond their Monument Valley heritage and expand into new platforms and business models.

Among the notable success of Ustwo games: Monument Valley and Alba: A Wildlife Adventure.

In this episode, we are discussing what it takes to build a purpose-driven company culture and create games with meaning.

What are the core values at Ustwo games, and how do they translate those values into team culture and game development?
What is Ustwo's magic recipe for creating meaningful IPs such as Monument Valley and Alba?
How Ustwo made a real impact in the world planting 1M+ trees with the success of Alba

Maria sets the example for a new generation of CEOs who are people and culture-focused. She enables the teams to create at their best, and she walks the talk!

More info about their B-corp certification and Alba's initiatives to plant trees.

To keep the conversation going, don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

Special thanks to our sponsors who believed in our mission and are making Rise and Play possible!

Game Refinery supports developers to empower game development, research, and ad targeting with the market’s largest dataset on mobile game genres & features, player motivations, and more.
Appodealis an all-in-one growth platform for mobile app creators of any size. Appodeal unlocks access to a new generation of advanced business intelligence tools to help you streamline your product, monetization, and predictive analytics to forecast LTV and ROAS. All, while keeping its customer support responsive, human and available 24/7, whenever you need them.

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In this episode, I am talking to Valerie Alfimova who is the CRO at Appodeal Stack, a mobile AdTech and gaming group of companies. Appodeal Stacks’s mission is to enable creators to start and scale successful mobile app businesses.

Valerie is a global sales and marketing executive with more than ten years of experience leading media, mobile AdTech, and gaming ventures. Over the last five years, Valerie has been instrumental in driving the company’s transition from a single product startup to a multi-subsidiary company serving 100K+ mobile app developers worldwide.

Valerie shares her perspective on the role of a strong culture in a company’s success and on what it takes to scale a company from a few employees to a team of around 150 people.

In this episode we will also talk about:

A sports team mindset vs we-are-a-family-here
The role of cultural alignment in a long-term company’s strategy
Skin in the game and how to get your team genuinely invested
How to keep it lean by promoting business units’ mobility

This episode is all about how to build a culture attractive for A-players dedicated to achieving big goals. You don’t want to miss it!

Where To Connect with Valerie Alfimova: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valerie-alfimova

To keep the conversation going, don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

Special thanks to our sponsors who believed in our mission and are making Rise and Play possible!

Game Refinery supports developers to empower game development, research, and ad targeting with the market’s largest dataset on mobile game genres & features, player motivations, and more.
Appodealis an all-in-one growth platform for mobile app creators of any size. Appodeal unlocks access to a new generation of advanced business intelligence tools to help you streamline your product, monetization, and predictive analytics to forecast LTV and ROAS. All, while keeping its customer support responsive, human and available 24/7, whenever you need them.

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Bakyt Aidaralieva is a product management and player experience executive with 9+ years of experience supporting players, leading teams and building tools in companies like Supercell, EA, PlayRaven and Rovio in the Finnish Games Industry. Among the hit mobile games Bakyt has worked with are Hay Day, Clash of Clans, Boom Beach and Simcity Build It. She has built player support and community functions in two startups, the latest company being PlayRaven which was acquired by Rovio Entertainment, the creator of the Angry Birds brand.

Bakyt is driven by learning new things, taking risks, and learning from failures. She shares in this episode her journey starting from Kyrgyzstan to international politics to working in games, to becoming a business coach. Among the highlights of our conversation:

What makes a great empathic leader?
About the importance of finding a balance between personal and professional life. How developing your personal relationships makes you a better leader.
Bakyt's approach to building automated tools for player support, saving the precious full-time of 5 backend developers.
Bakyt's learnings failing a startup, and why the most life important life lessons happen with failure.
What led Bakyt to the path of becoming a life and business coach, helping leaders to be more "whole" in workplaces.

To keep the conversation going, don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

Special thanks to our sponsors who believed in our mission and are making Rise and Play possible!

