To build a great experience, you have to break a couple sacred cows | Joshua Lu - a16z Games (Partner), SPEEDRUN (General Manager) | Ep. 33

Josh Lu is a product executive and  partner at a16z Games, investing in Series C - B companies. He is also the General Manager at SPEEDRUN, their gaming accelerator. During  his time at Zynga, he led product and growth teams, steering titles like Words With Friends to unprecedented success. He has also worked as VP, Commercial Leader at Blizzard Entertainment, and Director of Product Management for Horizon Worlds at Meta.

 

In this episode, Matt and Josh discuss viral gaming strategy, the importance of building cross-functional collaboration among teams, and where the future and evolution of and AI/hybridization in mobile gaming is headed in the coming years. 

Key Takeaways:

• Unified Goals and Cross-functional Collaboration: Discussing the importance of setting shared goals across product, marketing, and growth teams to ensure cohesive effort and maximize impact
• Teaching and Understanding Different Functions: Effective growth requires every team members understand each other's roles to build mutual understanding and drive collective success
• AI in Gaming: The evolving role of AI in gaming, from reducing production costs to enhancing personalization and user experience
• Importance of Startup Team Building: For early-stage gaming startups, the capabilities, vision, and conviction of the founding team are critical factors for investment
• The Future of Mobile Gaming: Emphasizing the continued potential for innovation and massive success within the mature yet dynamic mobile gaming market

Chapters (0:01) Joshua Lu's experience in the gaming industry (3:50) Gaming culture and family traditions (5:44) The evolution of growth in business over the last decade (9:44) Cross-functional collaboration and overcoming siloed teams (12:40) Transitioning Blizzard to mobile gaming culture (13:59) Building cross-functional collaboration for product success (18:03) The importance of strategic planning and goal setting (21:24) How centralized PM function enhances collaboration in gaming studios (25:22) The high-stakes world of free-to-play mobile games (28:52) The evolution and future of mobile gaming (36:38) The importance of early adoption in technological advancements (37:47) Key criteria for investing in early stage gaming startups (42:04) Advantages of non-gaming backgrounds in mobile game development (42:39) Breaking rules to create something new (44:03) Final thoughts/Last piece of advice (45:00) Conclusion and closing remarks   Link to transcript