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The Executive Trap: Scaling ≠ Winning

The line goes up. Everyone claps.But growth without systems doesn’t build strength.It multiplies weakness.𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝘅 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀.It exposes them.If retention isn’t there, growth only amplifies churn.If LTV sits too close to CPI, one buggy release puts ROAS underwater.You’re not scaling strength. You’re scaling fragility.A few years ago, WildCard was tested.We didn’t chase scale. We cut UA to near zero.I still remember staring at dashboards showing a freefall.We fixed cohorts, tightened paybacks, rebuilt product.𝗢𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝘀.The rebuild wasn’t about more DAU.It was stronger systems: retention loops, monetization depth, faster testing.Now scale compounds because the system holds.𝗔𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲. 𝗙𝗲𝘄 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁.Because revenue fades. Only yield compounds.

Josh Chandley September 9

Highlights

From Ad Tech to S&P 500: AppLovin rockets 130% in 6 months

AppLovin (NASDAQ: APP), our Ad Tech titan, popped 12% today, stacking 130% gains in just six months. And now? It’s officially joining the S&P 500 in the September index rebalance. Index funds have to buy in, meaning automatic demand, billions in inflows, and the spotlight on Mobile Gaming’s Top Ad Tech Player. From Up&Downs to S&P. Growing Day by Day There's no surprise. What's behind? AppLovin’s Q2 2025: Record Revenue, Q2 Surges 77% to $1.26 bn Official: AppLovin Sold its Mobile Gaming Business to Tripledot Ad Monetization & UA: How Applovin Scared Google Why It Matters for Ad Tech AppLovin has transformed from “just another app publisher” into a full-stack ad monetization powerhouse: 77% YoY revenue growth in Q2 2025 EBITDA up 99% Net income up 156% It owns the funnel from user acquisition to monetization, and that vertical integration […]

Gamigion September 9

Journal

Top games produce more than 50 playables a month!

𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀 are the most important format these days. Top games produce more than 🤯 𝟱𝟬 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵.. 👇 That is quite impressive. How many do you produce every month? What’s your rule of thumb for playable length now? 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀. Are you staying 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗲 to the game or using misleading/fake concepts in playables?

Matej Lancaric September 9

Journal

Spotted these fun follow screens in Coin Master!

📱 Spotted these fun follow screens in Coin Master 👀 What I really like here is how they cover all audiences – whether you’re active on X, YouTube, or even Facebook (I recall seeing one for FB too).It’s a smart way to build community across multiple platforms, making sure every type of player has an entry point to stay engaged with updates, contests, and rewards.Small detail, but a big impact on reach & retention.👉 Curious – which platform do you think works best for mobile game community building today?

Michael Kopelovich September 9

Journal

Royal Match by Dream Games makes $4,5 million a day!

Royal Match 👑 by Dream Games is doing $4,5 Mil. 🤑 a day in revenue, and started testing the new Multiplier Token mechanic. This could be a new monetization feature, but players seem divided. Read the latest here 😎: Currently, there is already a double rewards per level mechanic, as seen on the first image on the left, but its time ⏲️ based. You can't control it, which means it has time pressure, but also you can't buy it, which will be the key iteration here. So they added a Multiplier Token into a test instead, which can be obtained through events, but also bought. It gives you the same double level rewards as the current timer version, but you consume 1 token per level played instead of a fixed time period. This means you can log off and get […]

Jakub Remiar September 8

Journal

How Founder Updates Reveal Which Startups Will Die

After 34 angel investments, I can predict which startups will die from their founder update emails. Email 1: The Vanity Metrics Special"We hit 10,000 signups!" But monthly actives? Revenue? Retention? Nowhere to be found. When founders lead with downloads instead of dollars, they're already lying to themselves.Email 2: The Pivot Parade"We're exploring an exciting new direction..."Third pivot in 6 months. They're not iterating. They're panicking. The best founders kill bad ideas fast, not dress them up as "strategic shifts."Email 3: The Bridge to Nowhere"We're raising a small bridge round to extend runway..."Translation: Our metrics don't support a real round. Bridge rounds are life support. I've never seen one lead to a comeback.Email 4: The Radio Silence3 months. No update. Then suddenly: "Quick update - things have been busy!"No. Things have been bad. Good news travels fast. Bad news hides.Email 5: […]

