Kevin Chou

Kevin Chou, founder of Kabam and Rally, dives into the transformative power of NFTs and social tokens in the creator economy. He explores how these digital assets are reshaping income opportunities for artists, musicians, and writers. Chou discusses the shift towards user-controlled applications and the importance of community engagement in digital spaces. He highlights innovative models that empower creators, enabling direct monetization and fostering deeper connections with their fans in ways never possible before.

Kevin is the co-founder + CEO of Rally,  a platform that allows creators to launch their own digital currency + build independent economies with their communities. He's also Chairman of Gen.G, an esports enterprise bridging Asia and North America. Previously, Kevin co-founded Kabam, a top mobile gaming company that grew to $400M/yr in revenue, 500+ million players and sold for nearly $1 billion. Watch + subscribe on YouTube: https://youtu.be/mlSl5q_n9xU Get every episode + giveaways sent to your inbox: https://www.creatorlab.fm/subscribe/ Let us know what you think on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bzaidi​ https://twitter.com/kevinchou In this conversation you'll learn about: emerging waves like AI, crypto, climate change + biotech evolution of the gaming industry + its business models rise of social gaming, esports, live streaming + where we're today gartner's hype cycle + how this applies to crypto how Rally is empowering creators to develop their own economies why there's a need for decentralized alternatives Timestamps: 0:00:00 – Preview Of Convo 0:02:19 – Sponsor Break 0:03:08 – Intro + Kevin’s Interest In Gaming 0:07:00 – 50 Games + 500mil Users 0:08:23 – Moment You Understand Ownership 0:14:59 – Hype Cycles + “Finding Something New” 0:20:57 – Other Waves: AI, Climate Change, Biotech 0:23:11 – What Is Rally? 0:24:02 – How Creator’s Use Rally 0:31:02 – What Are The Alternatives? 0:33:22 – NFT vs creator coin + creating an economy 0:37:49 – Why is it beneficial for a game to have its own currency? 0:46:04 – Kabam – Building A Billion Dollar Gaming Company 0:48:39 – Evolution Of Gaming Industry – 2.5bil People Playing Games 0:52:06 – Impact Of Social + Mobile On Gaming 0:53:38 – Gaming Business Models – Virtual Goods, Micro Transactions, Ads 0:56:04 – Fortnight 0:57:24 – Psychology Of Buying Virtual Goods 1:00:31 – Streaming – Watching People Play Games 1:04:54 – Rise of esports 1:09:33 – esports vs traditional sports 1:12:25 – NFTs + Vectors Of Opportunity 1:13:16 – Crypto Transcends Nations 1:16:56 – Digital Gold + Oil 1:18:44 – Problems with government money printing, dollars are worthless 1:23:31 – Price Volatility + Stable Coins 1:25:59 – Putting Bitcoin On Your Balance Sheet 1:29:43 – What does a decentralized alternative look like 1:33:37 – Decentralized social networks? 1:34:43 – “there is no corporation who runs email” 1:37:07 – Investing 1:39:34 – How to participate in crypto Thank you to our sponsors: Space - the easiest way to engage your team over audio: http://www.JoinSpace.co Micro Acquire - the largest startup acquisition marketplace, join 50k+ others and buy or sell your startup: http://www.microacquire.com

Kevin Chou, the visionary founder and CEO of Forte, shares his insights on the gaming industry's evolution from traditional models to free-to-play dynamics. He discusses the challenges of balancing profit motives with player satisfaction, highlighting the 'dark side' of monetization strategies. Chou explores the transformative potential of blockchain technology in redefining economic relationships within gaming, envisioning a future of player ownership and vibrant in-game economies. His perspectives on community-driven development and decentralized systems offer a fresh look at the industry's path forward.