Press Start Leadership Podcast
Welcome to the Press Start Leadership Podcast, your ultimate guide to unlocking your leadership potential in the dynamic world of the video game industry. Join me, Christopher Mifsud, a seasoned industry professional with two decades of experience leading and nurturing teams for renowned digital creative companies worldwide.
This podcast is your secret weapon in an industry that often promotes talented individuals without providing the necessary leadership training. Drawing from my personal experiences and dedicated investment in top-tier coaches and programs, I've successfully bridged the gap in leadership development. I'm excited to share these invaluable insights with a broader audience, empowering you in the video game industry.
Whether you're a video game industry pro or aspiring to lead a creative product and development team, this show is designed to help you maximize your team's potential and embrace your role as a visionary leader. Together, we'll explore proven strategies, industry trends, and personal anecdotes that will give you the competitive edge you need.
Are you ready to level up your leadership skills and excel in the vibrant world of video game development? Join us on the Press Start Leadership Podcast and let's begin this transformative journey. Just Press Start!
Episodes
219 episodes
Why Reactive Leaders Burn Out Studios And How Proactive Leaders Build Resilience
Volatility is the rule in game development, not the exception—so why do so many studios still lead by firefighting? We dig into the mindset and mechanics of proactive leadership and show how foresight, transparency, and disciplined planning pro...
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Season 1
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Episode 218
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17:36
Balancing Scarcity And Growth In The Games Industry
Growth without restraint breaks studios. Scarcity without vision shrinks them. We dig into a practical way forward: carry the hard-won lessons of lean times into the rush of good times, and treat balance as a leadership operating system rather ...
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Season 1
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Episode 217
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18:28
Why The Games Industry Must Choose Empathy And Ditch Late-Game Capitalism
The games industry is booming on paper, yet the people who build and play the games feel the strain. We unpack why record revenues can coexist with layoffs, crunch, and predatory monetization—and make the case that empathy is not just moral, it...
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Season 1
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Episode 216
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17:26
Building Creative IP Ecosystems for Sustainable Franchise Growth
Fans don’t move in straight lines—they discover worlds through shows, comics, streams, and, yes, games. We dive into how creative IP ecosystems transform a single release into a living franchise by aligning story, timing, and partnerships acros...
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Season 1
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Episode 215
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18:06
Network or Burnout: The Entrepreneur's Choice
The difference between thriving and burning out as a game industry entrepreneur often comes down to one critical factor that's rarely discussed: your support system. While creative talent and technical skills are essential, navigating the unpre...
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Season 1
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Episode 214
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16:20
Finding Your Zen in Game Dev Chaos
Ever feel like you're constantly fighting fires instead of leading with purpose? The relentless pace of game development creates a unique pressure cooker for leaders. Deadlines loom, market conditions shift overnight, creative visions clash, an...
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Season 1
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Episode 213
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15:19
The Art of Game Pitching: One Sheet to Deal
Transforming brilliant game ideas into pitches that secure deals requires mastering a specific art form. For developers navigating the business side of game production, creating compelling pitch materials isn't just helpful—it's essential for s...
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Season 1
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Episode 212
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16:04
Beyond Hope: Strategic Planning as Your Studio's Competitive Edge
The chaotic world of video game development demands more than hope and talent—it requires strategic planning and robust backup strategies. Leadership coach Christopher Mifsud dives deep into why the adage "no plan survives contact with the enem...
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Season 1
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Episode 211
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18:28
From Lost to Aligned: Transforming Game Developer Onboarding
Ever wonder why some new hires hit the ground running while others struggle for months? The difference often comes down to onboarding - that critical period where developers are transformed from outsiders to integrated team members.The ...
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Season 1
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Episode 210
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20:29
Lateral Thinking: The Game Developer's Secret Weapon for Creative Problem-Solving
Creativity isn't just for the art department. In a rapidly evolving game industry landscape, your ability to think laterally—approaching problems from unexpected angles—might be your greatest leadership asset yet.This episode dives deep...
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Season 1
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Episode 209
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16:40
Aligning Your Game with Market Demand: How to Identify Viable Opportunities
The game industry has evolved beyond simply creating fun experiences. Today, success demands strategic alignment between creative vision and market realities. Whether you're an indie developer or AAA studio leader, understanding how to identify...
