Sergei Sorokin

Everyone’s talking about AI recommendations. That’s cool, but the real opportunity is when you can get AI agents to actually buy things. Checkout has always been the hardest part of commerce. Taxes, shipping, fraud detection, weird merchant flows. It’s a graveyard for bots. At Rye, we built the Universal Checkout API to solve this. Think of it like Stripe for the AI era: a simple API that lets agents purchase from any retailer on the web. In our new whitepaper, learn about what we built and how it works 👇 rye.com/whitepaper

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What a phenomenal RDC 2025!🔥 This year’s Roblox Developers Conference (held Sept 5–6 in San Jose) was packed with major announcements, and I couldn’t be more excited by the direction the platform is heading: • Roblox Moments: A built-in short-form video feed for capturing highlights and instantly sharing them across the platform, think a TikTok-style discovery tool tailor-made for Roblox. • Creator earnings boost: DevEx rates increased by 8.5%, putting more cash back into creators’ pockets. • Huge growth metrics: Over $1 billion paid out to creators in the past year, with daily active users climbing toward 112 million. • Emerging tech & safety upgrades: From acoustic simulation and hydrodynamic enhancements to emissive mapping, CSG on meshes, and server authority for anti-cheat measures • Infrastructure & community support: A new data center in São Paulo is now live, improving latency for Brazilian users, and the platform is reinforcing its commitment to safety with over 100 updates and better age-based moderation. This year, Lootbloc turned up with some unforgettable moments: • Partner Dinner: We hosted a special dinner for our 60+ partners, an opportunity to connect, eat great food, and relax after a long RDC weekend. • Claw Machine: We partnered with the Roblox Commerce team to have our Lootbloc-branded claw machine featured at their booth, where attendees could win merch • Luau Plushie Launch: We unveiled an exclusive Luau whale plushie with Roblox, themed after the Luau logo that attendees could earn by completing a scavenger hunt at the Luau booth • Co-hosting Quataun party Friday night at RDC where we gave away thousands of plushies, shirts, hats and more to fellow developers. Lootbloc is only continuing to grow by bringing on new partners this year like Piggy, Pls Donate, Murderers vs. Sheriff Duels, Twin Atlas and more! Bottom line: RDC 2025 wasn’t just about big tech announcements, it was a celebration of community and all of the successes this past year. I’m so excited by the possibilities ahead, and inspired by how platforms like Roblox and partners like Lootbloc continue to grow together. Here’s to next year, bigger, bolder, and even more connected.

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As I read more and more reports about the recent Xbox layoffs one thing becomes clearer about MSFT’s intent in this round: This wave was not driven by a desire to replace workers with AI as some have speculated. Instead I believe the intent was to “improve” a Span of Control KPI. What I notice is that a great number of the layoffs occurred among quite senior employees level 64-66 at the Director and Senior Director level. That is middle management. If this had been an AI replacement exercise MSFT would have kept more experienced people and fired mostly junior people as AI replacement tends to produce better results with more experienced humans in the loop. The driving out of experienced middle management, and I’m talking about some absolute legends in the industry, points to a different organizational goal: Span of Control. MSFT and many other tech firms have in recent years looked at the ratio of management to direct reports and sought to increase the number of reports each manager has as some measure of organizational efficiency. Misguided or not this is a trend that has been widely reported on before. It also doesn’t hurt that middle management is paid better and makes a juicer target for cost cutting when a business unit’s targets are not met. If you don’t make the margin goals Corporate needs you to make, you have to offer a tribute or face their wrath. And that is what I believe this is all about. Just my opinion. #xbox #gameindustry #gamedev

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Vista Equity Partners and Intel are reportedly leading a $350M+ investment into AI chip startup SambaNova. That’s notable. Software may get the headlines, but hardware is where a lot of long-term leverage lives. As demand for inference and compute accelerates, the companies building the infrastructure behind AI could become increasingly important. We’ve previously offered exposure to SambaNova through StartEngine Private. To those investors: congratulations. As AI scales, where will the next bottleneck (and potential solutions) emerge? 👇 If you’re curious what we’re currently offering, take a look at the link in the comments. *** Investments are in Series offered on StartEngine Private, which may hold shares for the companies listed directly or through an SPV. You are not buying the companies’ stock. Revenue, funding, or valuation may not increase, and profitability is not assured. These securities are illiquid and may trade at lower prices.  Valuations are based on private placements rather than public markets. This report doesn’t imply specific performance or results for impacted investors, and there’s no guarantee that revenue, funding, or valuation will continue to grow for the Company, or that they’ll be profitable. Visit startengine.com/private for more information, and to review risk disclosures. Source: https://lnkd.in/gFDXHnks MAR-13761

