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Startup fundraising lessons

Startup fundraising lessons: 1. Common VC wisdom:- Raise for 18-24 months runway- Add 6 months for fundraising- Target 30% buffer for unexpected spend- But here's what they don't emphasize...2. The "hard truth":- You're not in the "money-saving business"- VC money = rocket fuel- Purpose is growth, not survival3. Signs that can spook investors:- <4 months runway when starting fundraise- Raising at same terms as last round- No clear path to next milestone- High burn rate pre-product market fit4. What actually matters:- Progress toward next round's metrics- Clear plan for use of funds- Ability to extend runway if needed- Strategic cash deployment vs. hoarding5. Common advice that's oversimplified:- "Raise when you don't need money"- Reality: Raise when you have momentumRemember: Your runway is countdown to either mega success or your next fundraise. Plan accordingly.

Joakim Achren January 6

Highlights

Jobs in Mobile Gaming: 26

🎨 First Week - Jobs in Mobile Gaming 👉🏻 Data from Gamigion.com/jobs 🕺🏻 Dev 💻 Art 🎨 Product 📱 Marketing 🎯 Business 💰 Data 📈 QA ⚒️ 💻 Dev Technical Director Unannounced Title Scopely 🇪🇸 Senior Analytics Engineer Scopely 🇪🇸 Staff Engineer - Monopoly GO! Scopely 🇪🇸 Senior Engineer - Monopoly GO! Scopely 🇪🇸 Senior Gameplay Programmer, Squad Busters Supercell 🇫🇮 Software Engineer Zynga 🇨🇦 Mobile Game Engineer Zynga 🇹🇷 Lead Technical Product Manager Zynga 🇨🇦 Senior Game Developer - Gram Games Zynga 🇹🇷 Technical Operations Specialist Moon Active 🇮🇱 Game Developer Moon Active 🇵🇱 Solutions Engineer MobilityWare 🇺🇸 Ad Tech Product Manager MobilityWare 🇺🇸 Director of Engineering, Ad Tech MobilityWare 🇺🇸 Full Stack Developer - Match Hotel! (Istanbul & Ankara) SciPlay 🇹🇷 Unity Team Leader SciPlay 🇮🇱 Senior Software Engineer Plarium 🇮🇱 Unity Developer CrazyLabs 🇪🇸 Freelancer Creative Ads […]

Gamigion January 6

Journal

Top Tools for Game Development in 2025

Top tools for game development in 2025 Here’s your ultimate list of tools, broken down by category:Planning 🗂️ • Asana – User-friendly, but limited customization (⭐ 4.5/5) • Jira – Great for agile teams, steep learning curve (⭐ 4.3/5) • ClickUp – Highly customizable, can overwhelm (⭐ 4.4/5) • HacknPlan – Built for game dev, lacks flexibility for other projects (⭐ 4.2/5)Communication 💬 • Slack – Easy integrations, but too many notifications (⭐ 4.6/5) • Discord – Ideal for real-time discussions, less formal than Slack (⭐ 4.4/5) • Google Meet – Smooth with Workspace, fewer advanced features (⭐ 4.3/5) • Zoom – Reliable video, some privacy concerns (⭐ 4.5/5)Documentation 📚 • Notion – Versatile and customizable, can lag (⭐ 4.6/5) • Confluence – Well-integrated with Jira, feels outdated (⭐ 4.2/5) • Google Docs – Real-time collaboration, limited advanced features (⭐ […]

Anton Slashcev January 5

Journal

Pika 2.0 vs. Kling AI vs. Runway ML

Saving the King! 𝗣𝗜𝗞𝗔 𝟮.𝟬 𝘃𝘀. 𝗞𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗜 𝘃𝘀. 𝗥𝗨𝗡𝗪𝗔𝗬 𝗠𝗟 PIKA 2.0 is catching up👇Using multiple tools together is pretty cool. You can clearly see the difference. Even though a monthly subscription adds up with all the AI tools, you must keep testing them. Each of them is good for different use cases!Weekend fun with Dream GamesPS: I know this is far from ideal, but it is still a huge step forward.

Matej Lancaric January 5

Journal

What makes a Good Leader

I get asked a lot about what makes a good leader, or what skills to focus on, but leadership isn’t about knowing everything—it’s about trusting the right people. At Kwalee I have the privilege of managing close to 200 talented individuals across multiple disciplines. Some of these areas I have zero experience in when I started. Yet, our success isn’t the result of one person trying to master everything—it’s the result of empowering great leaders who do.The late, great Steve Jobs said it best when he said “we don’t hire smart people and tell them what to do, we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do” and I’ve always tried to listen to that advice.Probably the most important lesson I learned in my leadership journey is this: delegation is key. Not just assigning tasks, but trusting […]

John Wright January 5

Journal

Interesting offer in Coin Master by Moon Active

Spotted an interesting offer in Coin Master by Moon Active! While the design feels a bit crowded for my taste, the concept of 'Bigger prize, same price' is definitely intriguing. Always exciting to see what tests and features studios are trying out to engage players! 🎁✨ Has anyone tried a similar approach and seen any interesting results? Would love to hear your thoughts!

