By Harry Phokou
The podcast currently has 17 episodes available.
Today’s guest is Pontus Mahler, co-founder of Agora Gaming Partners, a global investment bank and advisory firm focused on video gaming.
With over a decade of experience in creating, managing, and driving projects within gaming & esports, he's now focused on creating business opportunities in the video game industry and aiding talented gaming startups in reaching the next levels with guidance, and collaboration with investment & publishing partnerships.
In this podcast, he dives into the 2024 investment landscape and the rights and wrongs of dealing with publishers. With experience reviewing thousands of pitch decks, Pontus shares what actually works when securing funding and offers practical advice on negotiating with publishers. We also explore the key differences between VCs and publishers, and whether angel investment is a viable option, wrapping up with a rapid-fire Q&A.
This podcast is ideal for game developers, indie studios, double- and triple-A companies, and anyone looking to better understand the funding process, pitch strategies, and publisher negotiations.
Connect with Pontus:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pontusmahler/
Connect with Harry:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokou
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou
Sign up to Gaming Rally Newsletter (Harry Phokou & Ali Farha's weekly newsletter): gamingrally.net
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:45 Analyzing Investment Landscape of 202416:17 VCs vs. Publishers: Funding Your Game Development
28:54 Are Microtransactions and DLCs Important In Pitches
35:26 Do Publishers Fund Only Completed Games Today?
38:54 The Dos and Don'ts of Deals with Publishers
49:59 Angel Investment as a Game Funding Option
59:01 Learning More About Pontus And What He Does
01:06:40 Rapid-Fire Q&A with Pontus Mahler
01:23:28 Negotiating Better Deals With Publishers and Platforms
01:30:05 Presenting Playtest Data In a Pitch Deck
01:33:15 Ways To Connect With Pontus
Today's guest is Callum Godfrey, the Head of Third Party Publishing at nDreams.
With over 20 years in the gaming industry, Callum has worked with major players like Activision, EA, King, and Wargaming. He’s been involved in everything from AAA titles to mobile games and now focuses on the fast-evolving world of VR. These days, he’s back to being hands-on with game teams, leading third-party publishing at nDreams, and pushing the boundaries of VR gaming.
In this podcast, he shares his journey through the gaming industry, offering valuable insights on understanding your audience, prioritizing LiveOps, and pitching to publishers. He also explores the future of AAA games and provides practical tips for handling layoffs.
Whether you're a game developer or part of a gaming studio aiming to publish your game or implement LiveOps effectively, this podcast is for you.
Connect with Callum:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/callum-godfrey-89a42b4/
Connect with Harry:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokou
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou
Sign up to Gaming Rally Newsletter (Harry Phokou & Ali Farha's weekly newsletter): gamingrally.net
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
3:11 Why Knowing Your Audience Is Key
8:45 How To Effectively Understand Your Audience
13:33 Breaking Down Audience Data With Three Key Pillars
19:26 Why It’s Worth Prioritizing LiveOps Early
24:36 Essential Roles and Tools for Building a LiveOps Game
32:27 What Does the Future Look Like For Triple-A Games?
38:36 The Do’s and Don’ts of Pitching to a Publisher
49:40 Survival Tips For Those Laid Off
57:16 Ways To Connect and Reach Out to Callum
Today's guest is Chris O'Connell, a renowned recruitment mentor and host of The Purpose-Led Leadership Podcast.
Chris is a former global top biller at SThree and the founder of a £25M recruitment business, which he successfully scaled and sold. With over 75,000 LinkedIn followers and a track record of mentoring over 50 businesses, Chris now helps recruitment leaders build purpose-driven, high-performing companies. He specializes in leadership coaching, talent management, business development, and strategy execution, guiding leaders through transformational growth and exit strategies.
In this podcast, Chris O'Connell shares heartfelt lessons from his coaching experience and personal struggles. He opens up about the tough challenges that shaped him, offering advice on how to stay resilient, lead with purpose, and keep growing. You'll also hear practical tips on business development and creating a healthy work-life balance.