Joakim Achren September 8

Game Radar

Don’t Miss These New Mobile Games – August 29 to Sep 4, 2025

Hei, Hallo& SELAM! Here are the notable mobile games released between August 29 - Sep 4, 2025 and why they might be worth your attention. Curated weekly by Gamigion. Enjoy! 👉🏻 Also, check August 22–28 releases, some great games you don’t want to overlook! ✅ Quick Sum Forge Master – Idle RPG Trash Tycoon: Idle Trampire Counter Girls Drive Order Om Nom Tower Brainrot 3D Bitcoin Climb Hungry Hole Master Alien Horde: Squad Survival Tile Away - Art Gallery Ape Warforts Cube Tail Soccer Champ Wooldle: Knit & Sort 3D Clean Soap Escape Fluffy Match Knit Puller Duo Crime Squad: Shooting Game Loop Crusher Cube to Hole: Escape Puzzle Zula Strike Last Zone: Survival War Big Helmets: Heroes of Destiny Numoku Car Wash Mania! Boat Defense: Bag Blast ShootUp Balls Magic Stone Sort Tangle Tubes Wagon Crew Pocket Universe Royal […]

Gamigion September 8

Journal

Sentiment Programming and Enforcing in the Games Industry

The games industry has always been a place of creativity, innovation, and reinvention, but, what may also come as a surprise for many, it’s also an environment where sentiment is programmed and enforced.Sometimes this happens intentionally, when corporations, publications, or influencers try to push a narrative. Other times it happens unconsciously, as groups buy into a sentiment because it feels safe, popular, or “the right side of history.” Whether explicit or implicit, sentiment programming shapes not only how we work but also what we build, how we market, and what survives. Very often, it also shapes who will make money in the process, giving also opportunities for followers, on top of which it also shapes who will lose money in the process.This post looks at how sentiment programming plays out in the games industry — through direct and indirect means, […]

Antti Kananen September 8

Journal

Galaxy Defense: Bang Bang Survivor clone makes $120K a Day!

⚡️𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘅𝘆 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲: A sci-fi flavored Bang Bang Survivor clone that’s generating 🤑$𝟭𝟮𝟬𝗞/𝗱𝗮𝘆. Copying Raid Rush creatives is easy. Copying it properly? 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁.👇 We just broke down Galaxy Defense on the two & a half gamers podcast.Here’s what stood out on the UA & creatives side 👇CPIs likely $50–100+ in Tier1 markets (sci-fi + dark theme is 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 to work for UA, but may work for Organics).The majority of revenue is IAP-driven (~88%), and ads are only 12%.𝗔𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗶𝗱 > 𝗶𝗢𝗦 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 thanks to Discord-driven webshops. (perhaps also thanks to the Organics?)TikTok Flop: memes (quite funny), fake interviews, AI-generated actors.Street interview format straight out of the Raid Rush playbook, but 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿 execution.𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗵 = 𝟯.𝟱/𝟭𝟬 → 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗹𝗮𝘇𝘆, 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗽𝘆-𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲.Missing big levers: fake ads, stronger AI hooks, and format variety.Strong gameplay + monetization ≠ guaranteed UA success.If you’re […]

Matej Lancaric September 8

Journal

Nice touch in Archero 2: Choose your own reward.

🎁 Spotted a nice touch in Archero 2 — on the 7th day of the login calendar, players can choose their own reward. Why I like this: ✅ Adds player agency to a standard retention mechanic✅ Makes the final day feel more exciting & personal✅ Reduces the “one size fits all” problem of static calendarsSuch a small change, but it transforms the 7-day login from routine into something players actually look forward to.👉 Do you think more games should let players customize rewards in daily calendars?

Michael Kopelovich September 8

Journal

Players may find out they are in an experiment. So what?

In nearly every tech domain, from Amazon to airline pricing to Uber, users are in a variant. In fact, on LinkedIn, you may be in one right now. Experimentation isn't just prevalent, it's expected! Games seem to fall under a peculiar domain where experimentation is deemed "unfair." As a result, the whole population suffers because we're unable to improve an experience that applies to everyone. There are certainly legitimate critiques of experimental design. For example, the Hawthorne effect is a bias that occurs when participants are aware they are part of an experiment, thereby altering their behavior in a manner they wouldn't otherwise exhibit. Ironically, this is the problem with nearly all survey-based studies on loot boxes: crazed Redditors pushing an agenda, knowing what the experimenter is looking for. Testing first in non-English speaking regions is a key way to […]

Phillip Black September 7

Journal

An interesting RV placement at the level start screen.

🎯 Spotted an interesting Rewarded Video (RV) placement at the level start screen. Instead of only showing boosters you already own, the game gives you the option to watch an ad to get an extra booster before you even begin.Why I like it:✅ Players make the decision at a high-motivation moment (right before tackling the challenge)✅ Reduces friction — no need to backtrack to the shop✅ Smart way to blend monetization with progression flowA small but clever placement that turns anticipation into opportunity.👉 Do you think RVs work better before a level starts, or after it ends?

Michael Kopelovich September 5

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