Today Bing Gordon, co-founder of Electronic Arts, joins hosts Eden Chen and Kevin Zhang to share his remarkable journey from a sports-obsessed kid in suburban Detroit to pioneering the modern gaming industry. Gordon details EA's tumultuous early years, including surviving platform shifts, cash shortages, and the breakthrough development of EA Sports and the Madden franchise. His candid account covers critical pivots, leadership challenges, and the company's path to its successful IPO in 1989.
Gordon also discusses his transition to venture capital at Kleiner Perkins, where he invested in companies like Amazon, Zynga, and Duolingo. Drawing from decades of experience working with founders, he provides invaluable insights on identifying exceptional talent, maintaining mission focus during scaling challenges, and the enduring importance of storytelling and innovative vision. His perspective on gaming's cultural significance and potential beyond entertainment demonstrates why he remains a legendary figure in both gaming and venture capital.
Bing Gordon co-founded Electronic Arts in 1982, pioneering the video game industry from selling games in baggies with mimeographed documentation to building a gaming empire. As EA's Chief Creative Officer, Gordon architected the company's iconic brand strategy, including the groundbreaking "Can a computer make you cry?" campaign and the creation of EA Sports. He masterminded the Madden NFL franchise and guided EA through numerous industry crashes, platform shifts, and funding challenges to a successful IPO in 1989. Gordon's mission-driven approach to building game studios, eye for identifying exceptional talent, and commitment to innovation helped establish EA as an industry giant before he transitioned to Kleiner Perkins in 2008.
Discussion points:
(00:00) Bing Gordon's journey from sports-obsessed youth to EA co-founder - childhood game creation, early vision of virtual worlds, and meeting Trip Hawkins
(13:56) Building EA as a publisher - recruiting "software artists," marketing vision, and navigating industry crashes and platform changes
(25:10) Nintendo's return and EA's console pivot - overcoming retailer resistance, the Sega Genesis opportunity, and reverse-engineering for market entry
(34:42) Surviving financial struggles - managing cash shortages, bridge financing, and the challenging path to EA's eventual IPO in 1989
(40:34) The birth of Madden and sports licensing - convincing John Madden, overcoming retailer resistance to sequels, and building EA Sports
(47:01) Transition to venture capital - recognizing digital distribution trends at Apple and Facebook events, freemium models, and joining Kleiner Perkins
(54:14) Leadership philosophy and the "Stanley Cup" model - blending veterans, mid-career talent, and energetic youth for organizational success
(57:44) Identifying exceptional founders - evaluating motivation, learning ability, storytelling skills, and mission-driven leadership
(01:06:02) Gaming as meaning creation - the cultural significance of games beyond entertainment, motivation mechanics, and immersive worlds
(01:17:35) Lightning round - productivity hacks, relaxation methods, lessons from mentors, and advice to his younger self
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The Gaming Founders Podcast is brought to you by Eden Chen, CEO of Pragma, and Kevin Zhang, Partner at Upfront Ventures.
Pragma is a venture-backed backend game engine founded by engineering leaders who built platforms for major live service games including League of Legends, Fortnite, Destiny 2, and Plants vs. Zombies 2. Eden Chen is a serial entrepreneur.
Upfront Ventures has backed startup teams across technology sectors. Kevin Zhang leads gaming investments at Upfront Ventures, including Pragma.
Resources:Bing Gordon LinkedInBing Gordon Kleiner Perkins