Rise and Play Podcast
231 episodes - English - Latest episode: 11 days ago - ★★★★★ - 3 ratingsAt Rise and Play, we give voice to leaders, entrepreneurs, educators and influencers of the game industry who are here to make a change. We love games and want to make this industry last through healthy team cultures, awareness and education.
Each episode will tackle a wide range of important topics such as leadership, team culture, self-management, conscious leadership, work-life balance, game education, ethics in business, equality, diversity and inclusion... brought by the different perspectives of our guests.
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Episodes
120. News Announcement For Rise And Play!
April 09, 2024 06:00 - 6 minutes - 13.9 MBIn 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 [email protected] Workshop and 1-1 coaching inquiry at sophie...
119. Applying Agile Development To AAA Game Design - with Jamie Smith
April 02, 2024 06:00 - 38 minutes - 88.2 MBIn this episode, we interview Jamie Smith, a principal game designer at People Can Fly, about the challenges and insights into design leadership for AAA development. While agile development with quick feedback loop is common for mobile games, it is not for AAA! So how do you combine the mindset of agility and traditionally long and siloed AAA game development? Jamie Smith, with over 13 years of experience working on AAA titles like Tom Clancy's The Division, FIFA, and Call of Duty, discusse...
118. Growing Beatstar Into A $125M hit - with Game Lead Charmie Kim
March 26, 2024 07:00 - 38 minutes - 88.3 MBIn this episode, we deconstruct the success of Beatstar, from the lens of design and company culture at Space Ape Games, with our special guest Charmie Kim, Game lead at Space Ape Games. We explore the evolution of game development from first-mover advantages beginnings to the complex, research-driven approach necessary in today's competitive market. Through Charmie's journey from working on Samurai Siege Live Ops to leading the highly successful music game Beatstar, we uncover insights o...
117. Inside Paladin Studios: A 20-Year CEO Journey With Derk De Geus
March 19, 2024 05:00 - 42 minutes - 38.6 MBWe 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, ...
116. Inside Interior Night: Building Innovative Stories For Mature Audiences
March 12, 2024 09:15 - 40 minutes - 64.6 MBDifferent teams make different games, for different audiences, In this episode, we interview the duo Caroline Marchal and Charu Desodt, respectively CEO and Studio Director at Interior Night, to share their journey building an innovative AAA studio from scratch. Interior Night is an independent game studio formed by Quantic Dream and Sony veterans based in London, dedicated to creating innovative interactive stories for a broad and mature audience. They are the crreators of the original in...
115. Laura Carter CEO's Diary: Leading A Purpose-Driven Gaming Company in 2024
March 05, 2024 07:04 - 40 minutes - 65.3 MBIn this episode, we follow the journey of Laura Carter, CEO and co-founder of TreesPlease Games, with the mission to bring a positive impact on the planet, through games. After a stellar career at companies such as Natural Motion, Square Enix, The Walt Disney Company and PlayStation Studios, Laura decided in 2019 to take a leap and bring her passion for the planet and business together and found TreesPlease Games. TreesPlease Games raised $8M in seed funding in 2023: https://mobilegamer.biz...
114. UP, DOWN, UP: Why Some Game Companies Succeed, While Others Fail
February 27, 2024 07:00 - 41 minutes - 95.9 MBThe podcast features Kim Nordström, a gaming industry veteran from Paradox Interactive and King, and the author of 'Up, Down, Up', a book about the life cycle phases of gaming startups. We delve into Kim's analytical approach exploring startup successes and failures, identifying key patterns across companies. Over two years of research, Kim interviewed over a hundred gaming founders, CEOs, and leaders. Relevant topics ranging from the necessity of creative tension and disciplined decision-...
113. The Emerging Trend Of Co-CEO In Games - with Veronica Rojas
February 20, 2024 07:00 - 41 minutes - 94.1 MBIn 2023, there were 11.89% female CEOs and 8.95% co-founders (reported from 7 different funds) from approximately 400 companies and 1000 founders. It is progress but there is still a long way to go before we see more women accessing positions of CEOs, especially when they are not founding their own company. In this episode, we interview Veronica Rojas, who climbed the ranks in her career from product marketing at Gameloft to Head of Studio, ultimately becoming the co-CEO at Uken Games. How...
