Ilkka Paananen

Ilkka Paananen, Co-founder and CEO of Supercell, shares his journey of transforming the gaming industry with a unique company culture that empowers developers. He reveals the bold decision to pivot from an early cross-platform strategy to focusing solely on mobile gaming, leading to hits like Clash of Clans and Brawl Stars. Joost van Dreunen provides insights on Supercell's evolving market strategy and challenges, including their creative approach to failures and a bold reinvention for the AI era, ensuring the company remains resilient and innovative.

Ilkka Paananen, the Founder and CEO of Supercell, shares insights from his journey building a mobile gaming empire known for hits like Clash of Clans. He discusses Supercell's unique culture of decentralized teams that prioritize creativity and autonomy. Trust and responsibility are highlighted as crucial in game development, along with the importance of celebrating failures as a stepping stone to innovation. Paananen also explores the significance of player retention, emphasizing community engagement as key to creating lasting gaming experiences.

Ilkka Paananen, CEO and cofounder of Supercell, the Finnish powerhouse behind hits like Clash of Clans, dives deep into the secrets of successful game development. He reveals how empowering independent teams, or 'cells', fosters creativity and innovation. Paananen emphasizes the importance of learning from failures and urges a balanced approach to merging tradition with new features. He also highlights the transformative role of AI in gaming and shares insights on nurturing European entrepreneurship through investment and community collaboration.