This podcast is perfect for CEOs, entrepreneurs, and business owners who want to grow both personally and professionally while building stronger, more successful businesses.
Connect with Chris:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itschrisoconnell/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@chrisoconnellcoach
Connect with Harry:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokou
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou
Sign up to Gaming Rally Newsletter (Harry Phokou & Ali Farha's weekly newsletter): gamingrally.net
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
1:46 Why Vision and Purpose Matter Most
07:14 Generating Business Using LinkedIn
16:11 Effective Task Management Advice
18:40 Overcoming the Struggle of Delegating Tasks and Giving Instructions
22:37 Chris’s Story: Turning Adversity into Strength
31:13 How the Right Team Can Transform Your Business and Mindset
36:53 Setting Boundaries to Avoid Burnout
40:15 Building a Proactive Business Development Culture for Long-Term Growth
45:55 Truly Getting To Know Your Team
48:20 Keeping Yourself Accountable, Not Your Team
50:33 Treating Business as a Marathon, Not a Sprint
52:50 My Career Journey: Learning Over Earning
56:04 What Gets Chris Up In The Morning
57:48 What Does The Future of Chris O’Connell Look Like?
01:00:21 Ways To Reach Out To Chris
Today’s guest is Christina-Marie Drake, a leading recruiter at Ghostpunch Games and founder of Moms in Gaming.
With nearly a decade of experience in HR and recruitment, including five years in the gaming industry, Christina-Marie has helped connect top talent to game studios through her expertise in social networking, leadership, and strategic initiatives. A former recruiter at Naughty Dog, she transitioned from contract work to full-time roles, driven by her passion for candidate experience and human connection. Christina-Marie is also a proud Women in Games Ambassador and LinkedIn Top Voice.
In this podcast, she shares practical steps for handling a layoff, from preparation to securing your next job. She discusses her own layoff experience and offers advice on building a master resume, deciding whether to learn new skills or keep applying, and filling gaps in your resume. Christina also addresses age-related concerns in job hunting and how to broaden your search to different titles. The episode wraps up with a Q&A session for additional insights.
This podcast is for professionals facing or recovering from layoffs, career changers, and anyone looking to enhance their job search strategies.
Connect with Christina:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinasaidso/
Connect with Harry:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokou
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou
Sign up to Gaming Rally Newsletter (Harry Phokou & Ali Farha's weekly newsletter): gamingrally.net
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
1:44 Christina’s Layoff Story
5:22 Preparation For a Layoff
08:47 Building a Master Resume
15:56 Learning New Skills or Keep Applying
23:22 What’s Stopping You From Taking a Side Job?
29:10 Filling That Gap In Your Resume
35:07 Practical Advice On Handling a Layoff
46:00 Does Age Matter In Job Search?
54:42 Expanding Your Job Search to New Titles
56:10 Ways To Connect With Christina
57:17 Getting a Job Without Experience
01:02:12 Wrap-Up Q&A with Harry Phokou
Today's guest is Simran Whitham, founder and CEO of FORMAT, the award-winning events production and creative agency.
With over 8 years of experience in marketing and production across the events, video games, and digital creative industries, Simran has co-founded and worked as Head of Marketing at Tri-Heart Interactive, Head of Player Engagement at Milky Tea, Lead Social Media Manager at The Lowry Theatre, and marketing executive at VR/AR studio XR Games. Along the way, he gained invaluable experience that inspired him to create FORMAT, a leading games industry community nightlife event.
In this episode, Simran delves into the secrets behind organizing successful and profitable events. He shares the journey of FORMAT, from its inception to groundbreaking gaming events, and offers practical advice on everything from generating lead flow and tracking attendees to finding the balance between profitability and fun. Simran also provides insights on overcoming challenges, networking strategies, and how to make your event stand out.
This podcast is ideal for event planners, aspiring entrepreneurs, and anyone interested in the events and games industries. Whether you're looking to launch your first event or seeking ways to optimize and grow your existing business, this podcast is for you.