Game Refinery supports developers to empower game development, research, and ad targeting with the market’s largest dataset on mobile game genres & features, player motivations, and more.
Appodealis an all-in-one growth platform for mobile app creators of any size. Appodeal unlocks access to a new generation of advanced business intelligence tools to help you streamline your product, monetization, and predictive analytics to forecast LTV and ROAS. All, while keeping its customer support responsive, human and available 24/7, whenever you need them.

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Salone Sehgal is the world's first female General Partner of a games and interactive VC fund. She co-founded Lumikai Fund, India's first early-stage interactive media and gaming VC, anchored by the world's largest games and media conglomerates. She has 15+ years of experience as a global games & new media investor, games entrepreneur, and former M&A banker. Previously, she was Principal at London Venture Partners (LVP), Europe's pioneering seed-stage gaming VC (with a track record of backing 40 companies delivering $14Bn in shareholder value).

My conversation with Salone is very insightful and debunks misconceptions about venture partners, investing, and why does venture capital still repeatedly fail female founders?

How and why Salone decided to start her own fund, focusing on India as an underserved market, and female founders
How Salone approaches her team building and managed to hire 40% women to join the fund
Why there is still a barrier for women to join the venture partners world, and what we can do about it
Why the lack of women and diversity among investors is a huge missed opportunity? Even when a female-led team makes it to the deal flow evaluation meetings of VC funds, they often don't progress. Lack of female decision-makers in VC is often cited as a cause for this. There is often no one to champion the deal or resonate with the product (particularly if it's female focused).
Salone's lessons being both a founder and an investor, and how being a founder helps to be a better investor
How Salone overcame the challenges of being the "only woman" or person of color in the rooms of the corporate financial world

I hope this conversation will inspire you to take a step forward in the venture world and be part of the change to have more women as investors.

More resources about venture capital:

NoVenture$ForWomen: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/noventureforwomen-salone-sehgal/
Morgan Stanley statistics: https://www.morganstanley.com/ideas/trillion-dollar-blind-spot-infographic

To keep the conversation going, don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

Special thanks to our sponsors who believed in our mission and are making Rise and Play possible!

Game Refinery supports developers to empower game development, research, and ad targeting with the market’s largest dataset on mobile game genres & features, player motivations, and more.
Appodealis an all-in-one growth platform for mobile app creators of any size. Appodeal unlocks access to a new generation of advanced business intelligence tools to help you streamline your product, monetization, and predictive analytics to forecast LTV and ROAS. All, while keeping its customer support responsive, human and available 24/7, whenever you need them.

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In this episode, I am debunking with Steph all the misconceptions about narrative design, and why this field remains so misunderstood in the gaming industry.

What is narrative design, and why it is not just "writing" for games?
Why narrative design is essential from the concept phase to build long lasting IPs
Why and how diversity enables to create impactful and meaningful stories for players
What is the ROI of narrative design? (bring those insights to your stakeholders)
Fun fact: Steph shares why Chess is a great example of what conceptual narrative design is

Steph is a Canadian working as the Global Narrative Director at Gameloft. Steph started her career in games at Stardoll, a metaverse style sandbox game with tens of millions players, mostly women and girls. Then she joined King in 2014 and worked as the first narrative designer there and eventually global narrative lead there, before she eventually joined Gameloft to lead the Narrative Design team.

I enjoyed so much Steph's passion on narrative design through our conversation. I hope you will learn as much as I did about narrative design.

Enjoy this new episode!

Don't miss out on more leadership content by subscribing to the monthly newsletter at https://www.riseandplay.io/

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In this episode, we are tackling with Kegan all the burning questions you could have about the history and development of the Diablo Franchise:

What is the Product Management approach to Diablo IV, and why is this is a new approach in AAA development?
The important differences in Product Management between F2P mobile and AAA development
What can we learn from the advanced Player Research methods at Blizzard?
The challenges of aligning between PM and Development teams on Diablo, and how Kegan is adding the PM mindset to the creative development process
Learn how Kegan tackled with professionalism and wisdom the situations of "being the only woman in the room" at companies like Blizzard and Riot Games

I deeply enjoyed the authentic and genuine conversation with Kegan, sharing her passion working on Diablo franchise and her personal journey in gaming.

Kegan Clark is the current Director of Product on Diablo IV at Blizzard Entertainment, former head of Business Intelligence on League of Legends Franchise at Riot Games.

