Is in-game advertising the future of media? Can Hearthstone be a mental health tool? Why do most founders fail with overseas talent?

In this episode of Founders & Empanadas, I sit down with Max Albert—founder of Adrenaline Interactive and former eSports athlete turned venture-backed gaming CEO—for a fast-moving conversation on the real future of gaming, monetization models that aren’t predatory, and the personal story behind how gaming helped him recover from depression and drop back into life.

We cover:

• Why in-game product placement will eat traditional advertising

• The harsh truth about scaling with vague specs

• The overlooked power of games in managing mental health

• The emotional toll of startup life (and how to stay in the game)

• Why perseverance is more valuable than product

• And the one thing young founders should prioritize before building anything

If you’ve ever wondered what gaming can teach you about product, performance, and personal growth—this episode delivers.

📌 Timestamps:

0:00 – Intro and first empanada

4:30 – Max’s founding story: NFL games, Ford, and quitting

6:00 – Why gaming’s future is female

9:30 – Ethical monetization vs. ad spam

13:00 – Blockchain gaming: genius or grift?

15:00 – Open vs. closed game economies

18:00 – What Activision Blizzard got right

20:00 – The “stagnation” myth in gaming

22:00 – Virtual product placement explained

26:00 – Hardest roles to hire for in gaming

28:00 – Why most overseas teams fail (and how to fix it)

29:00 – The Ukraine story that changed Max’s perspective

34:00 – Using gaming to manage anxiety

37:00 – Escapism vs. empowerment in Gen Z

41:00 – The Hearthstone-to-CEO mindset

44:00 – Funniest failed startup ideas Max ever heard

47:00 – Max’s hot take: love before legacy

49:00 – Story beats data: how he raised $2M