112. Diversity: A Strategic Investment Approach at 1Up Ventures
February 13, 2024 07:00 - 41 minutes - 66.5 MBAs the gaming industry is maturing, we become aware of the importance of diversity in audience, teams, and leadership. But what about the investment side? In this episode, we interview Kelly Wallick, the former founder of Indie Megabooth and now a partner at 1Up Ventures, founded in 2019 by Ed Fries (Former Microsoft Vice President). Their mission is to build a diverse and inclusive community of the most talented, experienced, and creative independent game developers in the world. Their por...
111. Success In Business Will Not Bring You More Happiness - with Miska Katkoff
February 06, 2024 07:00 - 49 minutes - 114 MB"What if I build my own company? What if I have more money? Then, I will be happier!" In this episode, Sophie interviews Miska Katkoff, founder of Deconstructor of Fun and former CEO of Savage Games, to reflect on the journey post-acquisition from PlayStation Studios in 2022. We discuss the definition of success and the common pressures individuals face in attaining it. Miska shares his personal experience navigating his sense of achievement, dealing with external validation, and the value...
110. The Road To Becoming A Solopreneur In Games - with Matej Lancaric
January 30, 2024 07:00 - 45 minutes - 103 MBWith thousands of people being laid off in the gaming industry over the past few months, what does it look like to create your own job rather than waiting for the job market to recover? Matej Lancaric, known for his prominent role in UA in Games, shares his journey as a solopreneur on the podcast. We cover Matej's transition from a corporate career to UA consultancy, his unique approach to providing value to the audience, the evolution of his content creation, and his definition of success....
109. How Metacore Disrupted The Puzzle Market With A Merge Hit
January 26, 2024 14:49 - 39 minutes - 62.6 MBIn this episode, Mika Tammenkoski, the CEO and co-founder of Metacore shared the evolution of his gaming company since its inception in 2020. From a small team prototyping smartwatch games to novel merge mechanics, the company has grown to 190+ members. The studio’s first global hit game Merge Mansion already has over 50 million players. Metacore is one of the fastest growing game companies in Europe, with EUR 129 million in revenue in 2022 and a team of 190 professionals. The company has ...
108. Inside Lightforge Games: Is Open Salaries For You And Where To Begin?
January 16, 2024 07:00 - 31 minutes - 28.7 MBWhat would happen if someone leaked their company's full compensation information to the entire company? That's how you can evaluate your readiness to move your company toward an open salaries policy, or not. In the future of work, where more and more employees will prioritize transparency and equality, open salaries are poised to become a standard for Gen Z in Western cultures. If you want to remain competitive in the long term and hiring talents, you may want to consider embracing open sal...
107. How To Build A VC Backable Gaming Business In India?
January 09, 2024 12:20 - 42 minutes - 96.8 MB🇮🇳 SPECIAL INDIA SERIES 🇮🇳 In this last episode of the series, we unleash India's gaming potential from an investment point of view with Vivek Ramachandran, early-stage investor at Matrix Partners. We dive into the exciting world of game development and explore the potential of the Indian market. We discuss the growth of the media and entertainment sector, the rise of mobile gaming, and the opportunities for global distribution. Vivek also shares insights into the challenges and opportu...
106. Inside QuriousBit: How To Build A Culture Code From The Start
January 09, 2024 12:17 - 35 minutes - 56.3 MB🇮🇳 SPECIAL INDIA SERIES 🇮🇳 In this episode, we follow the journey of Ram Reddy, CEO and co-founder at QuriousBit, and former product leader at Play Simple, which was acquired by MTG in 2021 for $510M. QuriousBit was founded end of 2022 and raised its funding of $2 million from gaming-focused venture capital firm Lumikai and early-stage investor General Catalyst. The studio is taking a fresh and innovative approach, both in game design and distribution, to achieve category-leading success...