Enjoy this new episode!

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Anette Staloy is CMO at the Norwegian games studio Dirtybit. The studio focuses on social multiplayer games, and have grown organically to close to 140 million downloads for their games in the Fun Run series. Dirtybit was founded almost 11 years ago, and Anette has been part of the team for the last 7 years. Anette is also the co-founder and chair of Women in Games Norway.

In this episode, Anette shares her journey growing a small independent studio in Norway, building on top of their Fun Run series success:

How Anette's role has evolved as the CMO of the company over the past 7 years
The challenges of maintaining a big IP versus launching new successful games
The perks and challenges of remaining as an independent studio: ownership vs growth?
How Dirtybit managed to bring their leadership team to full parity and 40% of employees being women. It is possible!
How the work-life balance is at the heart of the culture at Dirtybit, without compromising on execution and delivery

Enjoy this new episode!

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1 - YEAR ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL EPISODE

I often ask other leaders in my podcast interviews: “What keeps you up at night?”When I ask myself this question, I cannot think of anything but “How do I keep my team together on our mission to create something bigger than ourselves?”

This question keeps me busy all the time.

I previously wrote why if you’re looking to achieve in life and business, you first need a great team. Without a team, you’ve got no product — and without a product, no business. (Re-)building a great team takes time, lots of energy, and financial backing. Naturally, I often think about the threats that can endanger the most precious thing I have built over the years: a high-performing, well-functioning, and fun team to work with.

So, what can we do about it?

In this special episode, I reflect my key learnings from the past 3 years building a casual studio from scratch at Voodoo.

Enjoy this new episode!

You can read the full article here

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Noemie has been working in international digital marketing and mobile gaming for the past 10 years.

She has led performance marketing teams for startups like PlayQ and also has experience with bigger companies like Jam City where she led the user acquisition strategy for the launch of the top mobile game Harry Potter Hogwarts Mystery.

She is now the CMO of Air Console, an online video game console for friends and family to play together from TV and their mobile devices.

Topics we discuss:

Why Noémie joined Air Console, moving her marketing focus from the product to the player experience
Noémie's vision of leading lean UA and creative teams in different organization sizes
How Noémie innovated in the marketing launch of Harry Potter Hogwarts Mystery, at Jam City

Enjoy this new episode!

More about Air Console here

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The third season of the podcast is in the making!!!

I would love to get your feedback and suggestions (2-min survey): https://www.surveylegend.com/s/47al

Simonetta joined GameHouse as their new CEO in October last year, to fulfill the mission of becoming the leading provider of casual mobile games for Women. In this episode, Simonetta shares her vision and execution plan to own the "me-time" of the female audience.

Prior to joining GameHouse, Simonetta spent the last several years as Head of Spin Master Studios in Los Angeles, and the President, CEO, and Chairwoman of the Board at Woozworld in Montreal. In her earlier career, she was SVP at Sulake, developers of Habbo, the biggest online virtual game for teens where among other roles she led global marketing, community, advertising, and user growth.

We are discussing in this new episode:

The new vision and mission of GameHouse under Simonetta's leadership
Why Simonetta, as a female CEO, has a competitive edge in executing the mission of owning the "me-time" of the female market
Simonetta's vision of building a great company culture based on: ownership, flexibility, and data-informed decisions
Why it is important to break the bias about female CEOs

Enjoy this new episode!

More about GameHouse openings: here

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The third season of the podcast is in the making!!!

I would love to get your feedback and suggestions (2-min survey): https://www.surveylegend.com/s/47al

Devon has always been drawn to building heartfelt experiences that captivate everyday people and result in long-term value. During her 15-year career including working at Big Fish Games and GSN games, she’s explored the capabilities of UX research and UX design methods within free-to-play mobile game development, resulting in engagement-boosting gameplay optimizations while supercharging her team’s efficiency by aligning the team around the needs of their target audience.

Devon is committed to the well-being of players, which is what drew her to Solsten where she’s leading the design of services that empower companies to craft solutions that fully resonate with people.

