If you're a leader in game dev who feels stuck, able to spot problems but struggling to make a real difference, there is a path forward that levels up your leadership and accelerates your team, game, and career. Sign up here to learn more: https://forms.gle/nqRTUvgFrtdYuCbr6

The game industry is undergoing a massive shift. Between the rise of "black hole games" that consume all player attention and the skyrocketing costs of AAA development, the old playbooks for leadership are breaking.

In this episode, Ben is joined by Andrew Brownell, a veteran Game Director at Netflix Games. Andrew brings over 20 years of experience from industry titans like Blizzard (Warcraft III) and Riot Games (League of Legends). Together, they unpack why the "unicorn" development model is failing and why the next generation of leaders must master a new set of "soft" skills to build resilient, high-performing teams in a bleak market.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• What Aggressive Gratitude really is and how to use it to build trust
• How to lead confidently when the direction isn't clear
• Why conflict can create clarity when handled one-on-one
• Why character often matters more than skill when hiring

If you're a game dev leader trying to level up performance without burning people out, this episode is for you.

Learn More About Our Guest:

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ahbrownell/

🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ahbrownell/

🔗 Twitter: https://x.com/ahbrownell

🔗 ContactOut: https://contactout.com/Andrew-Brownell-3180561

🔗 Netflix LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/netflix/

🔗 Netflix Games YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NetflixGames

Connect with us:

🔗Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/

🔗BBG's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games/

🔗Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames/#

🔗Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg

🔗YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZpMT-dUwQR-R4Mb4uub6Sw

If you want me to help producers or studios build better games through effective systems and leadership, you can reach me at: info@valarinconsulting.com

#GameDev #Leadership #GameProduction #GameIndustry2026 #BuildingBetterGames

If you're a leader in game dev who feels stuck, able to spot problems but struggling to make a real difference, there is a path forward that levels up your leadership and accelerates your team, game, and career. Sign up here to learn more: https://forms.gle/nqRTUvgFrtdYuCbr6

When leaders say they're "raising expectations," teams often hear one thing: work more.

That gap between intent and impact is why so many game dev organizations feel terrible to work at—and why "raise the bar" messages often land as threat, not motivation.

In this solo episode, Ben unpacks the tragedy of perspective between senior leaders who believe they're inspiring change and developers who feel cynical, burned out, or unheard. He explains why experienced seniors are the first to push back on buzzwords, how leadership unintentionally passes pressure downward, and what it actually takes to challenge a team without breaking trust.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How to earn the right to challenge your organization
• What teams really hear when leaders use vague language like "excellence"
• Why people matter more than tools, systems, or AI when trust is on the line
• How to sanity-check your messaging

If you're a game dev leader trying to level up performance without burning people out, this episode is for you.

Connect with us:

🔗Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/

🔗BBG's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games/

🔗Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames/#

🔗Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg

🔗YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZpMT-dUwQR-R4Mb4uub6Sw

If you want me to help producers or studios build better games through effective systems and leadership, you can reach me at: info@valarinconsulting.com

#GameDevLeadership #StudioCulture #BuildingBetterGames #GameIndustry #WorkplaceTrust

If you're a leader in game dev who feels stuck, able to spot problems but struggling to make a real difference, there is a path forward that levels up your leadership and accelerates your team, game, and career. Sign up here to learn more: https://forms.gle/nqRTUvgFrtdYuCbr6

Stop adding meetings to fix your game.

In this episode, Ben Carcich sits down with Glenn Paul Gray, Production Director at PeopleFun, to dismantle the "more syncs = more alignment" myth. They explore how piling on well-attended meetings often creates overhead rather than clarity and why your work system must adapt to the specific stage of development your team is actually in.

Glenn Paul brings a unique "hardware-to-software" perspective to game production. Starting his career in the Silicon Valley semiconductor industry, he transitioned into gaming in 2017, holding pivotal roles at Wargaming, Wooga, and AppLovin before joining PeopleFun. His background in complex systems engineering informs his pragmatic approach to "de-risking" games through aggressive prototyping and early-funnel testing.

What You'll Learn in this Episode:

• How to treat meetings as a "cost to align"
• What it means to shift from a discipline-centric matrix to a high-agency, general manager-led team structure
• Why testing for D1 retention can be inefficient for weeding out bad ideas
• How to build a "startup within a studio" environment
• Why your work system (from spreadsheets to Jira) must "mode shift" as your project moves from R&D to production

Learn more about Glenn & his company:

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glennpaulgray/

🔗 PeopleFun Website: https://www.peoplefun.com/

🔗 PeopleFun Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peoplefungames/?hl=en

Connect with us:

🔗Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/

🔗BBG's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games/

🔗Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames/#

🔗Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg

🔗YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZpMT-dUwQR-R4Mb4uub6Sw

If you want me to help producers or studios build better games through effective systems and leadership, you can reach me at: info@valarinconsulting.com

#GameDev #MobileGaming #GameProduction #BuildingBetterGames #GameLeadership