Game Changers

This week on the Konvoy Newsletter audio edition, host Jason Chapman explores the U.S. Navy’s mounting challenge: maintaining maritime dominance as China’s shipbuilding juggernaut accelerates. With China projected to surpass the U.S. in naval combat power by 2027, Josh unpacks why this looming crossover point matters—and how the Navy is responding by overhauling its strategy, force structure, and talent pipeline.From industrial decline to robotic resurgence, Jason traces the Navy’s transformation from traditional capital ships to a new “Hybrid Fleet” of unmanned vessels operated by a digitally native, gamer-trained workforce. As warfighting increasingly resembles gaming, the Navy is betting that the next generation of sailors—raised on consoles and virtual strategy—will be its competitive edge in a high-tech future.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:Why the U.S. shipbuilding base collapsed—and what’s being done to revive itHow China’s naval growth threatens U.S. power projection in the PacificWhy the Navy is shifting to autonomous surface and underwater dronesHow Xbox controllers, gaming skills, and digital interfaces are redefining military trainingWhat the $1B+ “Replicator” program signals about the future of robotic warfareWhere new opportunities lie in defense tech, dual-use infrastructure, and unmanned systemsWhether you’re tracking defense trends, investing in dual-use tech, or curious about how gaming intersects with military innovation, this episode offers a sharp look at the high-stakes transformation underway in the U.S. Navy.Love what you’re hearing?Subscribe to the Game Changers Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Want more insights like this every week?Sign up for the Konvoy Newsletter to stay ahead of key industry trends, challenges, and opportunities.

This week on the Konvoy Newsletter audio edition, host Josh Chapman digs into the growing movement toward privacy, control, and hyper-secure infrastructure inside the home — a trend fueled by AI, smart devices, and rising distrust in cloud-based systems. As more of our daily lives become mediated by connected technology, Josh explores why consumers are beginning to rethink what they share, who they trust, and how much control they want over their digital environments.Josh breaks down the concept of the “air-gapped home” and examines the forces pushing people toward self-hosting, local AI, and more secure home networks. From DIY home automation enthusiasts to mainstream creators evangelizing self-hosted stacks, this episode looks at how privacy concerns, subscription fatigue, and Big Tech frustration are converging into a broader shift toward local control.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:Why cameras and computer-vision devices are becoming the next battleground for home privacyHow “home hackers” are using self-hosted servers, VLANs, and local AI models to build secure, customizable home systemsWhy Big Tech fatigue, subscription overload, and recent cloud outages are accelerating demand for locally controlled solutionsHow open-source AI and better tooling are making self-hosting accessible to non-technical usersWhere new opportunities lie for companies building privacy-centric smart home platforms, local-compute devices, and turnkey self-hosted solutionsWhy the next generation of home automation may prioritize trust, transparency, and user control over convenience aloneWhether you’re curious about the future of smart homes, watching shifts in consumer trust, or tracking how privacy concerns are reshaping technology adoption, this episode offers a grounded look at the forces driving the move toward more secure, self-directed digital living.Love what you’re hearing?Subscribe to the Game Changers Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Want more insights like this every week?Sign up for the Konvoy Newsletter to stay ahead of key industry trends, challenges, and opportunities.

This week on the Konvoy Newsletter audio edition, host Jason Chapman breaks down one of the biggest questions in modern robotics: will the future be driven by generalized humanoid robots or specialized task-specific machines? With companies like Tesla and 1x pushing toward adaptable humanlike robots and long-proven systems like Roomba, Kiva, and TUG excelling at narrow functions, the industry is split between broad ambition and focused efficiency.Jason explores how humanoids promise versatility and real-world learning at scale, yet face hurdles in cost, complexity, privacy, and reliability. He contrasts this with specialized robots that already deliver consistent value today through simplicity, precision, lower maintenance, and safer operation. The episode also touches on benchmarking standards and why evaluating robotics performance remains challenging for consumers and enterprises alike.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:• Why humanoid robots are gaining momentum and where their greatest limitations lie• How specialized robots have achieved widespread adoption across homes, healthcare, logistics, and industrial workflows• The trade-offs between universal adaptability and task-specific efficiency• How economies of scale could influence long-term cost curves for humanoids• Why stronger benchmarking frameworks are essential for evaluating real-world performance• Konvoy’s view on why specialized robots will likely maintain an advantage over the next decadeWhether you’re building in robotics, investing in automation, or curious about how AI and hardware are reshaping daily life, this episode offers a grounded look at the opportunities and constraints driving the next wave of intelligent machines.Love what you’re hearing?Subscribe to the Game Changers Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Want more insights like this every week?Sign up for the Konvoy Newsletter to stay ahead of key industry trends, challenges, and opportunities.

