Sacrifice, Success, and What Really Matters
A very different kind of conversation with Mishka Katkoff from Deconstructor of Fun
I first met Mishka Katkoff almost a decade ago. Since then we founded (with Eric Kress) one of the most popular game development podcasts in the industry, Deconstructor of Fun’s This Week in Games podcast. ← Make sure to check out the podcast!
Last week we finally hit record again to record a pod together and to catch-up.
However, what was supposed to be a gaming trends and best practices discussion shifted to work, family, stress, and what it really means to “win” in our industry.
[3 weeks ago…]
Mishka: Hey, let’s talk about product velocity.
JK: Yeah, that sounds good.
Mishka: We can do something like 3x3 again.
[a few minutes before the podcast recording]
Mishka: Can we get personal?
JK: Sure
[checks notes]
Topics:
Mishka:
Product velocity
JK:
Decision analysis
Playing to win
(backup) Attention economy or AI
Lol.
This is not what we wound up talking about.
You’ve been warned! 👇👇👇
Top 5 Gaming News
'Grand Theft Auto 6' Expected to Generate $7.6 Billion in Two Months (Times of India): An investment firm has made a bold prediction about the financial success of "Grand Theft Auto 6." They estimate the game will generate a staggering $7.6 billion in revenue within the first 60 days of its release.
Live-Action 'The Legend of Zelda' Movie Casts Link and Zelda (Polygon): Nintendo has announced the casting for the main characters in its upcoming live-action "The Legend of Zelda" movie. The roles of Link and Zelda will be played by two young British actors.
Microsoft Shuts Down Xbox and PC Movie and TV Store (IGN): Microsoft has abruptly discontinued its Movies and TV store on Xbox and Windows devices. While users will still be able to access their purchased content, no new purchases can be made.
GameStop Begins New Wave of U.S. Store Closures (Mid-Hudson News): The retailer confirmed more locations are shuttering as it pivots toward collectibles and online sales, signalling continued pressure on brick-and-mortar game retail.
Valve Takes Action Against 'Adults Only' Games on Steam (Gaming Amigos): Valve is cracking down on games with an "Adults Only" rating on its Steam platform. The company has begun removing some of these titles from the store, signaling a stricter enforcement of its content policies.
Top 3 AI x Gaming News
Steam Games Using Generative AI Skyrocket 700% in One Year (Mashable): New study revealed that 7,818 games on Steam (7% of the platform's library) now use generative AI, up from just 1,000 games in 2024. Most dramatically, 20% of all new Steam releases in 2025 disclose AI usage.
King Commits to More AI Tools Amidst Layoffs (ComicBook.com): Amid significant job cuts, an internal memo from Candy Crush developer King reportedly reveals the company's intention to double down on using AI. Memo: "many more AI tools" is part of the strategy to get the business back to growth, causing concern among remaining staff.
Runway AI Launches "Game Worlds" Tool (AIBase): Runway unveiled its "Game Worlds" platform enabling users to generate functioning video games using simple text prompts. The AI-powered tool creates text-based adventure games and aims to help developers create games 40% faster, joining major studios like Netflix, Microsoft, and EA in leveraging AI for accelerated game development.
Top 10 Publishers for 1H 2025:
🔑 7 Key Discussion Points on Life, Career, and Philosophy
🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Anchor
Speakers:
Joseph Kim. CEO at Lila Games
Mishka Katkoff. Founder and Host at Deconstructor of Fun
1. Hustle Is Sometimes a Hiding Place
Ambition without self-audit becomes avoidance.
Mishka opened by calling out modern hustle culture: “work becomes a place to hide from discomfort, broken relationships, unsatisfying identities, or the fear of stillness.”
“Do you ever feel like work becomes a way to escape other parts of life?”
Bruh, what happened to talking about product velocity? Lol.
2. Separate Sacrifice from Suffering
One is a choice; the other is growth fuel.
What’s the difference between sacrifice and suffering?
For me: sacrifice = missing family time; suffering = the productive pain of solving hard problems.
Mishka suggests sacrifice is intentional—you trade today for a hoped-for future payoff.
3. Shared History Beats Shiny CVs
The best founding teams have already stormed and formed.
Mishka’s FunPlus anecdote: 80% of the studio came from the same Zynga division, so cohesion was instant and execution soared.
He blasted investors for chasing pedigrees instead of proof that people can actually work well together.
His own angel-investing filter now starts with “How long have you battled together?” not “Where did you work?”
4. Stress Writes Its Own Rules on Your Body
Ignore it and you’ll end up in tears—or worse.
I shared that stress often is difficult to detect yet may be having a major impact on your health. I’ve suffered from all sorts of impacts from stress which has been very negative.
Mishka’s Gamescom nights ended in crippling chest pain that Google later diagnosed as panic attacks.
5. Careers Run in Seasons, Not Spreadsheets
Audit your life in phases.
Mishka is in a deliberate “dad phase,” scaling back while his daughters still think he’s cool.
His death-bed KPI is a life that feels balanced in aggregate, not hour-by-hour.
Mishka's daily scorecard now flags any day where he’s physically with his kids but mentally at work as a loss—even if he was productive until midnight.
6. Focus Is a Pricing Strategy
Say “no” more by charging more.
Mishka’s cure for being spread across too many clients: raise prices until only the highest-leverage work remains.
He’s actively training himself to avoid “jumping into anything headfirst” and stay selective.
7. Should You Be Reactive or Proactive About AI?
Experiment hard, but skip the doomsday hype.
I’m knee-deep in AI tooling, using models to draft podcast summaries and accelerate my writing.
Mishka rejects Big Tech FOMO that sells AI as salvation; he prefers the army adage: “never be the first or the last.”
We likely differ a lot on our approach to AI. I’m going hardcore proactive and jumping in deep on AI. Mishka is taking more of a wait-and-see, reactive approach.