Connect with Simran:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simran-whitham-939957143/
X: https://x.com/simranwhitham
Connect with Harry:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokou
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou
Sign up to Gaming Rally Newsletter (Harry Phokou & Ali Farha's weekly newsletter): gamingrally.net
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:40 What is FORMAT?
1:46 The Origin Story of Revolutionary Gaming Events
7:40 Simran’s Resilience and Going Against the Stream
9:58 What Makes FORMAT Events Better Than Others
12:50 Tips For Starting Your Very First Event
18:47 How to Generate Lead Flow Like FORMAT
20:41 Strategies for Tracking Attendees and Managing Data
24:24 You Win Or You Learn
26:46 What to Do When Hard Work Isn't Paying Off
30:42 The Importance of Networking and Going to Events
35:19 Lesser-Known Events Worth Attending
37:49 Simran’s Networking Strategy for Gamescom
45:15 FORMAT’s Way To Making Event Business Profitable
50:49 Capitalistic and Profitable or Fun and Losing Money
56:21 How To Organize a Fun and Profitable Event
1:04:40 Advice For Aspiring Entrepreneurs
1:07:40 Ways To Connect and Find Out More About Simran
Today's guest is Tarak Ford, Head of Development at Kwalee, a leading mobile game publisher and developer that also creates games for PC and consoles.
With over 12 years in the industry, Tarak started in external QA and quickly moved into leadership roles at studios like Lionhead and Crytek. At Kwalee, he’s been key in growing the team from just 20 people to over 400, opening offices around the world, and helping the company publish games on almost every platform, reaching over a billion downloads.
In this podcast, he shares his experiences managing global teams, the challenges of growing an international remote studio, and the lessons he’s learned along the way. He offers practical advice on improving onboarding processes, dealing with cultural differences, building cohesive teams through diversity, and more.
This podcast is perfect for game development professionals, from aspiring leaders and team managers to studio founders and HR specialists, who want to learn how to successfully build and manage teams in the gaming industry.
Connect with Tarak:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarakford/
Connect with Harry:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokou
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou
Sign up to Gaming Rally Newsletter (Harry Phokou & Ali Farha's weekly newsletter): gamingrally.net
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:04 Tarak’s Day-to-Day Life as a Head of Development at Kwalee
02:21 Growing Teams and Starting Remotely
03:57 Why Build an International Remote Team
05:54 Lessons from Building an International Remote Studio
08:40 How to Deal With Cultural Differences
10:53 Improving Onboarding Experience for a Candidate
14:15 Practical Tips and Advice for Candidates
23:59 Innovation Through Diversity of Thought
27:12 How to Build a Cohesive Team
31:16 Useful Tools for Managing Teams Globally
33:55 How to Optimize Tool Costs
39:31 Onboarding to a Company's Values and Culture
46:26 Tips for Growing a Team for the First Time
Today’s guest is… me, Harry Phokou. I was invited to join Andrew Pappas on the Indie Game Movement podcast to discuss business development.
In this episode, I shared my journey of launching a ghostwriting business back in April and offered practical tips on leveraging LinkedIn for growth in the gaming industry. We covered personal branding, optimizing LinkedIn profiles, starting meaningful conversations, and creating content that attracts leads. I also explored consulting opportunities and highlighted the importance of maintaining effort and momentum for sustained business growth.
If you’re an indie game developer or industry professional seeking practical tips and strategies to enhance your business development and leverage LinkedIn for growth, this podcast is for you.
Connect with Andrew:
Connect with Harry:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokou
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou
Sign up to my weekly Newsletter for gaming professionals: gamingrally.net
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
2:04 The Gaming Playbook Podcast
3:13 From Business Development to Personal Branding and Ghostwriting
5:35 Hobbies and Networking
7:40 The Q Box Round: Momentum, Real Name, and Gaming Preferences
11:30 The Importance of Business Development
16:01 Creating Business Opportunities with LinkedIn
21:33 Optimizing LinkedIn and Starting Conversations
32:12 Content to Post on LinkedIn
40:13 Treating LinkedIn Like a Radio and Understanding the Algorithm
46:12 Growth Opportunities for Indie Studios
50:53 In-depth Advice on Consulting
01:00:01 Final Advice: Conversation Stats, Momentum, Continuous Learning
01:03:52 Special Offer and Ways to Connect
Today’s guest is Raphael Colantonio, President and Creative Director at Wolf Eye Studios.
