A podcast offering conversations with a diverse group of SaaS leaders from around the world who share lessons they learned at various stages of their business. You’ll hear stories from bootstrapped and VC-funded founders, c-suite executives, and developers that will inspire new growth strategies in your own business. This podcast is brought to you by FastSpring. As the leading merchant of record payment platform for SaaS and software, FastSpring lets you reduce your payments, subscriptions, ...
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This is The Here's Waldo Podcast where we sit down with top visionaries and creatives in the video game industry. Together, we'll unravel their journeys and learn more about the path they're forging ahead.
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Why Web Accessibility Is Good for Business With Amber Hinds of Equalize Digital
44:32
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44:32Conversation with Equalize Digital CEO Amber Hinds about making the web more accessible for people with disabilities. Amber Hinds is the founder and CEO of Equalize Digital, a mission-driven agency focused on digital accessibility. As the creator of the Accessibility Checker plugin for WordPress and lead organizer of the WordPress Accessibility Mee…
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How Digital Founders Can Build Authentic Personal Brands with Rachel Gogos of brandiD
37:47
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37:47Conversation with brandiD’s Founder and CEO Rachel Gogos about how SaaS leaders can build personal brands that drive connection, credibility, and growth. Your personal brand is more than a polished LinkedIn profile — it’s how you stand out, connect with customers, and build long-term credibility as a founder or executive. But how do you create an a…
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Navigating Compliance and Building Safer, Kid-Friendly Gaming with Kieran Donovan of k-ID
38:42
38:42
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38:42Kieran Donovan is the CEO and co-founder of k-ID, the first-of-its-kind global compliance engine designed to make online safety and privacy seamless for kids, teens, game developers, and parents alike. With a decade of experience at the forefront of data protection and online safety, Kieran has advised major online platforms and been named Privacy …
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Introducing the FastSpring + Nexus Web Shop Integration with Justin Sacks of Nexus
38:07
38:07
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38:07Conversation with Nexus CEO Justin Sacks introducing the FastSpring and Nexus web shop integration. If you're looking for one of the fastest ways to launch your D2C channel, you may be interested in hearing more about the incredibly easy-to-implement solution offered through a partnership with D2C payment platform FastSpring and creator program in …
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How oeksound Took Their Audio Plugins Business Global With Hannes Andersson
47:18
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47:18Conversation with oeksound CEO Hannes Andersson about taking an audio plugins business global. When the first oeksound plugin, Soothe, was created in 2016, creator Olli Keskinen and his friend Hannes Andersson were studying music technology to become recording engineers. And as Hannes puts it, they weren’t in the plugin industry or experienced with…
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Revolutionizing Gaming Highlights into Playable Content with Zero Friction | Asaf Gazit of Ludeo
33:46
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33:46Asaf Gazit is the co-founder and CEO of Ludeo, a groundbreaking platform that’s reshaping the way players engage with video games. Founded alongside his brother, Ludeo was built with a bold vision: to remove the friction in gaming and make discovering and jumping into new games as seamless as scrolling through TikTok. Drawing on their lifelong pass…
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Burnout, Feedback, and Leadership Growth in Gaming with Zoe Curnoe of Lumina Leadership
35:45
35:45
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35:45Zoe Curnoe is the founder and executive coach at Lumina Leadership, a boutique executive coaching and training firm. With over 20 years of leadership experience at companies like Electronic Arts, Riot Games, The Coalition (an Xbox studio), and co-founding Timbre Games, Zoe specializes in helping leaders navigate complex challenges and drive meaning…
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How SMB Digital Brands Can Win the Best Talent With Lizzie Mintus of Here’s Waldo Recruiting
29:25
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29:25Conversation with Here’s Waldo Recruiting’s Founder and CEO Lizzie Mintus about how to compete with large brands to recruit the best talent. If you're running a smaller digital business, you may find it challenging to hire great talent. Larger technology companies can pay more, offer more benefits, and provide a more marketable brand on a candidate…
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Reinventing Remote Work with the Ultimate "Smart" Virtual Workspace with Vishal Punwani of SoWork
36:32
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36:32Vishal Punwani is the CEO and co-founder of SoWork, the world’s first generative AI-enhanced virtual workplace platform. Founded at Harvard's Innovation Labs, SoWork transforms team productivity and collaboration by seamlessly integrating work tools, social spaces, and gamification. As businesses adapt to hybrid and remote-first environments, Visha…