This week on the Konvoy Newsletter audio edition, host Jackson Vaughan explores the origins, evolution, and reinvention of holding companies in America — from Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Trust to the decentralized empires of Berkshire Hathaway and Alphabet. As regulatory pressure, financial engineering, and technological disruption have shaped these corporate structures over time, the holding company remains one of the most powerful — and controversial — tools in modern capitalism.Jackson unpacks how holding companies were born out of the Second Industrial Revolution, how antitrust enforcement reshaped them in the 20th century, and why tech giants and private equity firms are adopting new versions of this structure today. From tax efficiency to risk isolation, this episode explores the strategic logic — and the trade-offs — behind the HoldCo model.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:How 19th-century trusts paved the way for modern holding companiesWhy the Sherman Act and New Deal reforms cracked down on corporate concentrationHow Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway redefined the HoldCo with decentralization and disciplineWhy Alphabet and Meta restructured into holding companies in the 2010sThe key advantages and drawbacks of the holding company model todayWhether you’re building a business, investing in company structures, or curious about the legal and financial levers behind corporate empires, this episode offers a deep dive into one of the most enduring strategies in American business history.Love what you’re hearing?Subscribe to the Game Changers Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Want more insights like this every week?Sign up for the Konvoy Newsletter to stay ahead of key industry trends, challenges, and opportunities.

This week on the Konvoy Newsletter audio edition, host Josh Chapman explores how artificial intelligence is transforming the skies above us — from autonomous satellites avoiding orbital debris to the emergence of data centers in space. As investment in AI and compute accelerates on Earth, we’re beginning to see its influence ripple far beyond the atmosphere.Josh unpacks the intersection of AI, space infrastructure, and quantum technology, highlighting how machine learning is already powering smarter orbits, faster communications, and new opportunities for computation in Low Earth Orbit. With tens of thousands of satellites now circling the planet, this episode examines how intelligence in orbit could reshape the way we connect, compute, and secure data across the globe.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:Why orbital debris has become one of the biggest challenges in modern space explorationHow AI is helping satellites make autonomous decisions and reroute data traffic in real timeThe rise of space-based data centers — and why vacuum cooling and solar energy make them so efficientHow quantum-secure communications are setting new standards for encryption between space and EarthWhy the next decade of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) could redefine connectivity, security, and cloud computingWhether you’re fascinated by AI, investing in frontier technologies, or simply curious about how space is becoming the next computing frontier, this episode offers a grounded look at the future of intelligent infrastructure beyond Earth.Love what you’re hearing?Subscribe to the Game Changers Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Want more insights like this every week?Sign up for the Konvoy Newsletter to stay ahead of key industry trends, challenges, and opportunities.

This week on the Konvoy Newsletter audio edition, host Jackson Vaughan examines the growing impact of AI on the job market—and the narrative tug-of-war between mass automation and human resilience. With fears of widespread job loss competing with the promise of productivity, this episode cuts through the hype to provide a historically grounded, economically sound view of what’s really happening.Jackson unpacks new insights from Anthropic’s latest report, drawing connections between past waves of automation and the roles AI is already beginning to reshape. From copywriters to coders, we explore who’s at risk, who’s adapting, and what this means for the future of work.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:Why AI’s effect on jobs echoes past automation cycles—but also breaks new groundHow economic principles like Marginal Productivity Theory explain rising wages amid tech adoptionWhat Anthropic’s data reveals about the top professions already using AI todayWhy mid-to-high-salary roles may be more exposed this time aroundThe difference between job “automation” and “augmentation,” and why it mattersWhat long-term optimism looks like, even as short-term disruption loomsHow founders, investors, and workers can navigate the shifting job landscapeWhether you're building AI tools, investing in the future of work, or simply curious about your own career path, this episode offers a pragmatic yet hopeful lens on how AI will shape the labor economy moving forward.Love what you’re hearing?Subscribe to the Game Changers Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Want more insights like this every week?Sign up for the Konvoy Newsletter to stay ahead of key industry trends, challenges, and opportunities.

