#36 – Ridzki Syahputera: The Hidden Costs of Equity in Gaming & How to Scale Smarter

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The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou

Harry Phokou

46 episodes

5 days ago

On The Gaming Playbook, Harry Phokou sits down with experts in the games industry who have never been interviewed before. Through these in-depth conversations, Harry unpacks the "Playbook" that made them so successful. Skip the line on Tuesdays and download the real-life cheat codes every gaming industry pro needs to know. LinkedIn: @hphokou Instagram: @hphokou Newsletter: gamingrally.net Business and guest inquiries: playbook@phokou.com

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#36 – Ridzki Syahputera: The Hidden Costs of Equity in Gaming & How to Scale Smarter

The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou

1 hour 5 minutes 45 seconds

3 months ago

#36 – Ridzki Syahputera: The Hidden Costs of Equity in Gaming & How to Scale Smarter

Think raising VC is the best way to grow a game? Think again.

In this episode, I sit down with Ridzki Syahputera — ex-VC and co-founder of PVX Partners — to unpack the truth about game funding, marketing, and scaling in 2025.

Whether you're building your first game or working at a studio, this is the stuff nobody teaches: how user acquisition really works, when to raise money (and when to avoid it), and what separates games that scale from games that stall.

We break down:
- The hidden cost of equity (and how to avoid it)
- ROAS benchmarks from 350+ studios
- Smarter ways to fund growth — without giving up ownership
- What VCs and publishers actually look for

Whether you're building a hit, running a studio, or just serious about games as a business, this episode will change how you think about growth.

Connect with Ridzki:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ridzkisyahputera/
Website: www.pvxpartners.com

Connect with Harry:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokou
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou

Get exclusive podcast recaps & industry insights:
→ Subscribe to the Gaming Rally Newsletter www.gamingrally.net

Chapters:
00:00 - Intro & Setup
03:40 - The capital intensity of gaming and consumer apps
07:50 - The true cost of equity vs. ROAS
10:15 - Why founders default to VC and publishers
14:59 - How PVX's UA financing model works
16:55 - Common reasons studios aren’t ready to scale
19:07 - Cohort volatility explained
22:12 - What games Ridzki plays & gaming preferences
26:13 - Equity vs. loan cost comparison
31:22 - Why banks don’t understand gaming businesses
33:32 - Real-world example: Grammarly’s financing strategy
35:51 - Cultural mindsets on growth: East vs. West
40:53 - Why PVX exists & founder motivation
44:54 - What games are scaling right now & why
48:34 - Global breakdown: Turkey, Israel, China studio strategies
51:59 - Founders’ biggest mistake: ignoring scalability
55:42 - Harry’s business growth story & org structure
1:01:35 - Origin of PVX name & closing thoughts
1:05:28 - Where to find Ridzki + Free SaaS tool from PVX

#GameDevFinance #UserAcquisition #GamingStartups #ScalingStudios #MobileGamesGrowth