Why I Didn’t Start Another Games Company

What twenty years in gaming taught me about timing, meaning, and where to build next.

Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash

I’ve spent over twenty years in the games industry. If there’s one question I’ve been getting a lot lately, it’s this:

“Why didn’t you start another mobile games company?”

It’s a fair question. I’ve been part of every major wave in gaming, from the early days of Facebook games to the mobile revolution. But this time, I chose a different path. Instead of starting another gaming company, I decided to build an AI startup. You can read about it in this LinkedIn post.

Here’s why.

1. The Timing Just Isn’t Right

Every major shift in gaming has been driven by a distribution revolution.

When Facebook opened its platform to developers in 2007, it created an incredible opportunity. A few years later, the rise of the App Store sparked the mobile boom, the best possible time to build a gaming startup.

But right now, there’s no clear “new platform moment.” The market feels mature, and there isn’t that same asymmetric opportunity that allows small teams to challenge incumbents. Without that, starting a new gaming studio feels like running uphill.

2. I Don’t Have a Competitive Edge

In my previous startups, I always had a unique angle, a sense of timing, experience, and a view into something others hadn’t yet spotted.

Today, I don’t feel I have that edge in gaming. The industry is saturated, and the established players are incredibly strong. New studios often survive only by

1. copying fast and adapting even faster.

2. raising massive amounts to build something a massive game.

That’s not how I want to spend my time. I’ve done it before. I know what it takes. And I know what it costs.

3. I’d Rather Support Founders Than Compete With Them

Through F4 Fund and as an angel investor, I’ve invested in close to 50 gaming studios. I get to see the next generation of founders up close, their creativity, their ambition, their struggles.

I can add more value by helping them than by becoming one of their competitors. I understand their challenges, the funding environment, and the brutal realities of game distribution and player retention. My experience serves them better from the outside than from within.

4. AI and Gaming Don’t Yet Fit Naturally

Yes, AI brings massive productivity gains. Smaller teams can build faster and smarter than ever before. But that doesn’t necessarily translate into new distribution power, which is where the real breakthroughs in gaming historically come from.

AI will absolutely reshape how games are made. But I don’t see it creating the kind of once-in-a-decade opportunity that mobile or social platforms did. Not right now at least.

5. I Know How Hard It Really Is

Making a great game is brutally hard. You have to kill countless prototypes. You never really know if something works until thousands of players are playing it.

It’s an emotional rollercoaster that takes years of your life.

After two gaming companies and two decades in the industry, I’ve learned how much persistence and luck it requires. I simply don’t feel the same drive to go through that cycle again.

6. AI Feels Like the Right Place for Me Now

When I build AI products, I feel like I’m the end user. I know instantly if what I’m making works or not. I can iterate daily, talk directly to my users, and see results fast.

That feedback loop gives me energy. It reminds me why I started building in the first place, not to chase market timing, but to create something useful and meaningful.

Final Words

In many ways, I’m still building products. I’m still solving problems for users. It’s just that now, my playground isn’t the games industry, it’s the world of AI.

And that feels like the right place to be.