In this episode, Devon debunks all the myths and misconceptions about UX:

What is actually UX Design
The limits of designing game experiences based on demographic and group generalizations
Why having a deep understanding of human behavior and psychology is fundamental in UX design
What is the difference between UX Design, UI art, and a UI designer, and why the overused acronym UX/UI is misleading.
When do you need to think about UX? at the very start or at the very end of the design process?
Can we calculate the ROI of UX?

I hope you'll have more light on what UX is and how to make better UX-related decisions, after listening to this episode.

Find more about Solsten

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Ksusha Zito is the CTO and Co-Founder of Superbloom, a new studio focused on mobile lifestyle games. Before starting on the journey of a founder she was a Director of Mobile Engineering at Dots, and a Senior Engineering Manager at the NY Times Games. Ksusha has over a decade of experience in shaping highly scalable and efficient systems that power games played by millions of daily users.

In this episode, Ksusha shares her vision for building the next generation of lifestyle games for the female audience:

Why product matters before tech, at the founding stage
What should be your focus as a CTO in the early days of your gaming startup
How Ksusha juggles between her family life and her role as a CTO. Disclaimer: It is possible! You don't have to choose between being a mother or having a career.
What is her vision with Emily (her co-founder) on company culture and the opportunities of being a full-remote team

Enjoy this new episode!

More about Superbloom and their open positions.

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Laura Taranto has 10+ years of experience in the games industry. She previously worked at Scopely, King and Wooga where she worked on multiple titles including Farm Heroes Saga, Pearl’s Peril, and Diamond Dash!

While most of her experience is running and growing live titles, she has worked on games in all phases of development. She recently joined Big Fish Games last year and is sharing in this episode her exciting challenges of growing the hit title Evermerge.

In this episode, Laura is sharing:

The Product Managament challenges switching from Match3 and Hidden Object games to Merge games
How they operate the Live Ops on the hit title Evermerge at Big Fish Games
The inherent challenges of growing merge games and specifically a game like Evermerge
The compound effect of investing in people before the product

I loved Laura's energy and honesty in sharing her experience, with no filter and BS. Enjoy this new episode!

Book referenced from David Rock: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6516173-coaching-with-the-brain-in-mind

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Mari Aizawa Burns is a multi-media Producer currently working as the Development Director for Tetris® on mobile. She started with live-action television Production, but really built her foundation through 15 years of Production in CG film at Pixar Animation Studios.She moved to games in 2014, first at Telltale Games as Studio Production Manager for IP projects ranging from Game of Thrones, Minecraft and The Walking Dead.

In this episode, Mari is sharing her journey transitioning from animations studio to games production:

What did she learn at Pixar Animation studios and could translate into her work making games?
What is the role of a Development Director, and the fundamental skills you need to thrive in this position?
How her experience as being a first-class waitress has shaped her producer skills in her career?
How to refresh an iconic franchise such as Tetris on mobile?
How to build an effective working and remote culture at N3twork?

Enjoy this new episode!

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Sarah has over 20 years of experience making games. For the past 12 years she has been focusing exclusively on mobile. Most recently she was the VP and GM of the #1 Fashion game, Covet Fashion. Prior to that Sarah worked on The Sims Mobile, various mobile titles at Ngmoco and DeNA as well as Spore, X men- the official game, The Sims 2, The Godfather and James Bond Everything or Nothing.

Sarah could have continued her career path at big companies. But instead, she decided to start her own initiatives and work on projects that give her meaning and allow her to make a bigger impact on the industry.

In this episode, Sarah is sharing with us:

How she led her team on Covet Fashion and built her Leadership team with 90% women
How the Covet Fashion team addressed the sensitive topic of racial diversity in the game
How she made the switch from Glu Mobile to invest her time on meaningful and impactful projects such as WINGS mobile
Why is it hard(er) for women and marginalised communities to get funding, and what we can do about it

Enjoy this new episode.

If you want to support WINGS interactive mobile and join the initiative of supporting more diverse games and teams in the market, reach out to us: https://wingsfund.me/

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Delphine has a unique story on how she brings her athlete mindset to her practices of leadership and building creative teams at King. Delphine is the Head Of Experimentation on Candy Crush and shares her challenges of bringing novelty to an iconic game such as Candy Crush, while satisfying the most loyal players from over a decade.