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What I’m seeing in the marketplace right now feels like a split screen. On one side: AAA publishers. EA just went private at a $55B valuation, big capital doubling down on IP, sports franchises, and predictable cash flows. Safe bets, multi-year cycles, global reach. On the other hand, UGC breakouts. Roblox reporting shows games like Plants vs Brainrots, a 4-week-old title that peaked at 3.3M CCU and nearly 200M visits. Simple loops, community-driven, algorithm-fueled. Zero to millions overnight without a massive marketing budget. Two completely different models. Both are shaping the same audience: 9–34 years old, global, and spending more time (and money) within digital economies. This is the dichotomy brands, agencies, and investors need to understand.  • AAA = reach, prestige, longevity  • UGC = speed, culture, explosive upside The EA news and Roblox data together tell the same story: the future of gaming isn’t one or the other. The real opportunity is in connecting the worlds. Where do you see the next billion-dollar franchise coming from: a AAA publisher or a Roblox dev team?

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We don't need more founders. We need to stop wasting the ones we already have. #VentureStudios do exactly that by providing the infrastructure to support early-stage founders They give ambitious builders the team, tools, and structure to launch faster -- and smarter. It took me a while to figure this out. I didn't start my career in a #VentureStudio, but it's exactly where I was meant to land. Building "in the wild" -- and from inside a large firm -- taught me I had the founder bug. But it wasn't until I joined a #studio that everything clicked. Studios give founders more than just a launchpad. They provide: ✅ A clear path to market ✅ World-class collaborators ✅ The infrastructure to focus on building, not just surviving And just as importantly, they help you skip the nonsense: 🔥 No more wasting time pitching dozens of VCs who were never going to invest 🔥 No more equity dilution in exchange for advice you could’ve gotten from ChatGPT If you're serious about launching new ventures at scale, studios aren't just an option -- they're the best option But for studios to reach their full potential, they need to be seen for what they really are: ❌ Not a novelty ❌ Not a trend Studios are a serious asset class with a proven model and MASSIVE upside. That's why we launched The Venture Studio Forum -- a trade association to unify the studio ecosystem through: 📚 Research 🤝 Community 🎓 Education Let's build the next decade of innovation together. 🔗 link in the comments for more! #Innovation #VentureStudio #VentureCapital

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𝗚𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗽 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗿 just hit an all-time high of $𝟲𝟮𝗠 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 🤑 AppMagic broke it down, full report 👉 https://lnkd.in/e2PEGUjU 📈 Over time, Gossip Harbor: - Aggressively increased the number of LiveOps events - Shifted from “occasional events” to always-on engagement - Built a clear LiveOps cadence across short, medium, and long events - Expanded event types, durations, and overlaps without burning players out The result? 👉 Stronger retention 👉 Higher monetization density 👉 And clear dominance over other Merge-2 titles AppMagic just published a deep-dive report breaking down how they did it, with real data, timelines, and event structures. If you’re responsible for product, monetization, or LiveOps strategy, this report is pure gold 🥇

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VCs are moving from equity investments in games to UA financing. Faster DPI, no more zombie companies. The problem? Portfolio ops teams are already stretched supporting equity deals. Now they need to validate LTV curves, attribution, and ROAS across dozens of campaigns? They're pivoting from a model they couldn't operationally support to one requiring even more sophistication they don't have. Meanwhile: who funds the 18-36 month creative development phase if VCs exit, publishers consolidate, and government funding goes elsewhere? Wrote about why this might be the death of VC for creative industries: https://lnkd.in/g4UAxG4v