105. Inside SuperGaming: Unleashing The Untold Stories From India
December 26, 2023 07:00 - 42 minutes - 38.8 MB🇮🇳 SPECIAL INDIA SERIES 🇮🇳 In this episode, we go on a captivating journey into the world of gaming and e-sports in India. Joined by Roby John, the CEO of SuperGaming and former co-founder of June Gaming, we discuss the rise of India's gaming industry and the unique player-centric and cultural approach SuperGaming has taken in building its innovative Indo-Futuristic Battle Royale title: Indus. More about Supergaming: https://www.youtube.com/@supergaming6686 More about Indus: https://www.y...
104. Inside Supernova: Providing An AI Tutor For Every Child
December 19, 2023 07:00 - 32 minutes - 30.2 MB🇮🇳 SPECIAL INDIA SERIES 🇮🇳 What if AI could be the answer to providing quality education for every child in the world? What if we could leverage tech and entertainment to have a social impact at scale? That's the world problem Rishi and his Supernova AI team try to crack. In the episode, we go deep inside Supernova's fascinating journey, where the team believes that learning should be fun and interactive instead of just being a passive experience. We live in the age of user-centricity, and...
103. Inside Mayhem Studios: Building An Ambitious Battle Royale From India
December 12, 2023 08:44 - 36 minutes - 33.5 MB🇮🇳 SPECIAL INDIA SERIES 🇮🇳 In this episode, we sit down with Ojas Vipat, the CEO and co-founder of Mayhem Studio ($20 million raised in a Series A round led by Sequoia Capital), to uncover the untapped potential and lack of awareness surrounding the Indian gaming scene. Ojas shares his journey and what led him to break away from the norm and start his studio. We discuss the development of the gaming market in India, the shift towards more popular genres, and the rise of esports. But what m...
102. Inside Bombay Play: Bringing Hyper Social Games From India To The World
December 12, 2023 08:43 - 42 minutes - 98.3 MB🇮🇳 SPECIAL INDIA SERIES 🇮🇳 In this episode, we are joined by Oliver Jones, CEO and co-founder of Bombay Play, one of the leading gaming studios in Bengaluru, India. Oliver shares his journey in the gaming industry before founding Bombay Play, from working at Zynga and Glu to founding his first company Moonfrog Labs (acquired for USD 90 million by Stillfront in 2021). Oliver talks about the booming gaming ecosystem in India and how companies like Zynga and EA established their studios in th...
101. Jenny Xu's Grit Diary: Lessons From Building A Fitness Game For GenZ
December 12, 2023 08:43 - 39 minutes - 63.7 MBThis episode is about the inspiring journey of a resilient young entrepreneur, who is committed to cracking the puzzle of fitness to mobile games for GenZ. In this episode, we interview Jenny Xu, the CEO of Talofa Games, to discuss her journey in the gaming industry and the creation of their unique fitness RPG game, Run Legends. Jenny shares her background in the industry, including her previous solo-founded company, JC Soft Inc., and being part of the Niantic Kickstarter Program leading t...
100. Revolutionizing Game Publishing: Kepler Interactive's Co-Ownership Model
November 21, 2023 07:00 - 40 minutes - 92.5 MBIn this captivating episode, we dive into the revolutionary game publishing model of Kepler Interactive. Join our conversation with Catherine Chew, Senior Director of Investments and Business at Kepler, to uncover the secrets behind their unique co-ownership model. In 2021, Kepler has raised $120 million from NetEase in a financing round as part of its launch. At Kepler, studio founders become co-owners with a say in the decision-making process of the collective and are able to utilize th...
