Exploring Minecraft's World of Builders & Businesses

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May 20, 2025

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ANECDOTE

Raf's Minecraft Origin Story

Raf started as a kid making Minecraft worlds and servers for fun before founding Spark Universe.
They took it seriously around 2015-16, growing into a major Minecraft creative studio.

ANECDOTE

Zed's Server Journey

Zed went from a bad Minecraft player to running Minecraft servers with friends.
He joined CubeCraft around age 15 and helped grow it to a large multiplayer platform.

INSIGHT

Minecraft's Dual Ecosystem Explained

Minecraft has two separate versions: Java (original, PC) and Bedrock (consoles, mobile).
Each has distinct ecosystems, modding cultures, and content creation methods, complicating the creator landscape.

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In today's episode, host David Taylor dives into the world of Minecraft’s massive creator ecosystem with two of its most influential creators:

Raf is the co-founder of Spark Universe, a studio behind one of the most widely used Minecraft tools, Essential Mod, which connects millions of players through a live services platform. With over 50 million downloads and nearly 2 million monthly active users, Spark Universe is one of the largest Minecraft creative studios. Spark Universe also led the development of all official in-game content tied to the Minecraft Movie, including a DLC, Add-On, and a live event.

Zed is the Director of CubeCraft Games, one of the most popular Minecraft multiplayer servers in the world. Since launching in 2012 and becoming a Minecraft Partner in 2017, CubeCraft has reached over 100 million players. Known for its fast-paced minigames and long-form experiences like Skyblock, CubeCraft continues to be a staple in the Minecraft multiplayer community.

We’d also like to thank Reforged Labs for making this episode possible. This YC startup automates the traditionally costly and time-consuming ad production process, delivering high-quality, cost-effective video ads in under 24 hours – and it’s all powered by a proprietary AI engine trained on thousands of successful game ads. Learn more: https://reforgedlabs.com/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=naavik_promo&utm_id=naavik+promo&utm_term=newsletter&utm_content=october30

We’d also like to thank Heroic Labs for making this episode possible! Thousands of studios have trusted Heroic Labs to help them focus on their games and not worry about gametech or scaling for success. To learn more and reach out, visit https://heroiclabs.com/?utm_source=Naavik&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=Podcast

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Sound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.