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You've got 2 days. 2 days to go buy some heavily discounted games...the sales of which, fund research to cure Type 1 diabetes. +50 Games and DLC from AAA and indie devs, like: 2K Avalanche Studios Group Atari Limited Run Games Yogscast Games NinjaKiwi Dotemu Wired Productions Skunkape Games ...and a whole bunch of other developers who, again, have heavily discounted their titles in support of Breakthrough T1D's drive to raise money for T1 Diabetes research. This is what Breakthrough T1D does, btw. All the 'nodding' and 'cheers' memes and gifs (Nicholson, Redford, Decaprio, et al) to both Hans ten Cate 🔜 DICE Las Vegas (games industry legend, Co-Founder & Chair: Breakthrough T1D Play), and Josh Larson 🔜 GDC (games industry legend, National Director: Breakthrough T1D Play) for making this happen. These gents, along with their colleagues at Breakthrough T1D, are constantly working to improve the daily lives of those impacted by this disease. They've been doing the hard work... ...and all you have to do is buy some video games. The link to do so is below in chat. FWIW, I picked up Earthion (Ancient Corp, Bitwave Games, Limited Run) for some 16-bit nostalgia on the SteamDeck...and Arzette "The Jewel of Faramore" (Seedy Eye Software, Limited Run) for the undeniable bonkersnessticity. Please spread the word (do what I did - repost the below to your network)...only 2 more days. Cheers and nods, friends.

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🚀 Introducing PvX Lambda: Benchmark Your RoAS, Forecast Revenue, and Unlock Financing 🚀 Today, I’m thrilled to announce the launch of PvX Lambda — our proprietary data intelligence platform built for gaming companies. Lambda offers the web’s first RoAS benchmarking tool, allowing any game to instantly see where they rank, percentile by percentile, within their genre or category. When I was an operator, one of the hardest things was getting people to agree what “good” RoAS actually meant. Lambda eliminates that ambiguity. With a few clicks, you can: ✅ Benchmark your RoAS across channels and spend levels. ✅ Spot strengths and diagnose weaknesses instantly. ✅ Make capital allocation decisions 10x faster — with real, objective data. 🤓 We’re also giving users access to our proprietary ML forecasting tools to model and sensitize your cohort performance and 12-month revenue projections instantly. Download ready-to-use Excel outputs for your next board meeting — all in minutes, not days 💸 Finally, Lambda checks if you’re eligible for PvX financing, and if you are, you'll see it right on your dashboard — and you can click a button to set up a call with us for next steps. 🎮 We built the tool we wished we had as operators — a platform that takes away the guesswork. It’s all part of our mission at PvX: to be the most helpful financing partner in gaming. And that’s why Lambda is completely free. 🔗 Ready to see where you stand? Try PvX Lambda now: https://lnkd.in/gX9rmkDX Kudos to Sishir Kolli, Zhen Jie (ZJ) Sim, Achilles Saxby, Ujjwal Tigga and the entire PvX Partners team for shipping this!

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I can relate to this from both a personal and industry perspective. A couple of years back, I actually banned Roblox at home. Some of the player interactions my daughter experienced weren’t something I was comfortable with, especially at a young age. I told her we could revisit it once she was a bit older and more aware. So I understand where the concerns are coming from. There are real risks, especially for younger players ⚠️ But at the same time, a full ban may not be the right solution. Platforms like Roblox have evolved into more than just games. They are spaces where people create, learn, and even earn 💡 I personally know people in my network who have built opportunities from it. Maybe the better approach is stronger safeguards rather than total restriction. Things like better moderation, age-appropriate access, and more guidance for both kids and parents 👨‍👩‍👧 In a way, it’s similar to what many of us do at home. Not removing access entirely, but setting the right boundaries. There’s definitely a balance to be found here. Hoping it leads to better systems, not just stricter limits 🙏 Curious to hear how others are handling this, especially parents and those in the gaming space 🎮 Thanks to BitPinas and Michael Vincent M. for this article #JBlaze #Roblox #Gaming #Insights #BitPinas #Games #Kids #Philippines #GamingDad

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Explains the shift from Netflix to Disney+ “But with viewership down nearly 60% between 2023 and 2024 even after four fresh seasons Netflix chose not to renew. That’s not just a dip, that’s a signal. And it suggests that even high-volume, algorithm-friendly IP can hit its ceiling.”