Raphael Colantonio has been a prominent figure in the game industry since 1993. He founded Arkane Studios in 1999 and brought us classics like Arx Fatalis, Dark Messiah, Bioshock 2 (co-development), and the Dishonored series. With hundreds of awards to his name, Raphael co-founded WolfEye Studios in 2019, releasing Weird West in 2022. Besides his expertise in creative direction and game mechanics, Raphael is also a talented musician, having composed music for Dishonored, Prey, and Weird West.
In this podcast, he shares his journey from Arkane Studios to founding WolfEye, diving into his passion for game development, the challenges of creating games, the importance of long-term teams, and managing a remote studio.
This podcast is for anyone interested in game development, from aspiring developers and studio founders to gaming enthusiasts looking for behind-the-scenes insights.
Connect with Raphael:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raphael-colantonio-658350/
Twitter/X: https://x.com/rafcolantonio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rafcolantonio/
Connect with Harry:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokou
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou
Raphael’s music: https://www.youtube.com/@WeirdWolves
Sign up to Gaming Rally Newsletter (Harry Phokou & Ali Farha's weekly newsletter): gamingrally.net
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
2:09 Raphael's Journey: From Arkane to WolfEye
5:33 The Drive of Passion in Raphael's Career Choice
10:40 Playing Games or Exploring Worlds
14:33 Embracing Failure in the Game Development Process
22:25 Dishonored 1 vs Dishonored 2: Production Challenges and the Importance of Lore
28:00 Balancing Roles: President, Co-Creative Director, and CEO
31:32 The Value of a Long-Term Team at WolfEye
39:57 Remote Work and Team Synchronization
43:54 WolfEye and Their Debut Game 'Weird West'
45:37 Practical Advice for Founders
49:48 Ways to Connect and Check Out Raphael’s Work
Today's guest is Kshiraj Telang, a seasoned artist and Art Director at Moon Active.
With over 20 years in the entertainment industry, including over a decade in mobile games, Kshiraj has worked at 11 gaming studios worldwide, gaining a unique perspective on diverse environments. He began his career as a cartoonist, evolving into roles as an animator, web artist, and flash game designer. Now, Kshiraj leads a talented team at Moon Active, providing vision for the company and its products. He also launched the 'Doodles to Downloads' podcast to give back to the industry and share insights on game art.
In this podcast, he shares insights into the differences in work culture between various countries and the impact of these experiences on his professional development. Kshiraj also discusses the challenges and strategies of managing a globally distributed remote team. Additionally, he touches on how to become a better leader and the critical role of decision-making.
This episode offers valuable inspiration and practical advice for aspiring or senior artists and leaders in the gaming industry.
Andrew Hubermann's podcast about the Growth
Connect with Kshiraj:
Connect with Harry:
Sign up to Gaming Rally Newsletter (Harry Phokou & Ali Farha's weekly
Chapters:
Music: https://www.bensound.com
License code: TPMOHN9REZGWEFBQ
Today’s guest is Selim Ozturk, founder and director of The Pixel Movement a global gaming recruitment agency.
Over the last 12 years, he transitioned from sales to recruitment, excelling not only in finding the right candidates but also in building long-term partnerships. In the last four years, he focused on gaming recruitment and founded 2 agencies having placed 100s of candidates. The Pixel Movement now supports game developers, publishers, gaming VCs and gaming service providers globally.
In this episode, he shares valuable lessons on building long-term relationships, innovative approaches to supporting clients and candidates, and how to streamline the interview process for better outcomes.
This podcast is for both current and aspiring gaming professionals, hiring managers, and recruiters.
Connect with Selim:
Connect with Harry:
Sign up to Gaming Rally Newsletter (Harry Phokou & Ali Farha's weekly newsletter): gamingrally.net
Chapters:
The podcast currently has 17 episodes available.
7,621 Listeners