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Authentic D2C Strategies for Sustainable Growth in Gaming with David Vogelpohl of FastSpring
33:22
33:22
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33:22David Vogelpohl is the Chief Marketing Officer at FastSpring, a platform enabling direct-to-consumer (D2C) monetization for video games and digital products. With over two decades of experience in digital strategy and e-commerce, David offers valuable insights into creating meaningful player relationships, navigating platform regulations, and build…
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Scaling Success: Digital Entrepreneurship and SaaS Exits With Blake Hutchison of Flippa
36:58
36:58
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36:58Conversation with Flippa CEO Blake Hutchison about Flippa and selling a SaaS or digital product business. If you own a SaaS or other digital product business — such as a Slack plugin, Chrome extension, online publishing business, mobile app, or even a blog — and you’re looking to exit, you may have a lot of questions about how best to go about it. …
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Pushing Fashion's Potential in Gaming with Nicola Mizon of VIZTA DGTL
36:35
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36:35Nicola Mizon is the co-founder of VIZTA DGTL, a Berlin-based game studio on a mission to reshape the intersection of gaming, fashion, and commerce. She is passionate about creating engaging, inclusive experiences that redefine industry norms. In this episode, she discusses the evolution of fashion gaming, opportunities for brand collaborations, and…
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The Secrets Behind Iconic MMOs, Strong Remote Culture, & AI's Impact with Rich Vogel of T-Minus Zero Entertainment
47:05
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47:05Rich Vogel is an award-winning executive producer with over 25 years of experience in the gaming industry. Today, he is the founder and studio head of T-Minus Zero. Before this, Rich built and led three major studios—Sony Online Entertainment Austin, Bioware Austin, and Bethesda Game Studio Battle Cry—together generating an impressive $3 billion in…
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Can Mobile Games Really Achieve >50% of Revenue From D2C With Justin Sacks of Nexus
35:30
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35:30Conversation with Nexus CEO Justin Sacks about earning 50% or more of your game’s revenue via D2C sales. With changes to legislation in the EU and lawsuits in the U.S., the future of monetizing your game direct to consumer looks brighter than ever. That said, you might be wondering what strategies work within the confines of today's rules and if it…
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Building Cultures That Power Great Games Post-Pandemic with Daryl Ogden of Valued Cultures
42:37
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42:37Daryl Ogden is the co-founder of Valued Cultures, a startup dedicated to building healthy, sustainable, and innovative cultures in the gaming industry. With over a decade of experience advising leaders from top Fortune 500 companies and iconic game studios, Daryl is an expert in aligning leadership, investing in talent, and navigating critical tran…
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The Rise of Slovakia’s Game Development Scene with Peter Nagy of Grindstone
39:40
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39:40Peter Nagy is a prominent figure in the video game industry and a pioneer in Central Europe and Slovakia’s game development ecosystem. As the co-founder of Slovakia's oldest game development studio, Games Farm, Nagy brings over 20 years of experience in creating engaging, story-driven RPG games. He is also the founder of Grindstone, the country’s f…
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Game Accessibility and Leading Creative Teams with Kevin Johnson of Double Fine Productions
44:16
44:16
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44:16In this episode, Lizzie Mintus interviews Kevin Johnson, Director of Development at Double Fine Productions (now part of Xbox Games Studios), about his journey through the game industry and his role in fostering the studio’s collaborative and innovative culture. Kevin takes us behind the scenes of the making of Psychonauts 2, sharing how the team b…
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Meeting the Needs of Gen Z & Gen Alpha’s Gaming Preferences with Jen MacLean of Dragon Snacks Games
43:26
43:26
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43:26Jen MacLean, co-founder and CEO of a new studio, Dragon Snacks Games, is building social role-playing experiences that resonate with younger audiences. Formerly Xbox's General Manager of Creator Partnerships, she managed top partner relationships and co-led content strategies. With a passion for gaming, she also held senior roles in game developmen…
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The Mastermind Behind Skill Gaming's Growth with Nancy MacIntyre of WorldWinner
43:19
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43:19Nancy MacIntyre is a seasoned executive with over 25 years of leadership in the gaming and digital entertainment industry. She has an outstanding track record, having launched over 100 games, including 11 No. 1 titles, collectively generating more than $2 billion in revenue. Nancy has held pivotal roles at top companies such as LeapFrog, LucasArts,…
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Bringing Nostalgic Games to the Latest Consoles with Robin Lavallée of Implicit Conversions
40:14
