Every creator of a new video game or founder of a video game startup loves gaming. No one in this industry is unique in that fact. If you’re trying to get VC funding, loving games will not differentiate you from everyone else.     Investors are looking for more from founders. To be taken seriously, there has to be something more, something with clear potential to succeed. You need to figure that out before you decide to bring an investor to the table. VCs see multiple pitches a day, and each one is a great idea. If you are looking for funding, you need to go beyond just having a great idea.     To speak more on what founders and companies should consider when starting a game studio or looking for funding to make a game, we have invited Joakim Achren, an expert in startups, venture capital funding, and game studio leadership, as well as author of ‘The Long Term Game'.     Joakim joins us in today’s episode to walk us through what maximizes your chances of successfully starting a game company.     Tune in for practical advice from a real game dev investor so you know what it takes to found a video game startup and make better games!     Topics discussed in this episode: - The big ingredients of a successful game startup - Can you be part of creating games and also facilitate game making as a founder? - Common mistakes made by early stage founders when constructing a team - What happens when hiring a team with too many similarities - Why Joakim takes a proactive stance instead of a reactive one when advising - How to create vulnerability in board meetings to deal with issues - How the recession is impacting conversations around runway - A leader’s secret to building culture within a company - Why is ambition level important when founding a video game startup? - What VCs care about when you are pitching to them - The optimal way founders and leadership should be looking at product - Joakim’s personal philosophy on learning loops - What are some reasons why startups fail   To learn more from Joakim, check out elitegamedevelopers.com, or check out his podcast at https://elitegamedevelopers.com/podcast/   For more tips on how to staff your dev team, email us at info@valarinconsulting.com to set up a free 90 minute call!   For more episodes head to the Building Better Games Podlink.   Connect with us: TikTok Instagram LinkedIn YouTube