99. Antti Hattara's Founder Diary: The Sisu Journey Of Starberry Games
November 17, 2023 14:30 - 37 minutes - 60.4 MBIn this episode of the podcast, we interview Antti Hattara, CEO and Co-Founder at Starberry Games. We discuss Antti's journey in the mobile gaming industry, from the Digital Chocolate Alumni days to working on popular games like Jelly Splash (Wooga) to starting his own company in 2017. Antti shares his experiences bootstrapping, pivoting the company, securing funding, and navigating the challenges of the industry. We also talk about the growing gaming ecosystem in Berlin. Starberry is known...
98. From Game Design To Leadership: The 7 Super Skills Every Designer Should Grow
November 07, 2023 07:00 - 39 minutes - 63.4 MBIn this episode, we invite Niek Tuerlings a seasoned F2P mobile game designer and writer for naavik.co, who previously worked at Spil Games, Wooga, Voodoo, and now at Moonlit Games, a mobile studio based in Berlin. You can read the latest piece from Niek here: https://naavik.co/deep-dives/evolution-of-hybridcasual-deepdive/ We cover Niek's journey in games and the importance of broadening those 7 extra skills as a designer if you want to grow in the industry: 1. Game design core skills: ...
97. Coaching 101: You Are The Blocker To Your Full Potential And Can't See It
October 31, 2023 16:49 - 53 minutes - 122 MBIn this episode, we are joined by Oscar Carbonell, currently serving as the Chief of Staff at Rossum, trained Coach and former Product Leader in games. We delve into the world of coaching and people leadership in the gaming industry, shedding light on the essential role it plays in fostering effective leadership and organizational development. The discussion expands to reflect on the games industry's potential to learn from more mature industries and the power of coaching in supporting CEOs...
97. Coaching 101: You Are The Blocker Of Your Full Potential And Can't See It
October 31, 2023 07:00 - 53 minutes - 122 MBIn this episode, we are joined by Oscar Carbonell, currently serving as the Chief of Staff at Rossum, trained Coach and former Product Leader in games. We delve into the world of coaching and people leadership in the gaming industry, shedding light on the essential role it plays in fostering effective leadership and organizational development. The discussion expands to reflect on the games industry's potential to learn from more mature industries and the power of coaching in supporting CEOs...
96. Power Rangers and Beyond: 10 Years Pivoting Product To Finding Success at nWay
October 24, 2023 06:00 - 45 minutes - 103 MBWe interview Taehoon Kim, the co-founder and CEO of nWay, the successful multiplayer fighting games company behind Chrono Blades and Power Rangers: Legacy Wars, acquired by Animoca Brands in 2020. TK shares his journey into the gaming industry as a serial entrepreneur, including his experience at Samsung, Real Time Worlds, and founding Nurian Software which was later acquired by Netmarble. TK shares the journey of nWay, a gaming company focused on delivering the best fighting multiplayer g...
95. Inside MY.GAMES: Unlocking The Remote Talent Advantage With Anton Gorodestky
October 17, 2023 06:00 - 41 minutes - 38 MBIn this episode, Sophie Vo is joined by Anton Gorodetsky, the Head of Industry Relations at MyGames. Anton discusses the shift to hybrid work and MyGames' transition to fully distributed teams. They talk about the benefits of remote work, such as finding talent globally and working with international teams. They also dive into the challenges and considerations of establishing offices and hubs in different locations, including legal and tax implications. Anton emphasizes the importance of an...
94. Inside Lightheart Entertainment: 4-Year Retrospective Building A Holacratic Organization With Kalle Kaivola
October 10, 2023 06:00 - 37 minutes - 34.4 MBIn this latest episode, we welcome Kalle Kaivola, co-founder of Lightheart Entertainment, known for their hit game Mr. Auto Fire (over 16 million downloads). Together, we discuss the company culture and the challenges of building a holacratic culture, inspired by the Teal organization described in the book "Reinventing Organisations" by Frederic Laloux. Holacracy is a system of self-management where leadership roles are not subject to a traditional hierarchy of command. Instead of having a ...