In this episode, Delphine shares her leadership tools to lead large creative teams (50+ people):

Why Energy is one of your most important resources as a Leader, and how to nurture it
3P approach: People, Product and Process
How to run large teams of 50+ people and break the silos
How to build a solid long term vision for large teams
Managing upward
Why it is important to build your personal branding with intention, for your career progression

Here are the links of the resources mentioned in the episode:

Multipliers book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8310410-multipliers
Why Great Leaders Take Humour Seriously (TED talk): https://youtu.be/uJKDipbCzdc

Enjoy this new episode!

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Maya Hofree is the VP of New Games at Product Madness. She counts 10 years of industry experience, starting as a Product Manager at Jelly Button Games and later became the Product director on big titles such as Pirate Kings, Board Kings and World Series of Poker, when Jelly Button was later acquired by Playtika.

In this episode, Maya shares her new challenges in building the New Games Strategy and Teams at Product Madness. We are covering in our discussion:

How to build a strategy for new games from scratch?
What should be the focus and priorities as the VP of New Games?
Maya's experience leading small teams in a family-friendly environment at Jelly Button to leading a 400-people team at Playtika
How does Maya approach building her long-term vision and career?

Enjoy this new episode!

More about the job openings at Product Madness: https://www.productmadness.com/join-us/

or contact directly Maya if you would like to join her team: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maya-hofree-416a3b2/

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In this second episode, I am speaking with Maryna Iaremenko, a Lead Game Designer specialised in system design with 10 years of experience in F2P. She is currently the Lead Designer (and the one only) at GameHouse and has an amazing career track record. She previously worked at King, Social Point and Gameloft.

In this episode, we tackle:

How to build design processes when you are the only designer in house?
How to approach the design of new concepts?
What are the current game design trends to watch?
What are the challenges of working abroad and in a very different culture from yours?
Why are there so few women in Senior Design positions, and what can we do about it?

Enjoy this new episode!

More about GameHouse and open positions: https://talent.gamehouse.com/

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Welcome to the second season of Rise and Play podcast, where we are focusing on Portraits of Women in Games. In this first episode, I am talking to An Vu, Chief Marketing Officer at Small Giant Games.

In this episode, we will cover the following questions:

What does a CMO do?
How did An build a small and effective UA team of 11 people at Small Giant Games?
How does she lead her team? What is her strategy with UA and creatives, and how do these two parts are collaborating together?
What was her career journey from a UA associate to a CMO position? How did she create these opportunities for herself?

Enjoy this new episode!

More about Small Giant Games: https://www.smallgiantgames.com/

More about the UA Society: https://uasociety.com/

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To kick off the New Year, I wanted to share some thoughts for 2022. In this special episode, I am sharing the journaling methods I have been using at the transition of each year, and key moments of my life.

Instead of focusing on your BIG goals one time a year, conduct regularly self reflection work and journaling instead.

Enjoy this new episode. I wish you a great start for 2022!

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Follow the second season of my MasterClass on building teams for the long term, what I call: Antifragile teams.

In this episode, I share the mindset required as a Lead to build an Antifragile team.

How do you build long-term trust in a group, and how can you influence it as the Team Lead?
Show vulnerability as a Leader, and what does it look like to act vulnerable?
At last, to become Antifragile, you need to face your biggest fears as a Leader. Are you driven by your fears or by the clarity of your thoughts?

Link to the full masterclass video: https://www.riseandplay.io/video/how-to-build-trust-for-the-long-term

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Follow the second season of my MasterClass on building teams for the long term, what I call: Antifragile teams.

What is your main responsibility as the Team Lead?
The 4 steps to build a great environment in a team
How do you create a strong culture with certain values in your team? Where do you start?

Link to the full masterclass video: https://www.riseandplay.io/video/how-to-create-your-studio-culture

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Follow the second season of my MasterClass on building teams for the long term, what I call: Antifragile teams.

What is an Antifragile Team? Why does it matter?
How do you become Antifragile?