This week on the Konvoy Newsletter audio edition, host Jason Chapman dives into the rise of AI-generated social media—and the growing tension between creativity, attention, and authenticity. With Meta’s new Vibes platform and OpenAI’s Sora leading the charge, the next generation of short-form content is being created not by people, but by machines.Jason explores how this shift could reshape everything from user engagement to mental health, and why AI’s integration into the attention economy may deepen the very challenges social platforms have struggled with for years.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:How Meta’s Vibes and OpenAI’s Sora are redefining the social media landscapeWhy AI-generated content might amplify issues like burnout, misinformation, and lonelinessThe economic incentives driving the race toward infinite, personalized feedsWhat “soulless” AI content means for creativity and cultural connectionHow deepfakes, likeness rights, and consent challenges are reshaping trust onlineWhy understanding AI’s role in attention-based business models is critical for the next decadeWhat this evolution means for founders, investors, and the broader digital ecosystemWhether you’re investing in consumer platforms, studying the future of digital media, or just curious about where AI-driven creativity is heading, this episode breaks down the technologies, risks, and opportunities defining the next chapter of social media.Love what you’re hearing?Subscribe to the Game Changers Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Want more insights like this every week?Sign up for the Konvoy Newsletter to stay ahead of key industry trends, challenges, and opportunities.

This week on the Konvoy Newsletter audio edition, host Josh Chapman unpacks the resurgence of consumer health hardware, sparked by Oura’s $875M Series E round. From smart rings to medical-grade wearables, the health and wellness market is evolving fast—and it’s not just about fitness anymore. Jackson explores how workplace wellness programs, enterprise contracts, and next-gen tech like on-device AI and XR are shaping the next chapter for both startups and incumbents like Whoop, Garmin, and Apple.With hardware startups finding new momentum and software-only players like Calm and Headspace facing engagement headwinds, this episode looks at what’s driving sustained growth—and what risks still linger beneath the hype.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:Why Oura’s latest fundraise signals more than just strong consumer demandHow B2B sales and corporate wellness programs are fueling growth in wearablesWhat sets Oura and Whoop apart—and why Garmin is far from out of the raceWhy software-only wellness platforms are struggling to hold user attentionHow on-device AI, XR, and longevity science are reshaping wearablesThe risks of over-reliance on enterprise adoption in a crowded marketWhat’s next in personalized, privacy-first, tech-enabled healthWhether you’re investing in healthtech, tracking enterprise adoption, or curious about the future of wearable wellness, this episode offers a detailed look at where the space is headed—and who’s leading the way.Love what you’re hearing?Subscribe to the Game Changers podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Want more insights like this every week?Sign up for the Konvoy Newsletter to stay ahead of key industry trends, challenges, and opportunities.

