The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou

Hiring isn't guesswork.
In this episode, I'm joined by Frank Lofaro, who has helped over 1,700 businesses hire better, from zero-employee startups to companies scaling past 100 people. Before founding Tank Recruiting, he spent three years at AeroTech (one of the largest private staffing firms in the world) and was an employee #12 at Acquisition.com, where he worked as an internal recruiter and hired across an entire portfolio of companies.
We talked about how to make your first hire, avoid costly hiring mistakes, identify A-players, create better interview processes, improve candidate experience, and build a team that can scale with your business.
Whether you're a founder making your first hire or leading a growing company, this conversation is for you.
Connect with Frank:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frank-lofaro/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/franklofaro/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TankRecruiting
Website: http://tankrecruiting.com/
Connect with Harry:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokou
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou/
Join our industry events: https://hivemind.world/
Get exclusive podcast recaps & industry insights:
→ Subscribe to The Gaming Playbook Weekly at https://join.thegamingplaybook.com
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
05:03 How Frank got into recruiting and joined Acquisition.com
08:50 Why hiring speed and candidate experience matter
14:13 Making your first hire: where founders should start
15:59 The mistake of hiring a COO too early
20:12 Why over-titling employees creates problems
23:20 Biggest hiring mistakes from 0–10 employees
26:53 Accountability meetings and managing performance
32:13 The hiring framework: Qualify, Amplify, Evaluate
36:02 How to review resumes and screen candidates efficiently
40:13 Structured interviews and objective hiring decisions
47:39 Take-home assessments and hiring tests
52:31 Frank's favorite interview question
53:49 Who should run first-round interviews?
56:59 The biggest hiring lesson: never compromise on culture fit
01:00:22 Why Frank started Tank Recruiting

How do you build a great game company, not just a great game?
Today, I'm joined by a former Xbox executive and Player One Consulting CEO, Chris Bain, who shares lessons from working with 100+ game studios, major publishers, and Microsoft.
We discuss game pricing, localization, publishing deals, funding, studio growth, leadership, vision, and why so many developers focus on making games but overlook building sustainable businesses.
If you're an indie developer, studio founder, publisher, or anyone interested in the business of games, this conversation offers practical insights on turning creative projects into long-term, successful companies.
Connect with Chris:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chbain/
Website: https://www.playeroneconsulting.com/
Connect with Harry:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokou
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou/
Join our industry events: https://hivemind.world/
Get exclusive podcast recaps & industry insights:
→ Subscribe to The Gaming Playbook Weekly at https://join.thegamingplaybook.com/
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
02:11 From scientist to consultant to Xbox strategist
08:08 Inside the Xbox vs PlayStation console wars
11:45 How game pricing really works
15:30 Cost control and budgeting for game studios
18:17 Finding your game's unique selling point (USP)
19:54 Market research and understanding player demand
21:35 Localization and reaching global audiences
27:31 Building games for specific audiences
28:33 Common mistakes indie studios make
31:09 Why every studio needs a clear vision
36:32 The danger of loving development more than business
38:49 Making games investable and commercially viable
41:23 Funding options, investors, and publisher relationships
43:23 What publishers actually do today
46:17 Choosing the right publisher for your game
48:24 Lessons learned from coaching hundreds of studios
52:28 Why the games industry became much harder after 2022
54:40 Opportunities in VR and emerging markets
1:00:02 Studio growth, leadership, and scaling challenges
1:10:11 Building sustainable companies in a changing industry
1:15:40 Game IP, transmedia opportunities, and future growth

What do game publishers actually do in 2026? Why do some indie games succeed while others fail, even with a great product?
Today's guest is Ben Kvalo, founder of Midwest Games and former publishing, marketing, and technology leader at Netflix, Blizzard, and 2K. Ben breaks down how modern game publishing works, why traditional publishing models are changing, how Steam's algorithm impacts launches, common mistakes indie developers make, and why the future of game development may be shifting away from traditional industry hubs.
Whether you're an indie developer, publisher, marketer, or game industry professional, this conversation provides practical insights into game publishing, Steam marketing, wishlists, launch strategy, publisher relationships, and the future of the games industry.
Connect with Ben:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benkvalo/
Substack: https://substack.com/@benkvalo
Website: https://www.midwestgames.com/
Tombwater: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3308200/Tombwater/
Connect with Harry:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokou
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou/
Join our industry events: https://hivemind.world/
Get exclusive podcast recaps & industry insights:
→ Subscribe to The Gaming Playbook Weekly at https://join.thegamingplaybook.com/
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
03:00 What Midwest Games does and the concept of Shadow Publishing
04:40 The current state of game publishing
07:51 Why publishing is becoming modular
10:28 Traditional publishers vs specialized expertise
15:49 Why publishers still dominate game revenue
19:59 Common mistakes indie developers make
21:04 Steam page launches and market validation
22:23 Demos, Early Access, and launch strategy
24:50 Steam wishlists and conversion rates
27:46 How external marketing impacts Steam performance
28:25 Steam algorithms, launch timing, and visibility
32:15 What Shadow Publishing actually includes
34:31 The 40+ disciplines behind game publishing
40:11 Building effective publishing teams
42:55 Why recency matters in publishing expertise
46:46 The reality of game development costs in the US
52:28 Remote work, talent, and regional advantages
55:39 MDEV and the growth of Midwest game development
59:10 Industry disruption and future opportunities
01:02:46 Advice for aspiring game publishers
01:05:37 How to connect with Ben
01:06:35 Why you should check out Tombwater