Link to the full masterclass video: https://www.riseandplay.io/video/what-is-an-antifragile-team

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From building your vision to the methods to find, screen and select the best candidates for you - I will share my full hiring framework with you. Hiring makes up 50% of the success of your studio, so it is important to get it right! It is worth investing heavily upfront to build a sustainable studio for the long term.

My best practices on running phone screening interviews from 100+ interviews.

- Phone Screening Interview

- Team and Cross interviews

- Identify the Red flags early

Link to the Masterclass video: https://www.riseandplay.io/video/screening-interview

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Crystallise your Team Vision - Who do you need, how many people, which skills for which phase, what team composition should you aim for? Why Diversity matters so much when hiring?

Link to the Masterclass video: https://www.riseandplay.io/video/team-vision

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Define your Studio Mission and Vision - Before you hire, get clarity about your studio mission and vision so you attract the right people for your mission.

Link to the Masterclass video: https://www.riseandplay.io/video/studio-vision-mission

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Start with Why - Your Why is your North Star for every single decision you make. It shapes your behaviour and communication towards others, including new hires. Invest the time to define and crystallise your Why, before building a new studio

Link to the class video: https://www.riseandplay.io/video/start-with-why

Your Personal Values: After you defined your Why, define your own personal values. Your personal values influence everything you do, who you hire, how you make decisions. Make it intentional, not accidental.

Link to the class video: https://www.riseandplay.io/video/define-your-personal-values

Gallup Strengths Test: https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/252137/home.aspx

Enneagram Test: https://www.truity.com/test/enneagram-personality-test

Big 5 Personality Traits: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Five_personality_traits

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In this last episode of the Season 1 of Rise and Play Podcast, I am thrilled to have the one and only Mishka as a guest. Mishka is the CEO and founder of Savage Game Studios and the founder of Deconstructor of Fun.

We are addressing several topics in this episode:

How Deconstructor of Fun started from an accident and a discovery process
Why and how should you start to create your own content to elevate the industry
What's behind the name and culture of Savage Game Studios
Tips on how to handle exit interviews, keeper test, probation periods
Mishka's vision on the importance of the diversity of mind over ethnical diversity only
The challenges and responsibility to be a CEO and step away from day-to-day operations

Enjoy this last episode! Stay tuned for the Season 2 we are preparing for winter 2021!

More about Savage Game Culture at: https://www.savagegamestudios.com/culture

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Georgina is the COO & Co-founder of Talewind, a studio with a mission to create incredibly fun and engaging gaming experiences for the metaverse, starting with Roblox! At Talewind she is responsible for the operational running of the business and is typically known as the Head of Happiness! The health and wellbeing of the team are always a top priority and she has her finger constantly on the pulse of ways in which she can innovate best working practices. She has proven passion and success in building diverse, high functioning, emotionally intelligent teams and operations for the Games industry.

In this episode, we cover how she started the company Talewind with her co-founder and partner Mike Allender. We will also cover the company culture they consciously built, valuing kindness, positive impact, sustainability and education. For example, they applied the model of a 4-day workweek.

Enjoy this new episode!

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In this new episode, I have the pleasure to have Tom Hammond as my guest. Tom has been an active contributor to the Live Ops community with his podcast Mastering Retention and recently the UserWise Academy. Tom is sharing his entrepreneurial journey creating his two companies TheoremReach and UserWise, his company culture and values, and what led him to create the Mastering Retention podcast. To "give back" to the community.

I recommend his podcast as there is a lot of valuable and tangible content about Live Ops.

Enjoy this new episode!

Mastering Retention Podcast: https://userwise.io/podcast/mastering-retention-podcast-presented-by-userwise/

UserWise Academy: https://userwise.io/academy/

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In this new episode, I am talking to Carolin Krenzer, the CEO and co-founder of Trailmix, a London based studio which focuses on combining great storytelling with the best of free-to-play mobile gaming as well as creating a space for people to be the best version of themselves. Their latest title is Love & Pies, taking an innovative twist on the puzzle hybrid genre.

Carolin has an impressive background in gaming. Before founding Trailmix, she worked as VP & Head of Studio for King. She joined the company in 2012 to help set up the London studio and bring the studio’s first title Farm Heroes Saga to life. Carolin also worked at EA/ Playfish as a Director of Product Management.

