AI + Game Thinking = Retention Breakthrough | Episode 397
Professor Game Podcast
Click the link below to book a quick 10–15 minute chat with me. No sales, no pressure—just ideas and clarity on how to engage your community and grow revenue. 🗓 Strategy Meets AI Game design + AI = game changer. In this episode, Amy Jo Kim returns to share how she’s combining decades of design wisdom with cutting-edge AI to build smarter, faster onboarding and retention systems. If you're struggling with churn, this conversation is your blueprint to better systems, better questions, and better engagement. Previous episodes with Amy Jo Kim: Rob is a host and consultant at...
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Why Most Community Building Fails (And HOW TO WIN) | Episode 396
Professor Game Podcast
🚀 Want your community buzzing and bringing in more revenue? Snag my free mini course with 3 killer gamification hacks: Why are your members disappearing—even when you’re doing everything “right”? Rob breaks down the real reasons communities lose members, even when packed with great content. Drawing from what successful games do to keep players hooked, you'll learn the 3 invisible traps that quietly destroy retention—and what to do instead. No gimmicks. No burnout. Just practical, game-inspired strategies to re-engage your members and boost community revenue. Grab the free above...
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Coaching Leadership Through Role-Playing Games with Joe Lasley | Episode 395
Professor Game Podcast
🚀 Want your community buzzing and bringing in more revenue? Snag my free mini course with 3 killer gamification hacks: What happens when role-playing games become a leadership development tool? In this episode we interview Joe, founder of GameNamic Leadership, to explore how tabletop RPGs can unlock transformational learning, reshape team dynamics, and deliver lasting cultural change. From piloting immersive retreats to coaching teams in real time, Joe shares how combining leadership coaching with roleplay doesn't just gamify learning—it changes how people show up at work. Dr. Joe...
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The Great Gambit: Teaching Peace Through Play with Anders Kjellberg | Episode 394
Professor Game Podcast
🔥 Losing users? Get free, expert-backed resources to boost retention with gamification: What happens when a teacher turns history into a simulation? We interview Swedish educator Anders Kjellberg, who co-created The Great Gambit, a role-playing simulation designed to help students understand the driving forces behind conflict—and how to prevent war. From sweaty failures to empowering classroom dynamics, Anders shares what worked, what didn’t, and how learning through games can activate students like never before. Anders works as a teacher in Swedish upper secondary school. His main...
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Bram Wulteputte Gamifies Education With Minecraft and NASA | Episode 393
Professor Game Podcast
🔥 Losing users? Get free, expert-backed resources to boost retention with gamification: How do you gamify learning without losing the learning? We talk with Bram about designing Minecraft-powered learning experiences that actually work. From working with NASA to teaching democracy through play, he reveals how chunking content, building tutorials, and collaborating with subject matter experts creates game-based learning that sticks. Bram Wulteputte is a Co-founder and the Head of Education at Shapescape, a company merging education with the immersive world of . With years of experience in...
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Why Aldi Agaj Builds Games With Scientists AND Teachers | Episode 392
Professor Game Podcast
🔥 Losing users? Get free, expert-backed resources to boost retention with gamification: What if learning felt like playing — and retention was built into the design? In this episode, Rob interviews Aldi Agaj, CEO of Alter Learning, who shares how his team builds educational video games in collaboration with scientists, educators, and developers. From failures to scaling 40+ games, Aldi reveals how passion, teamwork, and gamification fuel long-term engagement and real-world impact in education. Chief Executive Officer of AAK Tele-Science , And CEO of Alter-Learning Educational Platform...
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3 Customer Retention Strategies That Keep Customers Coming Back | Episode 391
Professor Game Podcast
🚀 Want your community buzzing and bringing in more revenue? Snag my free mini course with 3 killer gamification hacks: Tired of watching great customers walk away? We reveal how gamification can transform retention, skyrocket engagement, and massively increase your customer lifetime value—without resorting to gimmicky rewards. Rob is a host and consultant at Professor Game as well as an expert, and advocate for the use of gamification and games-based solutions, especially in education and learning. He's also a professor and workshop facilitator for the topics of the podcast and LEGO...