Michael Kopelovich January 5

Journal

How Boom Beach Could Be Set Back to Growth?

This article focuses on analyzing Boom Beach’s current state and suggests couple theoretical ideas for how it could be set back to growth. Note: This article is constructive, giving a straight-forward analysis on a game’s current state — with also suggestions and ideas for future improvement. The sole intention is to provide here an insightful article and as a goodwill-basis give open ideas and principles for improvement. This article has data from AppMagic. Current State of Boom Beach When looked over the long haul, Boom Beach by Supercell has seen long-term engagement decline (despite bringing great amount of revenue and success — which is still something everyone needs to acknowledge) over its lifecycle; a common “trend” for many mobile games as their player bases gradually lose interest after peak growth. Side Note: These things are common “trends” in games such […]

Antti Kananen January 5

Journal

Why playable ads kick ass in UA: 101 guide

Actions speak louder than words. Doing is always better than showing. Don’t talk about buying your wife flowers. Buy them. It’s the same with playable ads. Why show what your game is about when you can get people to play it? Video ads get boring too, and playable ads can add some spice to your UA campaigns. For the unfamiliar, playable ads are minigames that give users a brief glimpse of what your game looks like. Here’s everything you need to know about them. Where did playable ads come from? Playable ads used to be developed by ad networks for advertisers. However, advertisers didn’t have the control to test or experiment with different creatives. Now, there are a lot of drag-and-drop tools that make it easy to develop. Alternatively, you can also easily produce them with a little bit of […]

Matej Lancaric January 5

Journal

Physiology and Psychology: How They Explain F2P Game Metrics

When we talk about metrics like session times, retention rates, and monetization in F2P mobile games, we’re not just talking numbers. These metrics reveal how player habits, behaviors, and decision-making are rooted in human physiology and psychology.This article focuses on discussing about physiology and psychology behind F2P metrics / KPIs, and how they can be used to break down KPIs you’re seeing behind your game — and, furthermore, how physiology and psychology can be used for game design.Note: Some of the points discussed here can be more theoretical still, as they’ve not been used to far extend, yet, in game development and design.Physiology and Psychology Behind Mobile F2P Games and Their MetricsHere's a deeper look at how we tap into the principles of physiology and psychology to build successful games:Engagement Loops and Habits FormationGratification systems, feedback loops, and well-designed hooks […]

Antti Kananen January 4

Journal

How Stumble Guys Could Be Set Back to Growth?

This article focuses on analyzing Stumble Guys’ current state and suggests couple theoretical ideas for how it could be set back to growth. Note: This article is constructive, giving a straight-forward analysis on a game’s current state — with also suggestions and ideas for future improvement. The sole intention is to provide here an insightful article and as a goodwill give open ideas and principles for improvement. This article has data from AppMagic. Stumble Guys Faces Downhill Slide in Engagement According to AppMagic, Stumble Guys, a hit from Scopely (originally developed and released by Kitka Games who sold Stumble Guys for Scopely), is seeing decline in downloads and engagement. Stumble Guys, Revenue Stumble Guys, Downloads This trend, while common in games after top peaks, highlights a critical point: Without re-freshening of gameplay and strategic updates, it's challenging to maintain DAU […]

Antti Kananen January 4

Journal

Gaming Factory Professions

Sorry gamers… but I have to say this! Not everyone is familiar with the inner workings of game development. Sure, I can guess the recipe for Oreo cookies BUT! Outside the factory, guesses turn to crumbs. Absolutely, you’ve got every right to critique the games you buy. But sprinkle a little #Respect for the devs. TRUST ME! Launching a 'bad' game is never the goal. Behind every release is a squad of genius devs, even if it misses. It's the collective effort of hundreds, sometimes thousands. 3D Modeler, UX Designer, VFX ArtistAI Developer, UI Designer, 2D ArtistTools Programmer, Level DesignerStore Manager, DevOps EngineerBrand Manager, Email MarketerPixel Artist, Mobile DeveloperTexture Artist, Space Designer Rigging Artist, Casting Director Digital Artist, Rendering EngineerMarket Analyst, Network Engineer Backend Developer, System Architect Player Support, Fitness Coach, QA Tester Storyboard Artist, Gameplay Programmer Layout Artist, Script […]

Sergei Vasiuk January 3

Journal

Mobile Gaming Cycles: Commercialization & Industry in Motion

The mobile gaming industry is a dynamic ecosystem, constantly evolving through cycles of innovation, commercialization, and reinvention. Each cycle introduces new opportunities and challenges — shaping how games are developed, marketed, and sustained. From genre-mixing to shifts in user acquisition strategies, these cycles fuel the industry’s growth and creativity — and sentiment. This article focuses on discussing about current state of Mobile Games market, what has driven it where it is, and what (potentially) lies ahead. How We Ended Up Where We Are: The Post-IDFA Reset The introduction of Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework sent shockwaves through the industry — disrupting traditional methods of user acquisition and monetization. Over the years, most (commercially adaptable) studios have adapted to what is required for survival; focusing on e.g., onboarding and first-time user experiences (FTUE) with marketability in mind — whilst overall […]

Antti Kananen January 3

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