We address in this episode, how Carolin started her new company Trailmix with her co-founder and ex-King colleague Tristan. As co-founders, they spent 6 months before the company founding to discuss and set up a clear vision, mission and culture for their company. Their studio is backed by Supercell.

Enjoy this new episode!

More about Trailmix: https://www.trailmixgames.com/

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In this new podcast episode, I am talking to Benjamin Chevalier, one of the co-founders of Mighty Bear Games. With Simon Davis and Fadzuli Said his two other co-founder, they started Mighty Bear Games in Singapore in early 2017 with ex-King colleagues and grew the studio to 50+ team members after two rounds of funding. Mighty Bear Games has been known lately for their successful title 'Butter Royale' on Apple Arcade.

We tackle the vision and company culture the co-founders established from the beginning, focusing on honesty and transparency. How they run their company with integrity and 'walk the talk'. We address the challenges and opportunities they faced by building a studio with the Western mindset in a Southeast Asian hub such as Singapore.

My discussion with Ben was very inspiring to see how a value-based company can look like. Without compromising on getting things done and achieving financial results.

Enjoy this new episode!

Mighty Bear Games blog: https://medium.com/mighty-bear-games

Shane Parish podcast: https://fs.blog/knowledge-project/

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In this new episode, I am talking to Tatiana Kondratyeva, CEO & co-founder at Playpack, a new company formed in early 2021 focused on making games for an underserved audience with meaningful social interactions. Tatiana started her career in games more than 13 years ago. Games were always her biggest passion and she made it all the way up from being in QA to her current role of CEO and co-founder at Playpack. Tatiana has an amazing track record in the industry. She has worked at Wooga and Etermax, and beforehand she’s been working at Glu Mobile at the times where mobile Free-to-pay games were just on a rising trend.

We tackle in this episode how Tatiana formed her new company, how she found her co-founders, and how they defined together their company mission and values.

Enjoy this new episode!

Open positions at Playpack: https://www.playpack.games/

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In this new episode, I have the pleasure to talk to Taina Myöhänen, the president of We In Games Finland (formerly named Women in Games Finland). We tackle with Taina the sensible topics of diversity, inclusivity, women in games... and what it means concretely for We in Games, and how these important topics are handled in the community. I love the Finnish gaming community for their progressive thinking and thoughtfulness on diversity and equality. Not being afraid to tackle the hard things. I believe many could benefit from the practices from We In Games, whether you are running your own community or are in a position of leadership.

Enjoy this new episode!

More about We In Games Finland: https://weingames.fi/

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Kam Punia started his career in the games industry at Konami working with IP’s such as Metal Gear Solid and Silent Hill before leading the Yugioh Brand in Europe. He is now the founder and CEO of Pixion Games (new unannounced game launched soon).

In this new episode, Kam shares how he found at 14 years old his passion to create games to connect meaningfully people together. Kam also shares how he established the SUPREME Culture at his studio: Supportive, United, Positive, Respectful, Efficient, Merry and Encouraging. To him, his role as the CEO is not to control the team but to enable and encourage the team to succeed.

Enjoy this new episode!

More about Pixion games at: https://pixiongames.com/

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In this special episode, I share about my personal journey on what led me to a career path as a Leader in games, my life "drivers" and what led me to create Rise and Play early 2021.

The story I am sharing is not something I have shared publicly anywhere before. I feel comfortable to share it in this podcast as the result of my own reflection work, to also give more light of what's behind the curtains of leaders who seem to "have it altogether".

I hope this episode will inspire you to look inwards, and be brave to share the findings with your safe circles.

Enjoy this special episode!

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In this new episode, I am talking to Annina Salvén, CFO at Next Games. Annina has an impressive and inspiring journey, starting as a Chef to later become the CFO of Next Games which went public in 2017.

Annina walks us through her journey as a CFO and how she handled the difficult times of the company during the layoff wave in 2019. Annina shares openly her personal experience as a female leader in a male-dominated environment and the shocking bias she is going through with her high position. Beyond her C-level responsibilities, Annina has been publicly active advocating for Diversity and Inclusion and championing it at Next Games too.

