During the pandemic, we learned that some features didn't resonate with users, prompting us to refocus on our core gaming audience.

Be aware that feedback from friends and family may be biased; they might not provide honest critiques compared to random users who have paid for your product.

We learned from early experiences that players would leave Highrise for other platforms once they exhausted the game's content, highlighting the need for a strong social component.

Avoid seeking product feedback from friends or investors, as they often don't face the problems your product aims to solve.

Game companies often face brutal market realities, requiring a disciplined approach to testing and iteration to ensure product viability.

In building Carrot Sticks, we learned the importance of focusing on feedback from our users, but we struggled because we weren't our target audience.

There's a tradeoff in design between making interfaces easy to learn and maintaining advanced capabilities for experienced users, exemplified by games like Minecraft.

The current app store model leads to a gaming environment dominated by manipulative monetization practices, making it difficult for fun-based games to succeed.

Testing your pitch with friends and family is crucial, but don't stay in this phase too long, as their feedback may not represent your ideal users.