About this episode
You might recognize the name Mark Pincus but we almost guarantee you recognize the game Farmville. Mark Pincus is the founder and longtime CEO of Zynga, known for its massive global franchise of games, including those household names like Farmville and Words with Friends. Zynga was also at the forefront of the transition to mobile and the use of large platforms like Facebook for distribution. In this episode Mark joins Josh Lu from the a16z Games team for a fireside chat. They discuss navigating major tech waves and recognizing "true signal" opportunities, and explore a wide range of topics, from the strategic insights that propelled Zynga to success, the future of the Metaverse, and the philosophy behind minimum viable products. This conversation offers invaluable insights for both gaming industry insiders and enthusiasts looking to understand the dynamics of tech innovation and entrepreneurship. Topics Covered: 00:00 - How Zynga Spotted the Mobile Wave 02:47 - Challenges of Starting Zynga 05:24 - Zynga's Early Workforce and Learning HTML 07:40 - Preparing for Tech Waves 11:29 - The Importance of Being Too Early 15:42 - The attribute of great founders 18:33 - Hiring Philosophy 22:02 - ‘Everyone is a CEO’ 24:20 - Fast Iteration and Learning from Failures 31:06 - Personal Gaming Preferences 32:52 - Advice on Reevaluating Projects and True Signal 35:50 - AI's Role in Consumer Adoption and Gaming 40:17 - Community as a Core Element 43:31 - UGC Gaming Space and Future Computing Paradigms Resources: Find Mark on Twitter: https://twitter.com/markpinc Find Josh on Twitter: https://twitter.com/joshlu Learn more about SPEEDRUN 3.0: https://a16z.com/speedrun3 Learn more about SPEEDRUN: ttps://a16z.com/speedrun-your-gaming-startup Stay Updated: Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/ Follow our host: https://twitter.com/stephsmithio Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Stay Updated: Find a16z on X Find a16z on LinkedIn Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.