Journal

Path of Exile 2 did some very smart decisions 💡 during their Early Access launch. I finally got to the endgame, so we have a full review for you, explaining their unique "convenience" based monetization and content distribution 😎. As seen on the image, the team heavily focused on the endgame part of the game instead of early campaign. Rather than developing a long and costly campaign, they actually developed only 3 acts and then recycled them with a higher "cruel" difficulty. This enabled them to shift the capacity of the team towards endgame, where players will spend most of their time ⌛ anyway, instead of the 25 hour long campaign, which you will never interact with after reaching the end of it. This is a completely opposite strategy to Diablo 4, which had a very well polished campaign with […]

How to create your own angel investors? 1. The reality: There aren't many dedicated angel investors especially outside of Silicon Valley. Those who do angel invest are former founders/execs who get bombarded with deals and invest sporadically.2. Here's a proven strategy I learned from running a 200+ person angel syndicate from 2020 to 2023:Key steps to building your angel prospects list:- Identify experienced industry professionals- Approach them directly about investing- Target smaller check sizes ($1k-$10k)- Aim for multiple angels to reach your goal3. Critical success factors:Target alignment:- Mobile apps? Find mobile experts- Hardware? Connect with hardware veterans- Match investors to your specific market4. What makes angels say yes:- Clear use of funds- Specific support needs- Demonstrated progress- Founder commitment (built something first)- User validation5. Pro tip: Use SPVs (Special Purpose Vehicles)Benefits:- Combine small checks efficiently- Single cap table entry- Streamlined […]

My 2024 Annual Review and the key reflections for me. 1. Big wins this year:Made 11 new investments at F4 Fund, focused on attention-based businesses2 angel portfolio companies secured 8-figure follow-on roundsElite Game Developers newsletter hit consistent bi-weekly cadenceMajor sleep quality improvements2. Changed my mind about being "all in":Full commitment doesn't mean burnoutWeekends are for family & hobbiesQuality downtime = better performanceFound balance through music, football & Legos3. Learnings & challenges:Deep work suffered - need stronger boundariesGreat founders push through walls unapologeticallyContent quality fears held back publishing (lesson: consistency > perfection)Core values definition remains a key goal for 20254. Key insight from "Die With Zero" book:Don't defer life improvements waiting for "someday", rather,- Invest in quality of life early- Prioritize meaningful experiences- Balance possible frugality with living wellWhat did you learn in 2024?

𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽𝘀: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗤𝟱 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 The fate of PC & Console's (HD) live-service model hangs on Q5's ambitious lineup: Strinova, Infinity Nikki, Path of Exile 2, Supervive, Marvel Rivals, and Delta Force. Should these titles fail to gain traction, the industry faces a cascade of down rounds, studio closures, and layoffs—not to mention a wholesale reassessment of the HD live-service paradigm. Eric Seufert's meditation on "The last social media platform" may prove prescient; we might witness the same in HD live service.The warning signs are already apparent. Mountaintop Studios' venture-backed Spectre Divide has become a cautionary tale, with peak simultaneous users (PSU) dropping below 100. Supervive's trajectory is similar, maintaining 4,000 PSU despite years of development, encouraging playtests, and the backing of the former League of Legends leadership team. Its salvation may lie in the East, given that […]