On this episode of Story Mode with Sanlo, where we talk to executives about the video game industry, Olya chats with Emily Greer, Venture Partner at 1Up Ventures, about the lessons she learned building and operating Kongregate for a decade; and how that experience impacts how we sees the future playing out. Olya and Emily touch on a range of interesting topics, including:

• Emily’s path into games and how she became a founder in gaming.

• Learnings from the world of ecommerce that Emily brought to F2P gaming and how retail LTV prediction methods proved to be very effective in gaming.

• Emily’s explanation of the evolution of Kongerate and why they expanded from a web browser game marketplace to a mobile F2P publisher.

• M&A key learnings from Emily’s experience of selling Kongregate (twice) and acquiring five companies.

• Tips for building a team for your startup or company, depending on your size and goals.

• The balance between product and team and which is more important when predicting success.

• Emily’s thoughts on the biggest inflection points in the gaming industry.

• Why it’s highly unlikely that any change in gaming will eclipse the impact of the launch of the smartphone.

• How Emily views the hype around VR/AR, E-sports, and gaming subscriptions models.

• Why Emily believes there’s still room for growth in F2P mobile games using the emergence of the merge genre as an example.

• Regions and markets that Emily sees as being the most exciting emerging opportunities in gaming.

About Emily
Emily is a veteran of the gaming industry and a trailblazer for women in leadership roles. She’s best known as the Co-Founder and former CEO of Kongregate, where she oversaw its transformation into a powerhouse in mobile game publishing. After leaving Kongregate, Emily founded Double Loop Games, a mobile games studio. Most recently, she’s transitioned into a venture partner role at 1Up Ventures, while also advising and investing in various game startups.