Alexis Gresoviac

Founder: "Everyone is like family here, Alexis"Founder: "Ok, actually we're struggling" CEOs should never confuse friendship with leadership.Period.I have managed 100s of A-players.Over the last 20 years..I see too many CEOs who hire fast.Build "fun" cultures, fully remote, casual Fridays.They run up a toxic "we're all friends" environment.Then mediocrity sets in.This is when they reach out to me.Team management should be done professionally.Instead of prioritizing being liked.↳ Prioritize building high-performing teams.With no structure, you have no excellence.↳ Dedicate 1 day a week to performance reviews.Need to turn things around in less than 3 months?↳ Then 2-3 days of active management.Building A-teams in 2024 doesn't have to be scary.It's not popular work, but it is crucial.If you avoid confrontation.If you hate setting boundaries.If you prefer being "the cool boss".Remember the CEO doesn't have to do it alone.Instead:a) Hire a full-time HR […]

1 tip I learned running a 100+ gaming studio: Not having a roadmap causes immense pain.There’s nothing worse than not being able to fix yourmonthly run-rate, set a deadline and outline your milestones to run your business.Roadmaps are the heart and soul of it all.Without them you end up stuck and directionless.Without deadlines you stagnate. Without milestones you remain at square one.Imagine being able to:- Have a clear roadmap- Have the ability to hire on demand- Have the budget to move the business forwardHow much more would your business grow?For those who have a roadmap.Revisit it.Monthly.Think twice or pay the price.How often do you revisit your roadmap?

I see great studios burn from poor budgeting. Here's the 40-30-20-10 Rule:1/ Development (40%)2/ Marketing (30%)3/ Operations (20%)4/ Emergency Buffer (10%)The catch?This budget works IF you already have money.In reality, every business is different.And your budget should be too.The key?The review.As MD at Blizzard I had weekly budget meetings.Analyzing spend vs. performance.Moving money where data showed it worked best.Otherwise, you risk overfunding low-priority projects.1 practical step:Do you have a 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸?15 minutes → Track actual vs. planned spend ↳ Adjust next week/month's allocationA financial pulse check.After managing $100M+ budgets, I can tell you:in 1 week, EVERYTHING can change.To survive the fire as a studio.Small regular adjustments.Don't get burnt!----I am doing a live podcast on this topic soon.Wednesday 6th November here on LinkedInThere will be an opportunity for Q&AWill be a pleasure to see you there.🗓️ Link to signup here: […]

2 founders. 2 game studios. 3 months runway I will call them "Kevin" and "David":Anonymous CEOs I spoke with recently.Both creating high-quality games.Both seeking investment urgently.Both with around 20-30 employees.But with different actions..𝗞𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗻, 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝟭20+ employees = money existsClaims "no money" for changesBanking on 4-week miracleHigh burn rate continuesSays "can't afford help"Kevin is avoiding tough decisions.𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗱, 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝟮20+ people across 2 studios.The investment deal fell throughFalse promises left them hangingReady to make a change.After working with David through coaching.We helped him buy 6 months of runway.The critical difference?Priorities.David understood:No company = No future teamCut costs = Buy timeWhile Kevin:Putting everything at risk.Including personal well-being."I will find a solution in 4 weeks"Is not a strategy.Different actions.Different outcomes.One is definitely better than the other in my opinion.

I managed studios for 25 years. From Blizzard Korea to Huuuge Games.Operations can quickly fall apart..- Admin- Hiring- Training- Delegating - Management- Company growthIF you are not careful.As a CEO you have to manage all of them.On top of picking up the kids and tying your shoes.It is a lot.Here's what I learned about inefficient operations:1/ Lost moneyWhen operations are off track, resources bleed.I've seen medium studios lose $100k+ monthly.Due to bottlenecks and poor processes.2/ Slow decisionsEvery delayed decision = missed opportunityAt Gameloft, we scaled from 1 to 150 people.Quick decisions were our edge.3/ Team burnoutBad operations create chaos.Your best people get frustrated.They leave. (very common)5/ Growth ceilingYou can't scale what's broken.Fix operations first.Then aim for growth.The solution?1) Simplify 1st.2) Delegate FULL ownershipYou can do this through a fractional CEO or Full-time CXO.What is important is that you are not […]

