What actually happens after the hit games, the acquisitions, and the “success”? In this episode, Simon Hade, co-founder of Space Ape Games, walks through the uncomfortable middle of game company building: from Playfish → Space Ape → Supercell → NextBeat → Duolingo. This isn’t a victory lap. It’s a post-mortem on genre mastery vs. exploration, lean LiveOps, why copying the Supercell playbook breaks most studios, and why Simon ultimately left games to help build Duolingo’s music and learning products. 00:00 Introduction and Setting the Scene 00:43 The Birth of Space Ape 03:26 Fundraising Challenges and Successes 07:48 Innovations and Strategic Moves 13:27 Lean LiveOps Philosophy 16:51 Supercell Acquisition and Cultural Shifts 18:50 Reflections and Lessons Learned 38:59 Spinning Outta Supercell 40:26 Exploring Duolingo Partnership 44:37 Relentless Optimization at Duolingo 49:13 Transitioning to Duolingo 55:42 The Price of Being a Founder 01:03:05 Reflections on Success and Future