This week on the Konvoy Newsletter audio edition, host Jackson Vaughan unpacks the rise of the local gig economy in Latin America — from the early ride-hailing boom to today’s delivery platforms, migration-driven labor shifts, and the next wave of platform opportunities. Over the past decade, the region has seen explosive growth in ride-sharing, food delivery, and last-mile logistics, with players like Uber, Rappi, iFood, and Didi reshaping urban economies. Now, with immigration fueling worker supply and consumers demanding faster, cheaper services, the LatAm gig economy is evolving into a durable and recession-resilient force.Looking ahead, the biggest opportunities may not just be in ride-hailing or delivery, but in new service categories and supporting businesses designed for the unique needs of LatAm gig workers.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:How the LatAm gig economy evolved from early ride-hailing launches to massive delivery networksThe pandemic’s impact on ride-sharing vs. delivery servicesWhy intra-regional migration has fueled the growth of gig workHow Rappi’s “dark store” model is reshaping delivery economicsWhere GDP penetration suggests the most room for growth across LatAm marketsThe next frontiers for gig platforms: home, personal, and creative servicesAdjacent opportunities in fintech, insurance, compliance, and workforce management for gig workersWhether you’re tracking consumer adoption, exploring emerging platforms, or evaluating the supporting ecosystem, this episode offers a deep dive into the forces shaping LatAm’s gig economy — and where the next wave of growth may come from.Love what you’re hearing?Subscribe to the Game Changers podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Want more insights like this every week?Sign up for the Konvoy Newsletter to stay ahead of key industry trends, challenges, and opportunities. 

The dynamic world of gaming is ripe with both immense opportunity and formidable challenges, especially in emerging markets like India. While many international investors and entrepreneurs initially overlooked India's potential, Nitish Mittersain uniquely envisioned building a thriving industry from the ground up despite limited infrastructure, low monetization, and evolving regulatory landscapes.Defying expectations through strategic pivots, global thinking, and innovation, his company, Nazara Technologies, leveraged telco partnerships and navigated economic busts to achieve legendary success. Along the way, Nitish has transformed his childhood passion into India's only publicly listed gaming empire, demonstrating unconventional and adaptable strategies crucial for any entrepreneur scaling in uncertain terrains.CHAPTERS:00:00 - Nazara Snapshot: India’s Public Gaming Powerhouse00:49 - Early Gaming Spark: Atari SeaQuest & Lifelong Passion01:26 - Founding Nazara at 19 with Family Backing04:10 - Betting Early on India’s Gaming Potential07:48 - Pivotal Moments in Nazara’s Journey14:43 - “Friends of Nazara” M&A + Profit-First Discipline24:06 - Nazara’s Dual Strategy in Home and International Markets27:39 - Real-Money Gaming: GST Shock, PokerBaazi Bet, Awaiting Supreme Court Clarity 33:15 - Offline Social Gaming to Counter Loneliness (Funky Monkey)38:55 - Founder Wisdom: 3Ps - Passion, Perseverance, Positivity🔗 CONNECT WITH NITISH MITTERSAIN:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mittersain/• Nazara Technologies: https://www.nazara.com/#IndiaGaming #NazaraTechnologies #NitishMittersain

This week on the Konvoy Newsletter audio edition, host Jason Chapman explores why version control for AI prompts is becoming a critical piece of modern software development. As AI becomes deeply embedded in everyday workflows, teams are discovering that prompts evolve just like code — and need new systems to track, evaluate, and optimize them.From guiding AI outputs with precision to managing prompt history across teams, the future of software development will require tools purpose-built for this new workflow. Just as Git transformed how developers collaborate on code, new platforms are emerging to do the same for AI prompts — with evaluation data serving as the ultimate moat.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:What prompt engineering is and why it mattersHow prompt version control differs from code version controlWhy non-technical users need a different collaborative workflowThe role of evaluation frameworks like “negative examples” and “LLM as judge”How new tools can centralize API management, testing, and cost monitoringWhy evaluation data could become the key differentiator in this marketWhether you’re building with AI, investing in next-gen infrastructure, or just trying to keep pace with the future of development, this episode breaks down the emerging world of prompt version control — and why the teams who get this right will gain a lasting advantage.Love what you’re hearing?Subscribe to the Game Changers podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Want more insights like this every week?Sign up for the Konvoy Newsletter to explore the future of gaming, tech, and venture capital.