93. Miska Katkoff & Sophie's Diary: Leadership Pains And Lessons For Our Next Ventures
October 03, 2023 06:00 - 51 minutes - 118 MBIn this episode, Sophie Vo, founder of Rise And Play, and Miska Katkoff, former CEO and co-founder of Savage Games, and founder of Deconstructor Of Fun reflect on their key lessons in starting a new company. We dive into the importance of self-esteem and self-awareness when throwing yourself out there to build your new business and being 100% behind it. We also cover strategies for dealing with negative feedback and the importance of self-reflection and self-evaluation. The conversation s...
92. Martial Valéry Founder's Diary: 10 Years Of Hard-Earned Lessons At OhBiBi
September 26, 2023 06:00 - 41 minutes - 95.8 MBIn this latest episode, we welcome Martial Valery, co-founder of Oh Bi Bi, a French mobile video game studio known for their latest hit, Frag Pro Shooter (over 150 million downloads). We are reflecting on over a decade of founding, building, and growing the studio, navigating the ups and downs of the company, including scaling up and down, company and game pivots. Martial opens up about the failures and lessons learned, such as the painful experience of a game flop, disappointment, and los...
91. Jens Begemann CEO's Diary: A Decade of Wooga's Evolution To Success
September 19, 2023 06:00 - 1 hour - 107 MBIn this episode, we interview Jens Begemann, the former co-founder and CEO of Wooga, the Berlin-based casual mobile games company behind the success of Diamond Dash, Jelly Splash, and June's Journey. We cover Jen's journey in the gaming industry and the lessons he learned as an entrepreneur that led him to found Wooga in 2008. We also explore the growth of Wooga, its successful games, and the company's shift to mobile gaming. The conversation touches on the significance of company culture, ...
90. Solving The Team Culture Map Puzzle - with Sophie and Jen Donahoe
August 22, 2023 06:00 - 54 minutes - 126 MBWe say it is essential to build diverse teams for innovation, creativity, and performance. Diversity of individuals sounds great on paper, but how do we make it work as a team in practice? How do you make people who avoid confrontation collaborate with confrontational people? How do you lead a team in an egalitarian way while most of what they've known is hierarchical leadership? ---- Thank you to our sponsor! Visit go.solsten.io and mention Rise x Play for a demo and receive a fre...
90. Why Most M&A Fail To Create Value? - with Sophie and Miska
August 15, 2023 06:00 - 56 minutes - 129 MBStatistically 70-90% of M&A across all industries fail to add value to the acquirer. M&A in games is no exception. Why is that? From my course at Imperial College on M&A, here are some of the top reasons why M&A fail: overpaying for the target, overestimating the synergies between the companies, lack of due diligence, lack of a strategic plan (a Why), and lack of cultural fit. ---- Thank you to our sponsor! Visit go.solsten.io and mention Rise x Play for a demo and receive a free...
89. Unlock Your True Self With Liberated Leadership - with Steve Cuss
August 08, 2023 06:00 - 36 minutes - 84.3 MB"There's a whole bunch of leaders out there who wake up every morning and put on a mask. They transform into their work selves, playing a role they think they're supposed to play. It's like they're living a double life. But let me tell you, it's not easy to keep up this charade. Behind that mask, these leaders face some serious challenges. They can't catch a decent night's sleep, and anxiety weighs them down day in and day out. Their energy levels go up and down like a yo-yo, and they feel ...
88. How To Rebuild Trust - with Jen Donahoe
August 01, 2023 06:00 - 46 minutes - 42.7 MBYou just inherited or built a new team. You've made a mistake of judgment, communication, or decision with the team. Now, the team doesn't like you or trust you but you still need to achieve an outcome together. What do you do? How do you come back from that situation and rebuild trust? It is unfortunately a common leadership story in everyday business. ---- Thank you to our sponsor! Visit go.solsten.io and mention Rise x Play for a demo and receive a free feature, theme, and art ...