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So much to unpack here... https://lnkd.in/eHgTfhGH After watching this interview with Vinad Khosla , I followed through with some of their recommendations. In particular, the Situational Awareness Paper, by Leopold Aschenbrenner. And instead of reading it, I popped it into NotebookLM and listened to the synthesized podcast. First of all: love NotebookLM's podcast feature...dog walk, gym, chill time...I'm listening to these podcasts now all the time. Secondly: AGI by 2027...ok. I can wrap my head around that. But the more striking (and concerning) points in that paper are really a) the energy consumption related constraints b) the possible geo-political implications that come along with it c) the endless loop of better AI generating better AI Energy/power generation and consumption is already a major topic, constantly turning into a political battle ground for many. Doesn't sound like that that will ease up anytime soon, if ever. Geo-politically, AI domination will be even more crucial than who owns nukes, it sounds like. I believe we had the same type of dilemma when the internet came up. "Who would control the internet highways?" So far, so good. Curious how that's going to play out w/ AGI. Lastly, and most concerningly, AI self-propelling its own acceleration. What's the limit? What are the constraints? At some point, human intelligence (or relative lack thereof) might get in the way of AI advancing at maximum speed. Terminator anyone? Just kidding. Or maybe not. Who know?! Either way, exciting, thought provoking paper, certainly worth a read/scan. Or at least a good excuse for you to try out NotebookLM's podcast feature. And don't forget to watch the Vinod Khosla interview...great energy/perspectives.

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Had a great time on the Player Driven podcast, hosted by Greg Posner! I joined our partner Tianyi Gu at Newzoo to unpack what’s actually driving success on Roblox right now. We dove into what’s changing, what’s no longer working, and what creators and brands need to rethink to win on the platform. Big thanks to Greg and Tianyi for the great chat 🙌 ▶️ Tune in to the episode here: https://lnkd.in/gRZ3CfyX #Roblox #GameDev #VideoGames #Gaming #Developer #Media #Entertainment

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Friday reminder: Pause to verify… I’ve been beta-testing an agentic AI from a well-known startup. The tech is strong, with clean tools, layout, fast execution, etc. One yikes moment: when it hit a data wall, it didn’t ask for help. It produced a full “dataset,” presented it as legitimate, and only admitted the data was synthetic (made up) when I pressed the agent further. That’s not a glitch, that’s the agent optimized for “complete” over “correct”. It reminded me of decision-making under pressure. In those types of moments, time feels compressed. But pressure doesn’t change facts. If assumptions are wrong, speed may multiply the damage. The discipline is pausing long enough to verify what we can, as best we can. For anyone in the AI / Agent space: Red flags: · Data looks too certain (e.g. a result is “100%” accurate) · Data looks too neat (e.g. too much data end in “0s” or “5s”) · Results align too well with expectations If you suspect omission or fabrication: · Ask plainly if it accessed real, live data or generated approximations (or flat out made it up)? · Ask plainly how data was sourced, and to cite those sources · Cross-check with known data – or within other tech solutions · Require raw outputs and step logs Now, for anyone in the general decision-making under pressure space: Let's remind ourselves that we’re more likely to preserve reputation, results, and trust, when we pause to verify. Keep going. Image credit: Barry Devlin

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Why Your Ranked Game Feels Like a Warzone — And What Psychology Says About It 🎮 Ever wondered why the most skilled players are often the most toxic ones? A recent piece from This Is Game SEA breaks down the 6 psychological drivers behind competitive gaming toxicity — and honestly, the parallels to high-pressure workplaces are hard to ignore: 🔢 High stakes, binary outcomes — Ranked systems reduce complex performance to a single number. Lose a match, lose your rank. That emotional weight turns minor mistakes into personal crises. 👉 Blame culture in team settings — When outcomes aren't fully in your control, "external attribution" kicks in. Sound familiar? It's the same dynamic that derails cross-functional teams. 🎭 Anonymity removes accountability — No face, no voice, no empathy. The "keyboard courage" effect is real — and it's why online collaboration can go south fast. ⚡ Sustained high pressure — When the brain is in constant fight-or-flight mode, even small friction becomes explosive. 🏆 Identity tied to status — When your rank is your identity, every loss feels existential. Leaders see this in employees who tie their worth entirely to titles or metrics. 🔄 Normalization of toxic behavior — New players mimic what they see. Culture is contagious — for better or worse. The conclusion is sharp: flaming a teammate never improves their performance — it guarantees a worse outcome. The same truth applies in any team environment. Psychological safety isn't just a buzzword; it's a competitive advantage. What's your take — do you see these patterns outside of gaming too? 🔗 Full article