This week on the Konvoy Newsletter audio edition, host Josh Chapman explores the tradeoffs between running AI locally on-device versus in the cloud. As the cost of inference has fallen 1,000x in just three years, developers and enterprises now face a strategic choice: prioritize privacy, control, and real-time performance with local AI — or embrace scalability, accessibility, and low entry costs in the cloud.From healthcare diagnostics to autonomous vehicles, from generative chatbots to fraud detection, the future of AI won’t be one-size-fits-all. Instead, it’s about matching infrastructure to use case — and increasingly, hybrid approaches like Apple’s “Private Cloud” are bridging the gap.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:• Why local AI is gaining traction after years of hardware and complexity barriers• The unique advantages of on-device inference: privacy, latency, and offline reliability• How cloud AI powers scalability, collaboration, and data-heavy applications• The hybrid strategies big tech players are adopting to balance both worlds• Which industries are best positioned for local AI vs. cloud AI adoption• The key tradeoffs between cost, control, and scale that every team must weighWhether you’re building AI-driven products, investing in next-gen infrastructure, or tracking how enterprises adopt new technologies, this episode unpacks the future of AI deployment — and what it means for both consumers and businesses.Love what you’re hearing?Subscribe to the Game Changers podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Want more insights like this every week?

This week on the Konvoy Newsletter audio edition, host Jackson Vaughan unpacks how mobile web shops are breaking Apple and Google’s stranglehold on payments. What started as a regulatory experiment in South Korea and Europe has exploded into a global shift — and by 2025, 72% of top-grossing mobile games now run their own direct-to-consumer storefronts.With turnkey platforms like Xsolla, Stash, and Appcharge making setup easier than ever, publishers from Playtika to Stillfront are already seeing up to 40% of revenue flow through web shops. The payoff is higher margins, better conversion, and deeper customer relationships — but also new responsibilities around fraud, compliance, and refunds.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:• How regulation forced Apple and Google to open up payment systems• Why web shops now outperform app stores in personalization and conversion• Which genres and publishers are leading adoption — and who’s falling behind• How public gaming companies are reporting 20–40% of revenue from direct sales• The risks and responsibilities developers now carry when going direct• Why web shops, not web apps, are the real industry breakthroughWhether you’re building games, investing in the mobile economy, or tracking platform regulation, this episode reveals how web shops went from fringe experiments to industry standard — and what that means for the future of mobile gaming.Love what you’re hearing?Subscribe to the Game Changers podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Want more insights like this every week?Sign up for the Konvoy Newsletter to explore the future of gaming, tech, and venture capital.

This week on the Konvoy Newsletter audio edition, host Jason Chapman unpacks India’s sweeping ban on all online real-money gaming — a dramatic policy shift drawing comparisons to America’s Prohibition era. In just three days, lawmakers passed a bill that effectively wiped out a $23 billion industry, raising urgent questions about regulation, innovation, and investor confidence in one of the world’s fastest-growing digital economies.Behind the ban are concerns about suicide prevention, algorithmic manipulation, and national security. But does the data actually support these claims? And why has the government targeted online gaming while leaving social media — with its far stronger links to youth mental health issues — untouched?From the cultural history of gambling in India to the sudden collapse of companies like Dream11 and MPL, and the stark contrast with America’s gambling boom, this episode examines whether prohibition will truly protect society — or drive the industry underground while damaging India’s global reputation.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:• Why India’s government views real-money gaming as a “big evil” — and how that rhetoric echoes past prohibition movements• The real data behind India’s suicide crisis, and whether online gambling is a major driver• How cultural factors and social shame shape the country’s gambling debate• The devastating economic fallout for companies, workers, and investors• How America’s regulatory approach differs, and what it means for the future of global gaming policy• Possible paths forward as Indian states and courts explore regulated alternativesWhether you’re building in gaming, investing in emerging markets, or tracking global regulation, this episode explores how one policy decision reshaped an entire industry overnight — and what it signals about the future of gaming in India.Love what you’re hearing?Subscribe to the Game Changers podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Want more insights like this every week?Sign up for the Konvoy Newsletter to explore the future of gaming, tech, and venture capital.

