#176: Why Passion Alone Won't Sell Your Idea

#176: Why Passion Alone Won't Sell Your Idea

In this episode, we sit down with Daniel Henao and Daniella Leoni, the real-life couple behind Why Don't We, a global brand built around games for couples. They share how they designed their first game, Talk For Hours, in a single night with just four hundred dollars, and how they went from side hustle to full-time business in a year and five months. Daniel and Daniella also open up about adapting eight games for different cultures, building a free couples magazine to connect with customers outside Amazon, and running a company together as a nomadic couple who move every few months. If you have ever wondered what it takes to turn a relationship into a business, this one is for you.

#175: Waterbear Workshop: Building Community One Game at a Time

In this episode, we sit down with Shadoe Konicek and Sydney Whalen, the husband-and-wife team behind Waterbear Workshop, a family-owned board game company. They share how a COVID layoff sparked their publishing journey, starting with their self-funded debut game, The Mire. We dig into Tardigrade School, their print-and-play resource for teachers, and the Indie Game Bazaar, a community event they built that raised money for Extra Life for Kids. They also open up about balancing the business with day jobs and raising a nine-year-old son who's already their first playtester.

#174: The Excel Game Designer: Crunching the Numbers on Fun

In this episode, we sit down with Troy Rasmussen, founder of SadStretch Games and a self described data nerd who treats game design like a spreadsheet problem. Troy shares how a napkin sketch became his first game, Flu Season, in just thirty minutes, and how he built Horror Season with his wife over two years. He explains how Excel and Power Query help him balance every card, what two separate Kickstarter campaigns taught him about grassroots marketing, and how his blunt nephews playtest his new anime dungeon crawler. If you've ever wondered how math and mechanics come together to make a game fun, this one is for you.

#173: Games as Therapy: One Designer’s Mission to Include Every Player

In this episode, Jason Hsieh talks with Derek Chung, founder of Nomnivore Games, college professor, and former psychotherapist, about designing tabletop games that are accessible and therapeutic for all. Derek explains how his background in existential phenomenological psychotherapy shapes his inclusive, bottom-up approach to game design, from his flagship TTRPG Emberwind to the Dungeons and Dinos card game line. He also discusses his "kernel X" modular design philosophy, his work on the first-ever tabletop accessibility standard, and his honest advice for aspiring designers. A must-listen for anyone curious about the power of games to change lives.

#172: Fully Funded in 4 Hours: The Herdvana Story

In this episode, Jason Hsieh talks with Andrew Marriott and Thane Strickland, co-founders of Odd Family Games and creators of Herdvana, a family card game that went from Sharpie-on-index-cards to a fully funded Kickstarter in under four hours. They cover their multi-year development process, what marketing worked and what didn't, and how they designed a campaign that pulled in nearly 600 backers on day one. They also discuss staying relevant after launch, breaking into retail, and learning the industry from scratch. If you've ever had a game idea or wondered what it takes to self-publish, this one's for you.