Rise and Play Podcast

Three female founders share their VC fundraising experiences, highlighting the importance of pitch iteration, team building, and journey from concept to investment. They discuss feedback, FOMO, and offer advice for future fundraisers in 2024.

Co-founder Shelby Moledina shares the journey of founding and closing Double Loop Games, focusing on creating mobile games for underserved audiences. From seed funding to Series A, she discusses the challenges of building the company and navigating the changing investment landscape. The episode highlights resilience, community support, and the courage to make tough decisions for team well-being.

Sophie Vo, founder of Rise and Play, shares her journey of starting a game company in 2024. She discusses facing skepticism, embracing challenges, continuous learning, team dynamics, effective leadership, and building trust. The conversation highlights strategies for navigating business crises, turning constraints into opportunities, and the importance of making tough decisions as a CEO.

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 Decade90. 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 Vo52. Running your 1:1 in a modern workplace (remote) - with Marko Kecman43. 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⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 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. 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

Jamie Smith, a principal game designer at People Can Fly, discusses applying agile development to AAA game design. He shares insights on team autonomy, cross-discipline collaboration, decision-making structures, and the balance between creative direction and technical limitations. Reflecting on his 13 years in AAA game development, Jamie highlights the challenges of managing teams, defining quality, navigating conflicts, and adopting a holistic approach to game design.

Charmie Kim, Game lead at Space Ape Games, shares insights on growing Beatstar into a $125M hit. Topics include market research in game development, innovation in different genres, and the importance of diverse team adaptability. Key takeaways: player engagement, strategic genre selection, and team versatility in meeting gaming demands.

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 Journey03:50 Navigating the Early Days and the Shift to Entertainment Games09:20 The Evolution of Leadership and Business Strategy16:14 The CEO's Dilemma: Balancing Creativity and Business and Finding Balance23:20 Embracing Creativity Beyond Work24:11 The Synergy of Creative and Business Minds26:13 The CEO Role Reimagined: Co-CEO for Creative Freedom26:25 Navigating Operational and Strategic Challenges28:33 The Transformative Power of Retreats35:26 Leadership as a Journey of Self-Discovery39:59 Cultivating a Culture of Shared Values💌 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. 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

Interview with Interior Night founders discussing their journey in creating innovative AAA narrative games for a mature audience. Emphasis on female-led game development, unique storytelling experiences, challenges in game development, and diversity in gaming industry leadership.

Follow Laura Carter's journey from a successful career to founding TreesPlease Games with an environmental mission. Learn about raising funds, creating eco-friendly games, and planting a million trees. Hear about the challenges of being a solo founder, balancing motherhood with entrepreneurship, and building a supportive team. Discover the commitment to purpose-driven gaming and social missions in the competitive market.

Analyzing startup successes and failures in the gaming industry, highlighting the importance of discipline and purpose in leadership roles. Insights on team composition, challenges in leadership, and the dynamics of co-founders. Exploring the phases of a company's development and the role of a CEO in different stages.