This week on the Konvoy Newsletter audio edition, host Josh Chapman explores the rapidly evolving world of digital gatekeeping — and why age verification is becoming one of the defining challenges of the modern internet.Once marked by anonymity and minimal oversight, the online world is now facing sweeping regulations designed to protect children and teens from adult content, predatory behavior, and high-risk features like online gambling. From U.S. state laws to the EU’s Digital Services Act, governments are shifting from simple honor-system checkboxes to strict, enforceable verification requirements — fundamentally reshaping how platforms onboard and engage users.For gaming, social media, streaming, and beyond, these changes bring both risk and opportunity: compliance costs are rising, user experiences are being redesigned, and new business models are emerging around parental consent, family accounts, and privacy-preserving digital identities.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:• Why online age verification has become a global priority for regulators• The key U.S. state and international laws reshaping digital platforms• How compliance costs and friction are influencing platform business models• The evolving role of parents, families, and consumers in age-gated environments• Why digital identity solutions could unlock both safety and seamless accessWhether you’re building in gaming, consumer tech, or digital infrastructure, this episode unpacks how stricter age rules are transforming the online economy — and what it means for platforms navigating the trade-off between safety, privacy, and usability.Love what you’re hearing?Subscribe to the Game Changers podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Want more insights like this every week?Sign up for the Konvoy Newsletter to explore the future of gaming, tech, and venture capital.

For a quarter of a century, RuneScape has been more than just a game; it's a digital world that has become a second home for millions. But how does such a legacy IP thrive in a modern gaming landscape defined by "flash over substance" development that alienates core communities?The stewardship of this iconic franchise falls to its new CEO, Jon Bellamy, who brings a perspective unheard of in the industry: he's not just a leader, but a 20-year veteran player who understands the game's soul. In this deep-dive conversation, Jon pulls back the curtain to reveal the 'alchemy' behind RuneScape's enduring success. He discusses the strategic importance of its player-centric business models, the roadmap for Jagex's next chapter - including the breakout success of new titles - and unveils his vision for the biggest year in the franchise's history.Chapters:00:00 - Why RuneScape Hooked a Generation of Gamers02:33 Freedom, Problem-Solving, and Social Connection in RuneScape 07:42 Simplicity as a Competitive Edge in Modern Gaming09:46 Returning as CEO and Preserving Core Player Values12:26 Building a Hundred-Year Gaming Franchise Players Never Quit16:16 How a Simple Subscription Model Sustains Community Trust 19:55 Inside the RuneScape Franchise and New Dragon Wilds Launch 25:24 Managing Distinct Yet Connected Player Communities28:12 Community Management as Jagex’s Competitive Advantage 31:08 Expanding Fandom Through Physical Events and Experiences34:07 Balancing Authenticity and Brand Growth Without Losing Identity 39:25 Why Strong IP Will Thrive in an AI-Driven Content Boom42:28 Exciting Roadmap for RuneScape’s 25th Anniversary🔗 CONNECT WITH JON & JAGEX:Jon Bellamy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-bellamy/ Jagex: https://www.jagex.com/

This week on the Konvoy Newsletter audio edition, host Jason Chapman explores why a generation that feels financially stuck is going “risk-on” — embracing higher-risk, higher-reward behaviors across finance, gaming, and lifestyle in an effort to get ahead.With muted wage growth, skyrocketing living costs, and declining belief in the American dream, more young consumers are rolling the dice — turning to sports betting, retail trading, skill-based games, and even biohacking in search of upside.From sweepstakes platforms and loot boxes to AI-powered homeschooling and side-hustle apps, industries built on volatility are thriving in an environment where stability feels out of reach.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:• Why financial pessimism is fueling a surge in risk appetite among Gen Z and Millennials• The explosive growth of betting, trading, and skill-based gaming as income supplements• How education, gig work, and even health are being reshaped by a “roll the dice” mindset• What industries stand to benefit — and which may struggle — as risk becomes a lifestyleWhether you’re building in consumer tech, fintech, or gaming, this episode unpacks why uncertainty is no longer paralyzing — it’s motivating a new generation to take big swings.Love what you’re hearing?Subscribe to the Game Changers podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Want more insights like this every week?Sign up for the Konvoy Newsletter to explore the future of gaming, tech, and venture capital.