I've managed $100M+ budgets. Here's 1 core issue I see in growth-stage game studios:They're throwing money around without realizing it.Example:Not enough partners? Missing annual targets?The typical response: "We need to hire more salespeople."But is recruiting new salespeople the answer?Or are you just adding more water to an overflowing ocean?Truth is, you don't have a sales problem.You have a foundational problem.Who is this really for?What makes you different?What does your strategy actually deliver?How do you communicate your value?If you don't address these foundational issues,you'll end up in a cycle of slow growth.Here's what I'd do this week:1. Identify your top 3-5 customers2. Schedule calls with them today3. Ask key questions about your value and impact4. Refine your messaging to sharpen differentiationRemember:Growth challenges are constant.It's how you tackle them that matters.I learned this the hard way at Gameloft, Blizzard, and Huuuge.Now I […]

I’m 50. At 20 I left France to work in Japan.30 years later, I have been managing director of 3 giant studios.I now consult studios from 1:1 coaching to interim CEO.Here’s the story:- Decade 1 -At 16 years old I dreamed of becoming a vet. In France this required genius level math.This led me to economics.It felt like a setback, but it opened a new path. Business- Decade 2 -At 20 years old I wanted to live and work in Japan.It became a dream for me. So I made it happen.My professional life was thriving.There was little work-life balance. But I loved it.- Decade 3 -At 29 years old started my new life.I had a great chance to build a business from scratch.Building Gameloft Japan from just me in my bedroom.To 150 people and becoming a leading mobile game publisher […]

The Gaming Industry's 'Big' Problem Remember the movie 𝘉𝘪𝘨 with Tom Hanks?It's a perfect mirror to today's gaming industry.I've been in gaming for 30 years.And I'm seeing a worrying trend.Game execs aren't 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 anymore.They're lost in:- Corporate meetings- Disconnection from players- Misaligned prioritiesResult? Games suffering.(Think Concord's recent struggles)In 𝘉𝘪𝘨, Tom Hanks' character thrives because:1. He's passionate about toys2. He understands what kids want3. He brings fresh, honest perspectivesWhat today's gaming industry lacks:1. Passion for the Product Like Josh's love for toys, we need execs who genuinely love games.2. Market Understanding Josh knows what kids want. Do our execs know what gamers want?3. Real Solutions vs. Toxic Positivity Josh cuts through corporate noise. We need leaders who do the same.4. Aligned Leadership In 𝘉𝘪𝘨, execs lose sight of fun. Sound familiar?The solution?We need more 'Josh-like' leaders:- Passionate about games- In tune […]

I spent 4000 days at Gameloft. One day my team and I were very close to burn out. We were scaling fast..Growing pains ..When in the moment, we had to conquer.To accomplish objectives.The hamsterwheel effect was strong.Every day felt like a fight, and we needed to look at the bigger picture.Because constant challenges lead to burn out.Running a game studio can be overwhelming at times.- Challenges to face- Obstacles to overcome- Goals to be met- Projects to be deliveredAnd the list goes on. But taking a step back to look at the long term vision.Can make or break the deal for your game studio.Because it allows for you to put things in perspective.Long term goals must be set as priorities.Don't put out fires daily.(cloning yourself is not an option)Set time to prevent them strategically. PS. If your game studio is […]

I led a multi-million dollar game studio. 11 directors. 150+ employees. 2 beautiful years.1 crucial lesson I learned about retaining top talent though was:The people you surround yourself with are what will make the company run.Strong leadership in a game studio that's competitive.Is the heart & soul of the job.It's such a competitive industry.Which requires collaborative culture.One must provide their team with freedom.Freedom to lead within their departments.Departments that help foster responsibility and long-term commitment.The steering wheel is held by great mentors & partners.Ones who lead, not just manage.As we did at Blizzard during my stay there.We gave our employees autonomy to execute their own vision.And this led to stronger team loyalty and productivity.Next time you're looking at your team ask yourself.Am I allowing them to lead autonomously?