Not all eggs in the same basket – how to plan your first years as an indie

What the talk is about

Robert Bäckström explains how to plan the first years of an indie studio with risk minimization in mind. Not every game becomes a hit, so a studio needs resilience: the team matters more than any single project, and work for hire should be combined with in-house games because it builds skills and cash flow. He advises hiring with future business needs in mind, building a remote-friendly culture, and developing several original IPs at once, since the studio's real value lies in them. Games should move through clear stages with defined criteria (demo, trailer, community feedback), and the release should never be rushed. In the Q&A he covers Kickstarter, signs a game is ready for early access, and ways to find funding. Useful for founders of small studios and anyone planning their first steps in indie development.