From a Double Exit to Double Loop Games, Serial Gaming Entrepreneur Emily Greer

From a Double Exit to Double Loop Games, Serial Gaming Entrepreneur Emily Greer

Author: Eden Chen and Kevin Zhang March 15, 2023 Duration: 1:00:57
The Gaming Founders Podcast
BusinessEntrepreneurship

The Gaming Founders Podcast Episode 3: From a Double Exit to Double Loop Games, Serial Gaming Entrepreneur Emily Greer

Welcome to The Gaming Founders Podcast, where we interview founders that have shaped the gaming industry. You’ll hear origin stories, tactics that helped founders and companies survive and thrive, and key lessons for anyone building the next generation of gaming companies. Your hosts are Eden Chen, CEO of Pragma and Kevin Zhang, Partner at Upfront Ventures.

Today’s guest is Emily Greer, Co-founder and CEO of Double Loop Games, building meaningful and charming experiences for anyone that likes to play games, regardless of whether they self-identify as gamers. Previously Emily cut her teeth over 13 years as COO then CEO of Kongregate, a leading browser then mobile publisher behind hundreds of indie games played by tens of millions of players. In this episode, you’ll hear how Emily credits her brother for her getting the gaming bug, the evolving sibling dynamics during the growth of Kongregate, their acquisition by retailer GameStop, the lucky Jeff Bezos money that helped them survive the crash of 2008, and her decision to start over again, founding Double Loop Games.

Discussion points:

  • Emily credits her brother for catching the gaming bug
  • The co-founding of Kongregate with her brother Jim
  • The gaming distribution landscape in the mid-2000s
  • Changing sibling dynamics as co-founders
  • User acquisition, leveraging Emily’s background in marketing and data analytics
  • From bootstrapping to raising VC dollars
  • Kongregate’s acquisition by Gamestop
  • Jeff Bezos money in the nick of time during market crash of 2008
  • Being a 40-something woman in the gaming industry
  • Advice to founders - exercise, take time for yourself, you don’t need to give up things you love
  • Retention, recruiting and building cultureThe Gaming Founders Podcast is brought to you by Eden Chen, CEO of Pragma, and Kevin Zhang, Partner at Upfront Ventures.

The Gaming Founders Podcast is brought to you by Eden Chen, CEO of Pragma, and Kevin Zhang, Partner at Upfront Ventures.

Pragma is a venture-backed backend game engine founded by the engineering leaders who built the platforms for some of the largest live service games including League of Legends, Fortnite, Destiny 2, and Plants vs. Zombies 2. Pragma powers services like accounts, matchmaking and player data for the world’s most ambitious live service games. Eden Chen is a serial entrepreneur and cofounder of Pragma, Fisherman Labs and Lightmark Capital, and started his career in investment banking at Citigroup and Lehman Brothers.

Founded in 1996 in Los Angeles with investing professionals based in LA and SF, Upfront Ventures has backed startup teams across all technology sectors, with about half in Southern California, and the rest across the US and Europe. Kevin Zhang is an avid gamer and former neurobiology researcher who leads gaming and healthcare investments at Upfront Ventures, including Pragma.

Resources:

Emily Greer Bio

Emily Greer LinkedIn

Double Loop Games

Gaming Founders Podcast

Eden Chen LinkedIn

Kevin Zhang LinkedIn

Upfront Ventures

Pragma


Behind every game you love, there's a story of how it almost didn't happen. The Gaming Founders Podcast pulls back the curtain on those pivotal moments, moving past the polished headlines to the real decisions and struggles that define a company's path. Hosts Eden Chen, a CEO building developer tools, and Kevin Zhang, a venture capitalist, bring a dual perspective to their conversations. They sit down with the people who actually built the studios, platforms, and technologies shaping play, focusing not on gossip but on the tangible lessons from the trenches. In each episode, you'll get an unfiltered look at the origin stories, the specific tactics that helped companies navigate crises, and the hard-won insights about team building, funding, and creative survival. This isn't just a series of interviews; it's a masterclass in building something that lasts within the volatile and thrilling world of games. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a developer with a side project, or simply fascinated by the business of creativity, this podcast offers a rare, grounded look at the resilience and strategy required to make it. Tune in for honest dialogue that cuts through the hype, providing a real-world education from those who have already played the game.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 19

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