Founder’s Quest

Ep 25: Lisette Titre-Montgomery, Cornerstone Interactive

Today we’re talking with Lisette Teatree-Montgomery, founder of Cornerstone Interactive which got started in 2023. Her background is that of an incredible art and creative director previously working at DoubleFine, Ubisoft, EA, and more. We talk about her journey from working on award winnng games to starting her own studio, what she’s learned along the way, and how adaptability has become central to her perspective on the industry. Let’s jump in.

Ep 24: Oksana Kubushyna, Seeker Entertainment

Today, we talk with Oksana of Seeker Entertainment. Oksana and I first met back in the day when she first joined Riot, when she was already a deeply accomplished engineer and leader. Since then she spent 9 years growing and leading at Riot in a variety of roles, getting further and further from development and building new things. She talks about how that drove her to pursue her founding journey, and the learning and experiences along the way. She’s also one of the few founders to join me who went on a true co-founder dating experience, so it was great to speak more deeply of how she approached that difficult task. Let’s jump in.

Ep 23: Jen MacLean, Dragon Snacks Games

Today, we’re talking with Jen MacLean of Dragon Snacks Games, founded last year in 2024. Jen comes from a long history in the game industry at some of the largest players in the space. Microsoft, Amazon, 38 studios as well as a lot of time in the IGDA supporting the entire industry. We talk about what pushed her to start a new studio in this moment of the industry, how the early part of her founding journey has gone, and how she supports herself with a “Personal board of directors.” I found the conversation filled with thoughtful reflection, lessons learned, and a warmth and empathy that made it a delight. Let’s jump in.

Ep 22: Stephen Bell, Gardens

Today, I’m talking with Stephen Bell of Gardens. Stephen’s journey is notable in a few ways that make this a really fun discussion. First, Stephen comes more from the world of screenwriting and narrative design and had to learn how to adapt those skills to the role of founder. Second, the founder group of Gardens comes from smaller more indie studios and chose to take a much larger swing — then had to figure out what that meant. Finally, Stephen recently changed roles within Gardens, becoming the CEO. All of this makes for a fascinating conversation filled with humor, humility, and lots of reflection on lessons learned so far. Let’s jump in.

Ep 21: Eli Allen, Wild Blue Studios

Today we’re talking with Eli Allen of Wild Blue Studios. Eli is a unique guest for our show in a few ways. Wild Blue has been operating for 7 years, where many of the guests I’ve had so far are still in the first few years of their company. Wild Blue is also an art service provider rather than a dev studio, as well as a worker co-operative. We talk a lot about what each of these differences mean for Eli’s founding journey and what he’s had to learn and been challenged by along the way. What I was struck by though is how many similarities and lessons there are here for founders of any stripe. I’m hoping you feel the same way. Let’s jump in.

Ep 20: Pavel Afanasiev, Northern Lights Entertainment

Today we’re talking with Pavel Afanasiev of Northern Lights Entertainment. Pavel’s founding journey is a fresh one, starting during student protests in Hong Kong, through to a paper written on his way to a Master’s degree in economics and business. And all of this was built on experiences in forums for a large web strategy game, and a passion for bringing political systems to players inside of games. Along the way, Pavel met his cofounder, built a team, got funding, and found that Karaoke, and the community he found there, was important to his sanity as a founder. I really enjoy when folks find their way to founding a studio from fresh perspectives, and found Pavel’s to be incredibly compelling. Let’s jump in.

Ep 19: Bernard Yee, Windup Minds

On today’s episode, we talk with Bernard Yee, founder of Windup Minds. Bernie has a long history in the games industry working at such places as SOE, Atari, Bungie, Popcap, and more. But immediately prior to starting Windup Minds, he was working at Oculus building early VR experiences. It was through that journey that he found the seed of what he wanted to continue as he started Windup Minds. He shares how he found his cofounders and thought about all the assets he did and did not have, as he went on his startup journey. I loved so much of how Bernie thinks about his journey and reflects on it, I hope you will too. Let’s jump in.

Ep 18: Caerie Houchins, Wicked Fox Games

Today we’re talking with Caerie Houchins of Wicked Fox Games. Caerie had what I think is a quintessential experience post-layoffs at Riot, where a bunch of well meaning folks were encouraging her to do a startup. This happens whenever there are big layoffs or downturns in the industry — surely those folks can just start their own studios! As you’ll hear, Caerie went on this journey with curiosity and learned more about what that path entailed. She ultimately found a co-founder and embarked, but it was not a sure thing. I hope anyone who is getting similar advice can learn from Caerie’s journey, and all the episodes of Founder’s Quest. Let’s jump in.

Ep 17: Michael Chu, Treehouse Games

Michael Chu, founder of Treehouse Games, is a dear friend of mine. We worked together at Riot Games a decade ago now and have helped support each other on our founding journeys since. He was a graduate of the USC games program where he led a project and met his co-founder. While he spent the next few years learning at Riot, his co-founder went on several entrepreneurial journeys. Michael shares how those two different set of experiences come together to create their journey at Treehouse and how that's gone. Michael is one of the humblest and kindest people you'll meet so it was a treat to get him to open up about his journey and share lessons.

Ep 16: Stephen MacDonald, Magic Potion Games

Stephen MacDonald, founder of Magic Potion Games, is my first guest who self-described as a serial entrepeneur. He’s done two prior startups, pushing hard along those journeys, and in between has worked at places like Disney, EA, and Relic. Each startup brought with it new lessons and experiences, which Stephen was quite introspective about and has carried forward on this journey. It’s really inspiring to hear someone who has that level of thoughtfulness break down prior journeys and how its shaped their current one.