Home Insights Pitchify founder: Listen to what people actually want

Pitchify founder: Listen to what people actually want

Video games entrepreneur Gina Jackson explains a common trap developers can fall into when making games

Gina Jackson has a career spanning more than 30 years in the computer gaming industry. She has worked on around 300 titles in development and publishing roles, designed for consoles like the Nintendo SNES and PlayStation 5.

In 2023, she drew on her experience to co-found Pitchify, a marketplace built to speed up the funding process for developers and publishers.

Business Leader caught up with her earlier this year at the annual Games Finance Market conference in central London. It's a kind of speed dating event for video game makers to meet publishers and pitch ideas.

“As developers, we need to develop exactly what the audience wants and not the games we want to play,” warns Jackson.

Jackson encourages developers to scour game reviews and analyse sales data before pitching their ideas to publishers, however passionate they are about their concepts. Online customer reviews can be a very useful source of information, she points out, and you can now even use generative AI tools to summarise them for you.

“Don’t be afraid to really be vulnerable, really listen and be challenged by clients,” advises Jackson.

Related and recommended

Mediaplus UK CEO: Reframe your comms around AI

Mediaplus UK CEO: Reframe your comms around AI

Communications specialist Tom Laranjo shares advice on how to integrate artificial technology into the workplace

Pitchify founder: Listen to what people actually want

Pitchify founder: Listen to what people actually want

Video games entrepreneur Gina Jackson explains a common trap developers can fall into when making games

Why you need to work on your emotional intelligence

Why you need to work on your emotional intelligence

Mastering emotional intelligence can help you make better decisions, navigate conflict and build a workplace people want to be part of

An economic reality check is coming

An economic reality check is coming

Both the country and the government must face the truth: either taxes will have to rise or services will need to be cut. We can’t have both

Apply to become a member

Click here to review our privacy policy.

Start your journey