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40:14Robin Lavallée is the CEO and Co-Founder of Implicit Conversions, a company dedicated to bringing nostalgic games back to life by porting beloved classics to modern consoles using cutting-edge emulation technology. Their innovative software ensures that timeless games run seamlessly on today’s platforms like the PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Swit…
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Unlock Global Growth With Targeted Payment Methods With Sudipto Manna of FastSpring
33:30
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33:30Conversation with FastSpring Product Manager Sudipto Manna about using targeted payment methods to achieve global growth. As you work to expand your SaaS, software, mobile games, or other digital product business worldwide, having the right payment methods available to global customers is key to ensuring they all feel comfortable purchasing. But ju…
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45M Users & 10K Creators- The Future of Social Gaming with Anton Bernstein of Pocket Worlds
41:18
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41:18In this episode of the Here's Waldo Podcast, Lizzie Mintus sits down with Anton Bernstein, the CEO and founder of Pocket Worlds, the fast-growing Y Combinator-backed company that has connected over 45 million users and 10,000 creators through shared virtual experiences. Pocket Worlds is the parent company behind two major platforms: High Rise and E…
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60 Titles in 30+ Years: Secrets to Creating Fun Games with William Schmitt of Proof of Play
42:12
42:12
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42:12In this episode of the Here's Waldo Podcast, Lizzie Mintus chats with William Schmitt, the Head of Studio at Proof of Play, a company on a mission to shepherd games into Web3's on-chain universe through uncompromisingly fun games. With over 32 years in the gaming industry, William has held key leadership roles at Disney Interactive, Scopely, THQ, A…
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Implementing Psychology as the Cornerstone of Game Development Success with Joe Schaeppi of Solsten
46:13
46:13
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46:13Joe Schaeppi is the CEO and co-founder of Solsten and is on a mission to fundamentally change the way that humans connect. With a strong background in psychology, he leverages his expertise in human behavior and motivation—gained from leading UX strategy at McCann and his impactful work as an adventure-based psychotherapist—Joe is pioneering the us…
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From DOOM and Forza Legacy to the Next Big Hit: DEFECT with Garrett Young of Empty Vessel
56:52
56:52
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56:52Garrett Young is a 25+ year game industry veteran who led development teams at major companies, including Microsoft, Activision, Disney, and Id Software, contributing to the creation of iconic franchises such as DOOM, Quake, and Rage. He also played a pivotal role in launching the Forza Motorsport and Project Gotham Racing franchises, along with de…
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Empowering Parents Foster a Positive Gaming Space for Kids with Heidi Vogel of GuardianGamer AI
34:43
34:43
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34:43Heidi Vogel is a seasoned entrepreneur with over five companies under her belt, and today she shares her incredible journey from tech pioneer to gaming innovator. As a mother of four, she faced challenges managing her children's digital playground, which inspired her to develop GuardianGamer's monitoring solution. Her latest venture, GuardianGamer …
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The Rise of Unity Asia and the Evolution of Cloud Gaming with John Goodale of Jam.gg
49:35
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49:35John Goodale was employee #60 at Unity in 2010, where he launched and rapidly expanded Unity Asia. Under his leadership, he transformed Unity into the preferred platform for game developers across the region, driving exceptional growth and establishing the company as a dominant force in the gaming industry. Having also held key positions at Sega an…
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Innovating the African Gaming Market and VC Insights with Chris Quaidoo of Carry1st
39:04
39:04
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39:04Chris Quaidoo is the Content Acquisition Lead at Carry1st, a leading African mobile games publisher backed by investors like Bitcraft and A16Z. He's also a Venture Partner at Griffin Gaming Partners and hosts Venture Games, a podcast where he interviews key players in gaming and venture capital. Tune in to this episode of the Here's Waldo Podcast t…
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Innovating Chess and Strategy Games with Sami Ramly of Echo Chunk AI
41:33
41:33
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41:33Sami Ramly, founder of Echo Chunk AI and creator of the viral game Echo Chess, takes us on a journey from his early days learning chess at just 3 years old to the development of Echo Chess—a viral puzzle game that combines chess mechanics with real-time AI-driven obstacles. Recently, he raised $1.4M pre-seed to take Echo Chess and his vision for th…
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Growing a Digital Goods Company in Asia: Challenges, Opportunities, and Insights With Jay Jia of FastSpring
24:48
24:48
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24:48Conversation with FastSpring Senior Account Executive Jay Jia about expanding a digital goods company in Asia. If your business is based in the APAC region and you’re focused on expanding into new areas, there are a lot of common challenges to face and questions to ask about the best way to do that. On this episode of Growth Stage, we interview Jay…
