From Garage to NASDAQ: Vincent Bitetti on Innovation, Licensing, and the Future of Gaming

“You can’t just say you’re making the next great game—investors don’t care. You have to show them how you’ll bring value beyond just a product.” – Vincent Bitetti

Show Notes:

How do you go from garage to NASDAQ, building a business from scratch and scaling it to a publicly traded company? What does it take to navigate the high-stakes world of intellectual property licensing in entertainment? And in an era dominated by AI, why does human capital still reign supreme?

In this episode of The Relentless Pursuit of Winning, I sit down with Vincent Bitetti—an industry veteran with over 30 years of experience in interactive entertainment, gaming, and business strategy. From his early days as a musician to leading major licensing deals with Hollywood and running a NASDAQ-listed company, Vincent’s journey is a masterclass in adaptation, negotiation, and strategic execution.

We dive into:

• The Power of Human Capital – Despite the rise of AI and automation, Vincent argues that business success is still fueled by people, relationships, and creativity. Whether you’re working in a junkyard or developing immersive 3D environments in Unreal Engine, human ingenuity remains irreplaceable.
• From garage to NASDAQ – Vincent shares his firsthand experience of building companies from the ground up, securing funding, navigating corporate politics, and the hard lessons learned from leading a public company through economic shifts.
• The Explosive Growth of Gaming – The video game industry has skyrocketed from an $8 billion niche market to a $250 billion global powerhouse. Vincent breaks down why this happened, where the industry is headed, and why differentiation is critical for securing investment.
• Licensing & Intellectual Property Battles – What does it take to secure major Hollywood licenses for video games? Vincent takes us behind the scenes of negotiating likeness rights for Star Trek’s original cast, working with Shrek, UFC, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the real challenges of IP licensing.
• The Reality of Public Company Leadership – Raising capital, managing investors, and weathering economic downturns—Vincent shares what most entrepreneurs don’t realize about running a publicly traded company and the strategic decisions that determine survival.
• The Future of Gaming & Entertainment – AI-generated content, Web3 gaming, and beyond—Vincent discusses where the industry is heading and what new game developers need to do to stand out in an oversaturated market.

This episode is packed with hard-won wisdom for founders, creative professionals, and anyone looking to scale their business from garage to NASDAQ. If you’re interested in gaming, entrepreneurship, or the business of entertainment, don’t miss this one.

Key Takeaways:

✅ The Power of Human Capital – No matter how advanced AI becomes, businesses still thrive on people, relationships, and creativity.
✅ Licensing Lessons – Navigating intellectual property rights is a minefield, but Vincent’s experience with Star Trek, Shrek, and UFC shows how it’s done.
✅ The Evolution of Gaming – From an $8B industry to a $250B+ behemoth, gaming is now bigger than music and film combined.
✅ Innovation and Differentiation – If you want to secure funding, don’t just pitch another game—bring real value beyond the product.
✅ Hard Lessons in Business – The importance of understanding corporate politics and how companies pivot during economic downturns.

Chapters:

• 00:00 The Value of Human Capital
• 08:37 Vincent's Musical Journey and Entrepreneurial Beginnings
• 15:46 Innovations in Children's Educational Software
• 17:15 The Explosive Growth of the Gaming Industry
• 18:31 Navigating Corporate Dynamics at TDK
• 20:18 Challenges in Game Development and Licensing
• 24:09 Negotiating Licenses and Building Relationships
• 29:44 Transitioning to New Ventures and Lessons Learned
• 35:35 The Future of Gaming: Innovation and Differentiation