This week on the Konvoy Newsletter audio edition, host Jackson Vaughan explores how technology is transforming the $100+ billion kids’ toy market — shifting from dolls and building sets to AI-enabled companions, smart devices, and deeply interactive play.From the late-90s Furby craze to Anki’s expressive robots, the industry’s history is filled with both groundbreaking successes and high-profile failures. Along the way, toys have sparked national security debates, triggered privacy lawsuits, and forced regulators to rethink how children’s data is protected.Now, with advances in local AI, rapid prototyping, and direct-to-consumer sales, startups may be better positioned than ever to challenge toy giants — if they can balance delight with trust, privacy, and financial sustainability.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:• The pivotal tech-enabled toys that shaped the past 30 years — and the lessons they teach today• Why privacy, trust, and transparency matter more than ever for AI-powered play• The regulatory shifts reshaping the global toy market in 2025 and beyond• How startups can leverage edge AI, cheaper prototyping, and supply chain efficiencies to competeWhether you’re building in gaming, robotics, or consumer tech, this episode unpacks why the future of toys is about more than just fun — it’s about safer, smarter play in a connected world.Love what you’re hearing?Subscribe to the Game Changers podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Want more insights like this every week?Sign up for the Konvoy Newsletter to explore the future of gaming, tech, and venture capital.

Tired of video games getting a bad rap? Stanley Pierre-Louis, CEO of the Entertainment Software Association, unveils the playbook that turned the gaming industry from a political target into a respected art form. Learn how strategic advocacy and self-regulation built a fortress of trust with both policymakers and parents.With new challenges like AI on the horizon, the lessons from gaming's legislative battles provide a crucial blueprint for any innovative industry trying to protect its creative freedom and foster growth in a world of constant scrutiny.CHAPTERS:00:00 - How Stanley Pierre-Louis Became the Voice of the Gaming Industry01:51 - Growing Up with Atari, Pac-Man, and Retro Gaming Culture04:28 - Battling Piracy from Napster to Grokster in Music Law10:10 - Transitioning from Music to Gaming Through IP and Tech13:46 - How Creators Differ Across Film, Music, and Video Games16:50 - The Birth of the ESA and ESRB as Gaming’s Advocacy Pillars22:17 - Why Parents Trust Video Games More Than Social Media24:33 - How COVID and Culture Shifted Gaming’s Perception in D.C.27:01 - Key Policy Issues in Gaming: Online Safety, AI, and Regulation33:00 - How ESA Translates Industry Innovation to Lawmakers41:04 - Why E3 Ended and What iicon Means for Gaming’s Future46:08 - Stanley’s Vision for the ESA as a Policy and Innovation Leader🔗 CONNECT WITH STANLEY & THE ESA:• Website: theesa.com• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stanley-pierre-louis-761b1a83/• ESA on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/entertainment-software-association/#VideoGames #GamingIndustry #ESA

This week on Game Changers, host Josh Chapman explores how satellites are unlocking a $157 billion digital opportunity—by bringing the internet to the world’s most remote regions.With 12,000+ satellites now orbiting the Earth and thousands more launching every year, the satellite industry is entering a new phase—one where it’s no longer just about space, but about economic transformation here on Earth.At the center of this revolution is Starlink, which now delivers high-speed internet to 6 million subscribers across 140 countries. This breakthrough in connectivity isn’t just a tech marvel—it’s a commercial catalyst. By connecting the unconnected, satellites are poised to add $86 billion to the digital ad market and $71 billion to digital subscriptions like gaming, streaming, health, and more.So what’s driving this orbital boom—and how should game developers, investors, and entrepreneurs think about this expanding digital frontier?What You’ll Learn in This Episode:• Why satellite internet is now “good enough” for gaming, streaming, and more• Where the 4 billion people without reliable internet access live—and what that means for digital markets• The economics of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and how it’s fueling the new space race• Why the next billion users may come online via space, not fiberWhether you’re building in gaming, consumer tech, or digital media, this episode unpacks why satellites may be the most underestimated growth story in your industry.Love what you’re hearing?Subscribe to Game Changers on Spotify and Apple Podcasts to stay inspired.Want more insights like this every week?Sign up for the Konvoy Newsletter to explore the future of gaming, tech, and venture capital.