Deconstructor of Fun

• 294. Product Managing Game Studio Culture with Seth Sivak (ex-World of Warcraft Boston Studio Head)

  Mishka Katkoff interviews Seth Sivak as they discuss startup culture, leadership, company values, product market fit, cultural onboarding, adaptive culture, game industry, entrepreneurship, team dynamics, and management. They discuss the importance of company culture, how it can be shaped and influenced, and the challenges of maintaining a healthy culture as a startup scales. Seth shares insights on cultural onboarding, the adaptability of culture, and the lessons learned from his experiences in the gaming industry. The conversation emphasizes the need for leaders to be intentional about culture and to regularly assess its impact on team dynamics and overall success.Seth's newsletter: https://sethsivak.substack.com/02:44Navigating Layoffs and Founding Proletariat05:10The Importance of Culture in Startups07:39Defining and Measuring Culture11:38The Role of Leadership in Shaping Culture14:21Cultural Tools and Their Impact18:47Iterating on Culture as a Product21:16Conclusion and Key Takeaways26:52Navigating Work-Life Balance in Startups29:43Cultural Recognition and Team Dynamics34:03Defining Good vs. Bad Company Culture38:10The Challenges of Setting Cultural Boundaries42:25Navigating Social Issues and Company Culture46:51Onboarding and Cultural Integration in Growing Teams49:40Cultural Onboarding and Integration51:30The Art of Copying Culture53:48Learning from Successful Cultures58:01Adaptive Culture vs. Rigid Culture01:07:03Evolving Beliefs About Culture01:08:03The Meaning Behind Proletariat's Name

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• TWIG #338 Apple’s Cat-and-Mouse Game, Xbox's Doom Loop, and Splitgate 2’s $100M Misfire

  The boys-only episode talks about layoffs sweeping through top Swedish studios before diving into yet another round of Xbox layoffs. In this episode, we also cover Apple’s ongoing cat-and-mouse game with the EU’s DMA rules and unpack the critical difference between private equity and venture capital in gaming. The crew analyzes the early flop of Marvel Mystic Mayhem before talking about how Splitgate 2 is already struggling to justify its existence.02:36 Sweden's Gaming Industry Layoffs05:22 Gamescom Events Preview06:13 Microsoft Layoffs and Xbox Strategy13:29 Apple's Response to the DMA21:59 Private Equity vs. Venture Capital in Gaming32:41 Eve Online: Myth vs. Reality34:02 Uma Musume Pretty Derby's US Launch36:42 Marvel Mystic Mayhem's Struggles42:55 Rainbow Six Siege: A Decade of Success47:47 Splitgate 2: The Rise and Fall56:25 The Harsh Realities of the Gaming Market01:00:58 Up Next

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• 293. Walking Away from Venture Capital with Sophie Vo

  In this episode, I sit down with Sophie Vo, studio founder, podcast host, and now the creator of Orin Retreats, to unpack why she walked away from the startup rat race to build something intentionally small, sustainable, and soul-aligned. We talk about the version of success that nearly broke her, why the VC model fails most founders, and how depth, not scale, became her new metric for impact. If you’ve ever questioned the path you’re on, this conversation might just reframe what “winning” really looks like.00:00 Redefining Success05:47 The VC Dilemma12:48 Navigating Co-Founder Dynamics18:32 Bootstrapping vs. Venture Capital: A Founder's Perspective24:16 The AI Coaching Experience29:52 Creating Human Connection in a Digital World39:25 The Roots of Distrust Among Women42:00 Navigating Female Networks and Support46:45 The Importance of Self-Awareness in Leadership52:11 The Role of Coaching in Personal Growth56:37 Advice and Insights from the Journey

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• TWIG #337 Supercell's AI Ruse and Microsoft’s Muddled Xbox Strategy

  We discuss Believer’s potential survivor, the layoffs at Mind’s Eye, and Netflix’s surprising decision to axe key mobile titles. But the real meat is Supercell: what the hell is going on in Helsinki? From performance stagnation to communication silence, we unpack the company’s evolving strategy—or lack thereof.Also on deck: Riot’s dev woes, Microsoft’s muddled Xbox strategy, and what YouTube’s 20th anniversary tells us about the future of game content. We wrap with a look at emerging trends in mobile and Steam that could define the back half of 2025.02:13 Shills02:57 Meta Marketing Summit Experience07:41 Gamescom09:58 Believer Startup Update10:52 Mind's Eye Layoffs12:17 Netflix Mobile Games Removal16:49 Supercell's Strategy and Performance31:51 Supercell's Communication Strategy36:05 YouTube's 20th Anniversary and Gaming Highlights38:12 Riot Games' Development Challenges43:17 Microsoft's Xbox Strategy Critique52:58 Emerging Trends in Mobile and Steam Games

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• 292. Where Do Geogames Go After Niantic’s $3.5B Exit with Lauren Steidl, CEO of Integrated Reality Labs

  From Niantic’s $3.5B sale of Pokémon GO to Scopely, to the rise of SLAP, a fast-paced, IRL multiplayer game that blends social tagging with viral video content Jen Donahoe and Lauren Steidl, CEO and co-founder of Integrated Reality Labs, explore how geogames are evolving from novelty apps into a new genre of play.Why Pokémon GO showed both the power and the limits of GPS gamingThe tech leap making real-world multiplayer actually workSLAP’s breakout performance—10 sessions/day, no paid UAHow TikTok culture is shaping the next generation of mobile gameplayWhy the future of mobile gaming may lie in neighborhoods, not screens🔗 Learn more about SLAP and IRL Labs: www.playslap.com/irl00:00 Introduction and Host's Excitement02:25 The Game 'Assassin' and Its Evolution03:30 Introducing Integrated Reality Labs and 'SLAP'04:31 Meet the Founders: Lauren and Ian06:06 Gameplay and Features of 'SLAP'08:05 Social Media Integration and Viral Growth12:16 Technical Innovations and Proximity Gaming18:32 Marketing Strategies and User Engagement22:25 Future Plans and Monetization34:07 Conclusion and Contact Information#Geogaming #PokemonGO #SLAPgame #MobileGaming #GameDesign #AugmentedReality #LocationBasedGaming #DeconstructorOfFun #Podcast

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