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Season 1
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Episode 208
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19:05
Fail Fast, Succeed Faster: How Dirty Prototyping Transforms Game Development
Hesitation and perfectionism are killing your game studio's creativity. In the high-stakes world of video game development, the pressure to deliver polished work can paradoxically lead to expensive failures and missed opportunities. This episod...
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Season 1
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Episode 207
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12:47
Character, Camera, Controls: The Foundation of Exceptional Game Design
Exceptional game design often boils down to mastering the basics – specifically the three Cs: Character, Camera, and Controls. These foundational elements create the framework upon which unforgettable player experiences are built, yet they're f...
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Season 1
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Episode 206
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21:16
Game-Changing Business Cases
Strategic decision-making in game development demands more than creative intuition—it requires structured analysis and thorough planning. This deep dive explores how game studio leaders can create effective business cases that balance creative ...
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Season 1
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Episode 205
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17:48
Lucy and the Football: Surviving Game Funding Setbacks
Every game developer knows the brutal sting of excitement followed by crushing disappointment when funding disappears at the last moment. That promising investor call, the enthusiastic publisher meeting—all ending with radio silence or a polite...
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Season 1
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Episode 204
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17:19
Logic 101: How Game Development Leaders Can Make Better Decisions Through Structured Thinking
Drowning in conflicting priorities? Juggling last-minute bug fixes with creative feature requests? Your intuition can only take you so far in the complex world of game development leadership. When technical challenges, creative dem...
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Season 1
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Episode 203
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17:47
Oops I Did It Again: Why Celebrating Failures Makes Better Games
What if the quickest path to innovation wasn't avoiding failure, but embracing it? Game development thrives on creativity and calculated risk-taking, yet many studios still operate under a culture where mistakes are hidden rather than highlight...
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Season 1
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Episode 202
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12:25
Finding Your Guide: How Industry Mentors Transform Video Game Leadership
Navigating leadership in the video game industry demands a unique blend of creativity, technical expertise, and business acumen. Yet even the most experienced studio heads and senior producers face challenges that test their skills and resilien...
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Season 1
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Episode 201
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19:17
Building Game Studio Repositories: Capturing Collective Wisdom for Development Success
Ever notice how the same questions keep popping up in your game studio? Why the wheel gets reinvented with each new project? The culprit is likely hiding in plain sight: your institutional knowledge is trapped in silos, scattered across tools, ...
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Season 1
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Episode 200
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16:26
The Power of Looking Inward: How Self-Reflection Elevates Game Development Leaders
What happens when game industry leaders pause to reflect? The answer might surprise you.Reflective leadership stands as a transformative practice for video game industry professionals caught in the whirlwind of deadlines, development ch...
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Season 1
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Episode 199
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11:19
Strategic Leadership: Empowering Your Game Development Team for Success
Leadership in the video game industry demands far more than managing deadlines and resources – it requires creating an environment where creativity flourishes, burnout is prevented, and teams feel genuinely supported. Today we're diving deep in...
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Season 1
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Episode 198
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9:44
Cows vs. Kangaroos: Why Critical Thinking Matters
Have you ever believed something so completely—only to discover it was entirely wrong? Christopher Mifsud shares a transformative childhood story about confidently misidentifying cows as kangaroos, thanks to his family's playful misinformation....
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Season 1
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Episode 197
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12:23
The Hidden Level: Team Building in Indie Game Development
Every great game begins with a great team. For indie developers breaking into the video game industry, assembling that first development team stands as perhaps the most pivotal challenge you'll face—and the foundation upon which your success wi...
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Season 1
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Episode 196
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10:48
The Strategic Edge: Critical Thinking in Game Development Leadership
Ever wonder what separates good game development leaders from truly exceptional ones? The answer lies not in their technical expertise or industry connections, but in how they think. Critical thinking—that deep analytical ability to dissect pro...
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Season 1
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Episode 195
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10:41
The Empathy Cheat Code: Unlocking Your Team's Hidden Potential
Forget what you thought you knew about effective game studio leadership. The high-stakes world of video game production demands more than just decisiveness and authority—it requires the transformative power of empathy.This episode dives...
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Season 1
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Episode 194
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10:50
