Feb 9, 2024 · 24m · founders-journal
The Great Online Game
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Alex Lieberman breaks down Packy McCormick's essay 'The Great Online Game,' examining how the internet enables asymmetric career growth through game design principles, while sharing personal reflections on transitioning from a high-pressure finite mindset to an infinite, playful approach to work.
Statements from this episode (7)
Crypto can embed game mechanics and rewards into the entire internet
“Crypto has the potential to take it up a notch by baking game mechanics, points, rewards, skins, teams, and more right into the whole internet.”
Remote knowledge work perfectly fits the definition of a video game
“If you're working remotely from a computer, what you're doing perfectly fits the definition of a video game.”
Pseudonymous account Bored Elon Musk made $1M selling NFTs in one month
“A couple months ago, he started selling NFTs. He pulled in one million dollars in less than a month.”
YouTuber MeganPlays scaled from $400 monthly to an $8M gaming studio
“In 2018, Megan was making 400 dollars a month posting YouTube videos of herself gaming. Today, she takes in millions of dollars a year, has 3.6 million subscribers, and launched a game studio that will bring in eight million dollars this year.”
Lil Nas X produced Old Town Road for $50 before 2.5B streams
“He started making music in his closet, and in December, 2018, he dropped Old Town Road, which he made with a 30 dollar sample and 20 dollars worth of studio time. The song was played over 2.5 billion times in 2019 alone.”
The cost of entrepreneurial and creative failure is at a historic low
“The cost of failure is as close to zero as it's ever been, and it will continue to fall.”
Stepping down as Morning Brew CEO triggered near-depression for Alex Lieberman
“After stepping out of the CEO role for Morning Brew, I felt like shit. I feel lucky that I've never experienced depression in my life. But the six to 12 months post leaving my role were the closest that I have felt to being depressed.”