Why are indie game funding deals getting harder in 2026?
In this episode, I'm joined by Pontus Maehler, games industry advisor and Co-Founder of Agora Gaming Partners, an advisory firm focused on video gaming M&A, publishing, and fundraising.
He breaks down the real state of game publishing, project financing, China publishing opportunities, and how indie studios can survive the current market.
We cover how publishing deal terms have changed, why vertical slices matter more than ever, common mistakes developers make when pitching publishers, and what actually gets games funded today.
If you're an indie developer, game founder, or anyone trying to understand the business side of the games industry, this episode is for you!
Connect with Pontus:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pontusmahler/
For pitching a game: scouting@agoragamingpartners.com
For Chinese publishing: lili@agoragamingpartners.com
Connect with Harry:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokou
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou/
Join our industry events: https://hivemind.world/
Get exclusive podcast recaps & industry insights:
→ Subscribe to The Gaming Playbook Weekly at https://join.thegamingplaybook.com/
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
03:45 The current state of game funding in 2026
05:20 Why VC funding for indie games is collapsing
08:41 Is the VC model dead for indie developers?
11:08 Bootstrapping vs raising money for indie studios
14:07 Why publishers now demand vertical slices and validation
15:50 How publishing deal terms changed after COVID
16:32 Understanding recoup structures and revenue splits
24:15 Biggest mistakes developers make with publishers
27:44 Developers intentionally underbudgeting projects
28:00 Contract clauses indie devs must understand
31:56 Product financing vs traditional publishers
33:42 Grants, tax credits, and alternative funding sources
36:15 Why developers should pay attention to China
39:18 When to approach Chinese publishers before launch
41:05 How Chinese players differ from Western audiences
46:45 What motivates Pontus to work in games
48:40 How developers should think about target audiences
53:32 Final survival advice for indie studios
54:48 Why developers waste too much time pitching at events
59:00 VC funding, scaling, and long-term strategy

Today, I'm joined by Jakub Remiar, Mobile F2P monetization consultant and veteran game designer, for a deep dive into the future of the mobile games industry. From why China is dominating mobile game design and monetization to how user acquisition became the real battleground, this episode breaks down the uncomfortable realities behind today’s biggest games.
Jakub explains why “monetization is game design,” how Chinese studios outscale Western teams, why most mobile studios fail, and what actually separates breakout hits from copycats.
If you work in gaming, product, monetization, or are building a mobile game studio, this episode is for you!
Connect with Jakub:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@2.5gamers/videos
Slack: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-3nua7emvr-A1AXS70f~kRGyniP1PdQjQ
Connect with Harry:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokou
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou/
Join our industry events: https://hivemind.world/
Get exclusive podcast recaps & industry insights:
→ Subscribe to The Gaming Playbook Weekly at https://join.thegamingplaybook.com/
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
04:42 Gamescom vs ChinaJoy and why the industry is changing
06:47 Why mobile gaming trends move from East to West
09:17 Why Western studios ignore massive Asian games
11:25 Chinese studios taking over 4X and merge games
14:06 Why user acquisition now decides who survives
16:12 Supercell, Clash of Clans, and the missed 4X opportunity
18:34 How Jakub would build a modern game studio
22:44 The modular game development strategy behind hit mobile games
26:32 Why paid UA beats “just making a great game”
28:19 Balatro, streamability, and viral indie success stories
34:06 AI-generated creatives and the future of mobile marketing
36:33 Why top studios create thousands of ads every month
38:18 Fake ads, King Shot, and the reality of mobile advertising
39:39 How mobile games are designed around monetization systems
43:52 Product leadership, game economies, and monetization mistakes
49:33 Why game design knowledge is so hard to learn publicly
53:33 Why even experienced game studios still fail
55:47 Is the gaming industry actually doomed?
58:27 Career advice for aspiring game designers