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To those navigating rejection, silence, and uncertainty — I’ve watched this story unfold more times than I can count. Over the years, I’ve worked with incredibly talented people — some of whom found themselves unexpectedly laid off. Many were sharp, committed, and well-liked. But the market changed, priorities shifted, and suddenly they were out — not just of a job, but often out of confidence too. The hardest part was never the layoff itself. It was the long quiet after. The unanswered applications. The interviews that went nowhere. The creeping self-doubt. I’ve had countless conversations that began with a brave smile and ended with: “I’m starting to wonder if it’s me.” If you’re in that place right now, this is what I want to say — not from a podium, but as someone who’s walked beside people (and once quietly, personally, been one of them): 1. Your worth isn’t tied to your current situation. It’s tempting to see each rejection as a judgment of your abilities. It’s not. Hiring decisions are shaped by a hundred invisible variables — and often, the best candidates still don’t get the call. That doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re in a system that’s imperfect, and at times, brutally indifferent. 2. Progress is quieter than we think. Some of the most important steps won’t show up in an offer letter. They’ll be in the clarity you gain, the resilience you build, and the courage it takes to keep showing up. I’ve seen professionals come out of this phase sharper, more self-aware, and better aligned with what they truly want. 3. Don’t do this alone. If you’ve gone silent in your network, it’s time to break that pattern. Ask for a conversation — not a job. Let people know what you’re exploring. I’ve seen new chapters begin not through perfect resumes, but through honest conversations. 4. Reinvest in yourself. Genuinely. Read, write, volunteer, build, mentor. The job may be missing, but your impact doesn’t have to be. Every time someone channels frustration into growth, they expand their future — and I’ve seen it pay off in unexpected, powerful ways. And finally — trust the long arc. Some of the most extraordinary careers I’ve seen were built not in moments of triumph, but in moments of forced pause. What felt like a derailment was, in hindsight, a redirection. If you’re there now — in that uncertain in-between — you have more strength than you realize. Keep going. Keep reaching out. Keep showing up. This chapter will pass. And when it does, you’ll carry with you something more than a title: perspective, compassion, and grit that can’t be taught. If you're reading this and it resonates — reach out. You never know who’s watching, or how quickly things can change. — Hussein Bitaraf CEO | Former CPO & Senior Developer | Team Builder & Career Advocate #CareerResilience #JobSearchJourney #Layoffs #KeepGoing #LinkedInCommunity

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Adam Levine's recent piece in Barron's breaks down what those of us in the space have known forever - Roblox is a platform, not a hit game maker. Manuel Bronstein (former CPO at Roblox) puts it perfectly: "If you think about the disruption that YouTube brought to video and the idea that anybody could create, anybody could distribute, you didn't need $10 million, $20 million, $50 million budgets to create something. We're doing the same for games." Some key highlights from the article - 👉 150M+ daily users spending 3 hours a day on the platform 👉 Recent viral game played 42 billion times (game is under a year old) 👉 70% bookings growth last quarter 👉 Over 1 trillion YouTube views of Roblox content During COVID many investors thought Roblox was flash in the pan - Daily users surged 97% during lockdowns, and people assumed it would crash after. It grew another 31% the following year and has maintained a 34% annualized growth rate since. Time spent on platform is still averaging a staggering 3 hours per day. Compare that to Take-Two Interactive spending $1-2 billion over a DECADE on the next GTA. User-generated content isn't just competing with AAA games - it's destroying the old model entirely. Gen Z and Gen Alpha aren't just gaming on Roblox - they're hanging out there. Over 6 billion daily text messages. The platform is maturing with its users (44% now over 16), it's a complete cultural shift. Yes, Roblox has work to do on safety, and they're investing heavily into it - new AI age verification, 100+ safety system updates this year. It's the right move and necessary for long-term trust from the community, parents and investors. Barron's thinks the stock could jump 50%, but I think this is still undervaluing it - so many don't fully understand how much the platform offers yet. Investors currently treat Roblox like a hit-driven game company when it should be valued as a platform with network effects. The "viral hit machine" isn't slowing down, user engagement is sticky, and advertising revenue is barely tapped. Totally worth reading the full article - Adam goes deep on the financials and developer ecosystem. Link in comments!

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