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Pioneering Story-Driven Marketing Strategies in Gaming with Neel Upadhye
54:02
54:02
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54:02Neel Upadhye is an award-winning writer, director, and transmedia storyteller with over 15 years of experience in the video game industry. After starting as an assistant editor, he rose to become the marketing creative director at Electronic Arts (EA), where he played pivotal roles in marketing and narrative development. His contributions included …
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Revolutionizing Healthcare through Game Technology with Noah Falstein of The Inspiracy
49:47
49:47
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49:47We’re entering a new era where games can be prescribed as part of medical treatment or used to train doctors more effectively than traditional lectures. In this episode, join host Lizzie Mintus and guest Noah Falstein, who was among the first 10 employees at Lucasfilm Games (later known as LucasArts), and has also worked with 3DO and DreamWorks Int…
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Exclusive BTS of Creating of Diablo, Diablo II, and Battle.net with David Brevik of Skystone Games
44:12
44:12
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44:12If you're a fan of Diablo I, Diablo II, and Battle.net, don't miss our latest episode featuring David Brevik, a 33-year gaming industry veteran behind these legendary titles and services. David takes us on a journey through his career, from co-founding Condor Inc., which later became Blizzard North, to the original Diablo pitch and its iconic seque…
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From QA Tester to Gaming Exec: Intentional Career Insights with Mark Subotnick of ProbablyMonsters
55:22
55:22
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55:22Fun fact: Mark Subotnick, aka "Bot," began as an SF club promoter in the '80s-'90s before starting his game industry career in 1993 as a QA tester at SEGA of America, earning $9/hr. A longtime gaming and technology executive, Mark is renowned for his key roles at Intel, Microsoft, and SEGA, spanning multiple generations of technological innovation.…
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The Art of Comedy in Gaming with Mike Fridley of Squanch Games
39:36
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39:36Michael Fridley is the CEO and studio director of Squanch Games. He has contributed to many titles since he started in the industry 26 years ago, including The Elder Scrolls, Morrowind and Oblivion, Fallout 3, Reckoning, Call of Cthulhu, PGA Tour, NBA Live, Dragonvale, and most recently Squanch Games' hit game, High on Life- the largest third-party…
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Product Marketing Is Broken — Fix It With Thematic Product Launches, With Braden Steel
23:33
23:33
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23:33Conversation with Sr. Product Marketing Manager Braden Steel of FastSpring. Is your product marketing team struggling to coordinate marketing resources to support an endless stream of product launches, with vague release dates and a chorus of product managers demanding tons of marketing attention for each release? What if there were a better way? I…
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Unlocking Multiplayer Success: Backend & Infrastructure Insights with Sid Dhulipalla of Hathora
46:08
46:08
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46:08Sid Dhulipalla is the CEO and co-founder of Hathora, the server orchestration platform powering Frost Giant Studios' new game, Stormgate. In this episode, listeners get a glimpse of Sid's journey transitioning from engineering management roles at Databricks and Palantir Technologies to founding Hathora. He also shares insights into the interplay be…
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The Next Big RTS Game, Stormgate with Tim Morten of Frost Giant Studios
39:44
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39:44Tim Morten is the CEO and Production Director of Frost Giant Studios. From his early days at Activision in 1994 to leading major teams at EA and Blizzard, Tim has seen it all. Now, he’s steering Frost Giant Studios as they launch their highly anticipated RTS game, Stormgate, which is now available for Early Access! Stormgate builds on the legacy of…
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Develop a Winning KPI Strategy for Your Game Marketing With Adam Lieb of Gamesight
33:31
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33:31Conversation with Gamesight Founder and CEO Adam Lieb about developing a winning KPI strategy for video game marketing. With so many marketing channels to manage to promote your game, combined with the complexity of monetizing your games on multiple platforms, in PC marketplaces, or even D2C via your own webshop, your head might be spinning keeping…
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Transforming Video Games into Theme Park Adventures with David Elton, Fractional COO
46:58
46:58
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46:58David Elton brings nearly three decades of expertise in the game industry, having worked with top studios like Electronic Arts, Microsoft, Zynga, and Capcom. He has held diverse roles from Vice President - Product to Creative Director, contributing to a wide array of titles from Microsoft's Solitaire to iconic franchises like Need For Speed and SSX…
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The Vision for Authentic Virtual Worlds with Yon Raz-Fridman of Supersocial, Inc.