87. Changing The Money Game - with Marina Barthélémy
July 25, 2023 06:00 - 48 minutes - 111 MBIn this episode, we deconstruct with Marina Barthélémy how to make sound financial decisions for your company when things are going well, instead of making those decisions when things are going wrong. Marina has an impressive track record in gaming and finance. She previously worked as the CFO at Amplitude Studios, which SEGA later acquired in 2016. Marina and her co-founder Arthur, recently launched their own gaming fund PixCapital, to support premium studios. ---- Thank you to our spons...
86. Leadership Journey At Ustwo Games - with Maria Sayans and Daniel Gray
July 18, 2023 06:00 - 31 minutes - 71.8 MBToday is a special episode as we're witnessing an intimate leadership conversation between Maria Sayans and Daniel Gray, respectively CEO and Chief Creative Officer at Ustwo Games. What is it to be a leader at Ustwo Games? ---- Thank you to our sponsor! Visit go.solsten.io and mention Rise x Play for a demo and receive a free feature, theme, and art style study included with your Navigator purchase, a $20,000 value. Offer valid through 8/31/23. ---- Maria will share her leadershi...
85. The Human Science Of Scaling Company Culture - with Bastian Bergmann
July 11, 2023 06:00 - 31 minutes - 50.5 MBHow do you build the perfect teams based on psychological and motivational traits? How do you create those magical teams at different stages of growth of a company? The people who brought you from 0 to 1 may not be the same ones who help you bring the company from 1 to 10. How do you update your human systems while scaling your company? We will deconstruct in this episode those questions with Bastian Bergmann, co-founder at Solsten, using the human psychological lens on teams, processes, an...
84. How To Build An Antifragile Casual Games Studio - with Michael Martinez
July 04, 2023 06:00 - 40 minutes - 92.1 MBIt is difficult to launch and scale a new casual game these days. However, a few studios found a way to survive the turbulences of the market and become antifragile. Hear the business success story of FunCraft, a lean and small casual studio founded in 2019 by ex-EA and Zynga Product Leader Michael Martinez and his co-founder Jason McGuirk. Learn how after failing their first startup Juicebox, the two co-founders came back together to try again, taking the key learnings from the past: focus ...
83. What Can We Learn From Failing A Startup - with Collin Foss
June 27, 2023 06:01 - 37 minutes - 59.5 MBHow often do we look back and share openly what led to a studio's closing? While we can learn from success, we can learn as much from failures. And we should, especially given how many studios are unfortunately closing these days. In this episode, we go back to the story of Skunkworks Games, the makers of Merge Friends, a notable successful merge game released in 2019 during the rise of other new merge games. ---- Thank you to our sponsor! Visit go.solsten.io and mention Rise x Pl...
82. Apply Non-Violent Communication At Work - with Sophie
June 20, 2023 06:00 - 44 minutes - 102 MBIn this episode previously streamed on 27.04 in partnership with Evolution Nordics, I will share my expertise on the principles of non-violent communication and how they can be applied in a leadership role. Watch the full online workshop here: https://youtu.be/GDRPJL5Sm30 ---- Thank you to our sponsor! Visit go.solsten.io and mention Rise x Play for a demo and receive a free feature, theme, and art style study included with your Navigator purchase, a $20,000 value. Offer valid th...
81. How To Solve Messy Business With Stoicism - with Arseny Lebedev
June 13, 2023 05:56 - 33 minutes - 75.6 MBWe are following up on the previous episode recorded with Miska Katkoff (How To Become A Stoic Leader And Control Your Emotions) to continue our applications of Stoicism to leadership and business. We invited this time, Arseny Lebedev, co-founder and CEO of Original Games and ex-Head of Studio at Machine Zone to talk about applying Stoic principles to business decisions. We all have our internal model to make decisions, but is it always reliable? Video of the episode: https://youtu.be/j8l9...
80. The Limitations of Being Truly Yourself - with Sophie and Miska
June 06, 2023 06:00 - 33 minutes - 54.1 MBWhat is the most fundamental human need: to be seen and recognized for who we are? When holding a management position, how is being yourself a realistic expectation? We discuss in this new episode with Miska the limitations of being truly yourself as a leader. It is easier and even recommended to be yourself when you're part of a game team (i.e. Product Manager, Producer), to build trust and connection with your team. When you are in a management role (i.e. CEO/C-level/VP, Game Director), ...
