#51 – Joni Lappalainen: Why Most Game Studios Burn Out & How to Build One That Ships

What does it really take to build and lead a game studio that actually ships, without burning people out?

Today, I'm joined by Joni Lappalainen, CEO and Co-founder of Dreamloop Games, who breaks down 10+ years of studio leadership, risk management, sustainable growth, and why overwork culture quietly destroys teams.

We dive into time tracking, “hero complex,” healthy crunch, service leadership, AI myths, mentoring, and what founders consistently get wrong about productivity and success in the game industry.

If you're a game developer, studio founder, producer, or leader who want longevity, not just hype, this episode is for you.

Connect with Joni:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joni-lappalainen-dreamloop/
X: https://x.com/dlg_joni
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joni_dlg_official/

Connect with Harry:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokou
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou

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Chapters:
00:00 Intro
02:26 Joni’s unconventional path into games
05:06 Starting a studio after 3 months as a junior dev
08:39 Dreamloop’s risk-management philosophy
13:18 What problem Joni is focused on solving today
14:04 Why Dreamloop tracks employee work hours
15:48 The “hero complex” and why overworking backfires
18:15 Rest, creativity, and why productivity myths fail
23:51 How to talk about burn out with your team
25:48 996 culture vs sustainable careers
32:38 Is crunch ever acceptable? How to do it safely
35:37 Calendars, boundaries, and the “not-to-do list”
39:25 What great leadership actually looks like
41:51 Building trust so teams speak up early
48:00 How to run effective 1-on-1s
50:56 Loneliness, connection, and performance at work
55:38 AI in game development: hype vs reality
01:00:59 How not to use AI
01:03:35 Hardest part of building Dreamloop
01:05:15 Mentorship, asking for help, and learning faster
01:09:36 Final thoughts and recommendations