46:02
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46:02Yonatan Raz-Fridman is the CEO and founder of Supersocial, Inc., a pioneering studio that builds boundary-pushing virtual worlds on immersive social platforms like Roblox. Roblox is the most engaging platform on the Internet, with its 72 million daily active users spending an average of 2.4 hours per day—three times more than TikTok and five times …
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Proven A/B Test Winners for B2B CRO With Sahil Patel
40:14
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40:14Conversation with Sahil Patel, CEO of Spiralyze, about B2B CRO and A/B testing. The most common examples of successful CRO tactics provided at many conferences tend to focus on B2C ecommerce, but what are the proven winning tactics you can use in your B2B CRO strategy? In this episode of Growth Stage, we interview Sahil Patel of Spiralyze about his…
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The Content Creator Effect in Gaming with Justin Sacks of Nexus
48:47
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48:47Justin Sacks has worn many hats in his 15+ years in the game industry—from competitive gamer to content creator to leading business development for a global multimedia game company. Today, he serves as the CEO of Nexus, a platform specializing in building and managing creator programs for the world's top live service games. Nexus provides a compreh…
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From VP of Amazon Prime Gaming to Executive Coaching with Ethan Evans
52:59
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52:59Ethan Evans is a career development expert dedicated to helping professionals overcome career blockages and advance to the next level. After retiring as VP from Amazon, where he built Prime Gaming, managed Amazon's first game studio, and contributed to Twitch, he shifted his focus to paying forward his good fortune by assisting clients from top US …
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Empowering Talent, Embracing Challenges with Multi-Startup Founder, Shawn Foust of Fortis Games
51:57
51:57
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51:57Shawn Foust is the Co-founder and COO of Fortis Games, a global game studio with a mission to create worlds that matter – that challenge minds, build connections, and inspire communities. Before founding Fortis, Shawn was VP of Central Operations at WB Games after its acquisition of PlexChat, which he co-founded and led as CEO. Prior to that, he se…
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The Rise of Iron Galaxy Studios from 13 to 270+ Employees with Chelsea Blasko of Iron Galaxy Studios
44:20
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44:20Chelsea Blasko, co-CEO and Partner of Iron Galaxy Studios, started as the company's 13th employee and quickly became the catalyst behind the studio’s incredible expansion across multiple locations. She has been instrumental in guiding the studio’s leaders through product development and collaboration. She also established Iron Galaxy’s career coach…
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Exploring the Art and Immense Potential of Gaming with Chris Melissinos, Game Evangelist of AWS
58:01
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58:01🎮 Ever wondered how video games made it to the Smithsonian? What does it mean to be a Game Evangelist? How do you figure out what gamers really want? In this episode of the Here's Waldo Podcast, Chris Melissinos, the Principal Evangelist for Video Games at AWS, shares his profound passion, rooted in the belief that video games are among the most si…
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The 'Secret Sauce' of Sustainable Growth & Strategic Partnerships with Mike Wallen of Keywords Studios
43:58
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43:58Join us as we dive into the secrets of driving business growth with Mike Wallen, Chief Commercial Officer at Keywords Studios. With over 29 years of experience, Mike's career has been a fascinating journey from recruiter and agent to VP at Lakshya Digital, and now Global Business Development Director at Keywords. His key insight? Understanding the …
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Advanced Affiliate Marketing for SaaS, Software, and Digital Products with Adam Riemer
31:56
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31:56Conversation with Adam Riemer, President of Adam Riemer Marketing, about advanced affiliate marketing and SEO. Affiliate marketing can be a great growth lever to scale your digital product business, but how can you drive meaningful growth with the right affiliates without losing out to fraud or shady attribution schemes? In this episode of Growth S…
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The Secrets of Serial Success with Jordan Weisman of Endless Adventures Inc.
47:20
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47:20Jordan Weisman is a 40-year industry legend with four entrepreneurial company exits to Disney, Microsoft, Topps, and Paradox Interactive. His achievements include winning over 100 awards, becoming a New York Times bestselling author, and co-creating iconic tabletop games such as BattleTech, Shadowrun, MechWarrior, and Earthdawn. Today, he is the CE…
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