79. Building A Team Of Maverick - with Harinder Sangha
May 30, 2023 06:00 - 30 minutes - 70.6 MBMaverick Games is a brand-new AAA studio formed by the ex-Forza Horizon Directors. We interview today Harinder Sangha, their COO who shares the foundational journey of the company. Harinder has worked 20 years in tech, and 16 years in the games industry, including building successful studios with a great culture. Sangha is an award-winning studio leader who previously helped form SEGA HARDlight and Sumo Leamington. ------------------------------ Thank you to our sponsor! Visit go.solst...
78. What I Wish I Knew Before I Began My Career - with Ethan Levy
May 23, 2023 06:00 - 30 minutes - 49 MBHow did you start your career in games? Did you also think that working hard, hustling, and reaching "success" at work would bring happiness and fulfillment? How do you reflect on those earlier years of sacrifice for work, that you will never get back? Hear the candid and personal story of the successful Game Designer and Executive Producer Ethan Levy (ex-EP at N3twork and Bioware), also known for hosting The Deconstructor Of Fun podcast, who reflects on his career in games. Ethan shares wha...
77. Master Emotionally Charged Conversations - with Julie, Ben, Sophie
May 16, 2023 06:01 - 37 minutes - 60.3 MBGetting into an emotionally charged conversation at work is one of the most uncomfortable feelings. As a leader, you cannot really get away from it. You start to feel uncomfortable and anxious about the hard conversation you need to have (i.e. dismissal, reassignment, negative feedback, project canceled, conflict resolution...). Your report can feel it too, so everyone feels uncomfortable. It doesn't help to get anywhere. ------------------------------- Thank you to our sponsor! Visit ...
76. Leveling Up From Manager To C-Suite Leader - with Ioana Hreninciuc
May 09, 2023 06:02 - 35 minutes - 82.1 MBWe often confuse the role of a manager and of a leader. Being a good manager doesn't imply that you are a great leader. Referring back to the episode "How To Lead With A Coaching Mindset" we recorded with Ben and Aaron, a manager's focus is to optimize the outcome of an existing system while maintaining or improving the status quo. A leader's focus is to influence others toward a common goal. A leader sets a direction or changes through influence and extremely good communication. ---------...
75. How To Become A Boundary Boss - with Maria Maunula and Sophie
May 02, 2023 06:00 - 30 minutes - 48.3 MBIn this episode, we continue on the topic of boundaries with Maria Maunula Senior Producer at Rovio Entertainment Corporation, and Sophie Vo GM at Savage Game Studios, and how to apply those in the role of Producer. Everyone comes to you for every day's requests and problems when you are the Producer. How do you master "Saying no" more often? Learn the communication tools on how to set clear producer boundaries at work. The best producers keep focus and push back distractions to get thing...
74. Understanding Neurodiversity At Work - with Alice Bowman
April 25, 2023 06:00 - 39 minutes - 54.3 MB“Neurodiversity” explains the unique ways people's brains work. While everyone's brain develops similarly, no two brains function just alike. Being neurodivergent means having a brain that works differently from the average or “neurotypical” person. ADHD, Autism, Dyspraxia, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, and Tourette's syndrome are all examples of neurodiverse conditions. They're diagnostic labels used to explain the diverse ways of thinking, learning, processing, and behaving. --------...
73. Pivoting Your Company Strategy 360 - with Nicolas Godement
April 18, 2023 06:15 - 28 minutes - 45.6 MBYou know it, you need to drastically pivot your company otherwise it will go bankrupt. So, what do you do, and how? Nicolas Godement, Managing Director at Twin Sails (previously known as Asmodee Digital) shares the exciting transformation journey of a company that started as a board game IP publisher to a PC and console game publisher. When Nicolas joined the company in 2018 to support the CEO, the financials were not good, the team morale was low. How do you start with that? Get the practi...