Deconstructor of Fun

This week in games, we go all-in on the hottest industry shake-ups: Fortnite turns the monetization dial up, Meta slashes Reality Labs in a major XR reality check, and Pixel Flow emerges as a potential puzzle hit — if it can crack the retention challenge. We break down why strong core mechanics aren’t enough, spotlight the rapid rise of Turkish game studios, pull the most important takeaways from the latest AppsFlyer report, track where gaming investment is really flowing across mobile and PC, and wrap with a heated debate on how AI is already reshaping game development — who wins, who loses, and what it means for the future of games.00:00 Welcome01:15 Episode Intro & Shills05:54 Fortnite's New In-Game Transactions14:03 Meta's Reality Labs Layoffs25:54 Pixel Flow: A New Puzzle Game32:57 Balancing Magic Sort Gameplay33:35 Early Success and Retention Concerns34:06 Turkish Game Development Excellence39:30 Marketing Insights from Apps Flyer Report43:30 Investment Trends in Gaming48:35 AI's Impact on Game Development54:05 Debate on AI in Game Development01:02:10 Concluding Thoughts on AI and Gaming

The sharpest operators in predictive modeling, signal engineering, and post-ATT user acquisition unpack what actually breaks when campaigns scale. This is a dive deep into ROAS curves, attribution loss, modeling vs reality, SKAN-era signal decay, and why UA performance often collapses right when it looks like you’ve cracked growth. A must-read or listen for founders, growth leaders, and UA teams.

links:
www.kohort.io/

Chapters:
02:45 Understanding the ROAS Iceberg: Paid vs. Organic
05:55 Incrementality Testing and Blended ROAS
09:48 Gross vs. Net ROAS: The Misalignment Dilemma
12:49 CPI and LTV Elasticity: Teaching Teams to Adapt
16:42 The New UA Meta: Signals and User Behavior
19:29Collaboration Between UA and Product Teams
22:31 Evolving Strategies in LiveOps and Personalization
26:05 The Evolution of Live Operations in Gaming
31:05 the Single Source of Truth
35:40Key Metrics for User Acquisition Success
42:00Pacing Rules for Effective User Acquisition
45:53The Future of Predictive ROAS and Automation

From brilliant plays to questionable moves, embarrassing predictions to market reality checks, we’re handing out the most honest (and occasionally brutal) awards of the year in games — including a very special Limping Donkey Award for moments that… didn’t quite stick the landing.We cover the biggest wins, the hardest falls, and the trends shaping what comes next, with a deep dive into Roblox advertising and what it means for the market.00:00 Welcome00:42 Golden Twig Awards Overview01:10 TV Show Banter02:59 Event Announcements and Clarifications05:42 Golden Twig Awards: Talk of the Year08:32 Embarrassing Predictions10:11 Most Damage Taken in the Year15:18 Most Disappointing Game of the Year20:54 Most Questionable Move of the Year24:57 Most Brilliant Move of the Year27:56 The Limping Donkey Award33:09 Crushed It: Top Performers of the Year36:31 Listener Feedback and Future Plans43:51 Roblox Advertising and Market Analysis51:05 Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up

The crew discusses their off-air relationships, personal reflections, and New Year's resolutions.
00:00 New Year's Resolutions and Sarcasm
00:27 Introduction and Episode Overview
00:49 Listener Questions and Emotional Moments
01:46 Promoting CREs and Gen Alpha Insights
02:33 Supercell and Industry Dynamics
05:01 Predictions and Industry Trends
13:14 Off-Air Relationships and Dynamics
21:41 Running Bits and Personal Promises
26:50 Dream Interviews and Burning Questions
28:53 Showcasing Virtual Economics
29:34 Will Wright and the AI Founders
30:17 Super Executives and Industry Leaders
33:55 Personal Reflections and Challenges
43:24 Biggest Wins of the Year
48:41 Impactful Moments and Lessons Learned
58:52 Hopes and Dreams for the Future

Hiring is one of the most underestimated competitive advantages in startups, and one of the fastest ways to break a company.
In this episode, Michail Katkoff (Deconstructor of Fun), Joe Burridge (Head of Talent at Play Ventures), and Miki Blasko (Head of Talent at Deconstructor of Fun) break down what founders consistently get wrong about hiring, and how those mistakes quietly turn into culture, execution problems, and talent drain.
links: www.deconstructoroffun.com/talent
www.linkedin.com/in/joeburridge
www.linkedin.com/in/mikiblasko
We unpack:
Why hiring is a founder-level strategic decision
The myth that great talent “shows up” once funding is announced
Culture vs. competence
Why compensation alone doesn’t attract A-players
The red flags of “corporate refugees” vs. true startup operators
How weak hiring processes drive top performers away
What successful founders do differently for the 10–20 hires

Chapterrs
01:00 The Challenges of Hiring in Startups
06:33 Understanding Compensation and Talent Attraction
16:10 Culture vs. Competence in Hiring
17:31 Identifying the Right Fit for Startups
23:13 The Role of Founders in Shaping Culture
30:43 Navigating the Unhinged Nature of Founders
40:06 Reality Distortion and Leadership
45:41 Challenges in Retaining Talent
51:13 Building an Employer Brand
53:25 Hiring Patterns for Success
61:24 Painful Hiring Mistakes