Enjoy this new episode!

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Ivanna Pogrebniak is the Executive Director at AB Games (who released the successful title: Hidden City). Ivanna has an impressive career of 12 years working in IT, plus 3 years in the gaming industry. After working as a corporate lawyer just for half a year at AB games, Ivanna got offered the position of CEO of the company.

She shares her career debut as a female CEO in an industry where she had little experience, the challenges she faced, and how she overcame them. Ivanna shares her mental models and routines to handle her busy life between the family (married, with 3 children), her CEO responsibilities, and her own needs. One thing she will never compromise on is to continue to learn and develop herself.

Additionally, Ivanna is an active member of the Ukrainian IT and Gamedev community and a driver of the Ukrainian Gamedev Association with initiatives such as the AB library that she is leading.

More about AB games: https://ab-games.com/en/

More about AB library: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKj2OS1lj8lwMTmdaf9roPQ

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In this episode, I am talking to Audrey Leprince who has an impressive background in gaming. Audrey started in the industry as a game designer and producer for Ubisoft and Quantic Dream on AAA games. She is now the co-founder of the indie studio The Game Bakers, behind games like Haven or Furi. Audrey is advocating for diversity in the games industry: she co-founded WINGS in 2019, an international mini-fund only focusing on funding games by women and marginalised genders developers and founded Women in Games France. She’s also on the board of the French Video Game Trade Association.

Through the episode, we talk about the culture of freedom and flexibility they created at The Game Bakers, a self-funded studio. We also talk openly about how being a mother led Audrey to take a leap into funding WIG France and WINGS.

You can apply your game at WINGS: https://wingsfund.me/

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In this episode, Joakim and I cover how Elite Game Developers started: how the platform grew up to 3,000+ subscribers in 2 years, what was the reasoning behind the content creation, and what is the ambition with the platform going forward.

Joakim shares few pieces of wisdom about his life values and priorities, why he decided to not start another company to create Elite Game Developers instead, a great platform of content for founders to not repeat the common mistakes and pitfalls in the industry. We also touch on the topic of angel investing, and why it is important to continue to support the ecosystem of founders.

Joakim Achrén is a gaming entrepreneur, with fifteen years of experience from two venture-backed gaming startups, including Next Games, which IPO-ed in 2107. Joakim is now running Elite Game Developers, a company that helps entrepreneurs start their first games company. He's also an angel investor in Skunkworks Games, Lightheart Entertainment, Savage Game Studios, and more. Joakim recently took on the role of Venture Partner at Play Ventures.

More about Elite Game Developers: https://elitegamedevelopers.com/

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In this episode, I am tapping into Tara's motivations who moved away from her long experience in the game industry as a designer, to build her own coding school to support a new generation of game creators.

Tara Mustapha (she/her) is an award-winning, seasoned game designer and producer. Her experience in gaming is vast, as she's worked with Backbone Entertainment, Microsoft, and EA on titles such as the Skate series, Monster Lab and Death Jr. Her bewitching work doesn't stop at game design and production, as she and Code Coven have been recognized for their work by The Game Awards: Future Class, Women in Games Global Awards and MCV/Develop Awards.

She founded Code Coven in 2019, with the aim of making careers in the games industry achievable and nurturing for marginalised communities. She's passionate about amplifying underrepresented voices, and through her educational work with Code Coven seeks to give them the building blocks to make their magic happen.

Learn more about Code Coven at: https://codecoven.co/

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In this episode, Drussila Hollanda (ex-Supercell) takes us through her journey which led her to start her recent company Papukaya (backed by Supercell). She shares with us her vision of a world where everyone, regardless of their background or age, would have a great game to play. She will also share her mental models in making tough decisions, how she built the culture in the new company and the origins behind the mysterious name "Papukaya"...

Enjoy this very first episode of Rise and Play!

More about Papukaya at https://www.papukaya.com/

Open positions: https://www.papukaya.com/careers

Rise and Play Podcast: Recent Episodes

Sophie Vo

NoVenture$ForWomen: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/noventureforwomen-salone-sehgal/