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Role-Playing for Real Learning with Anthony Kurza | Episode 390
Professor Game Podcast
🔥 Losing users? Get free, expert-backed resources to boost retention with gamification: From clueless to collaborative in one session? That’s the power of a well-designed Tabletop RPG. Rob Alvarez sits down with Anthony Kurza, creator of the SAN model and higher ed coach, to explore how role-playing games can unlock retention, connection, and deep learning—both inside and outside the classroom. Anthony Kurza is a game designer specializing in tabletop role-playing games and an educator in higher education. His work bridges storytelling, game mechanics, and immersive learning, creating...
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Witcher-Level Storytelling for Real Engagement with Jakub Szamalek | Episode 389
Professor Game Podcast
🔥 Losing users? Get free, expert-backed resources to boost retention with gamification: Why do players stay hooked for 100+ hours in games like The Witcher 3? It's not just gameplay—it's story. Rob Alvarez is joined by Jakub Szamalek, the master narrative designer behind gaming's most iconic worlds, to unpack the secrets of choice, emotion, and retention through storytelling. Jakub Szamalek is an award-winning narrative designer and writer, best known for his work on The Witcher III: Wild Hunt and Cyberpunk 2077. Jakub has played a key role in shaping some of the most emotionally...
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When Perfect Balance Fails: Lessons in Gamified Design with Alireza Ranjbar | Episode 388
Professor Game Podcast
If you're struggling to keep people engaged and loyal in your product or business, check out my FREE gamification course to learn how to do just that: What happens when a perfectly balanced gamification system fails with users? Alireza Ranjbar Shourabi shares this shocking experience and unpacks how cultural nuances, hidden perceptions, and behavioral insights can make or break your engagement strategy. Starting in high school, Alireza used computers as a means to create and play games, first diving into programming and then exploring 2D and 3D art. Eventually, he discovered his true passion...
info_outlineIf you're struggling to keep people engaged and loyal in your product or business, Join Our (FREE) Professor Game Community Now & Learn how to create true loyalty: professorgame.com/freecommunity-web
Can planning marketing be a make-or-break decision? This episode of the Professor Game podcast also offers a comprehensive look into the iterative development process and the importance of user-centric design. We explore how failures can be powerful learning tools and how engaging with users early can shape the app's future direction. Our guest discusses his success with a mobile game that addresses environmental issues and highlights the impact of rigorous user research. Tune in for valuable insights on crafting meaningful and engaging user experiences through gamification.
Dave is a software developer specializing in mobile apps. He's currently building Roads Audio, an app designed to enable asynchronous, podcast-like conversations with the goal of helping people maintain deeper relationships. Dave also runs a YouTube channel, 1ManStartup, where he shares insights and tutorials on app development. Earlier this year, he won a competition sponsored by Global Citizen and Google with his mobile game Last Bottle, which sheds light on the often-overlooked truths of recycling.
Rob is a host and consultant at Professor Game as well as an expert, international speaker and advocate for the use of gamification and games-based solutions, especially in education and learning. He's also a professor and workshop facilitator for the topics of the podcast and LEGO SERIOUS PLAY (LSP) for top higher education institutions that include EFMD, IE Business School and EBS among others in Europe, America and Asia.
Guest Links and Info
Website: 1manstartup.com/about
LinkedIn: Dave Faliskie
Instagram: @1manstartup
TikTok: @1manstartup
X/Twitter: @davefaliskie
YouTube: 1ManStartup
Links to episode mentions:
Proposed guest: Someone from Global Citizen
Recommended book:
Tomorrow, and tomorrow and tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Irresistible by Adam Alter
Favorite game: Mario series!
Lets's do stuff together!