Podcast appearances and mentions of Elan Lee

American game designer

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Elan Lee

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Best podcasts about Elan Lee

Latest podcast episodes about Elan Lee

My First Million
The Board Game Billionaire: From a $10k Kickstarter to $100M/Year Business

My First Million

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2025 77:58


Want your own $100M side project? Get our guide to win your first 100 customers: https://clickhubspot.com/wfp Episode 699: Sam Parr ( https://x.com/theSamParr ) and Shaan Puri ( https://x.com/ShaanVP ) talk to Elan Lee ( https://x.com/elanlee ) about growing Exploding Kittens from a $10K Kickstarter campaign to $100M dollar company.  — Show Notes:  (0:00) Humble Success: Exploding Kittens Insights (8:07) The origin story - From 10k to $9M on kickstarter (16:17) Focus on the crowd, not the funding (20:41) Games should not be entertaining (23:52) The Kitty Test pilots (27:57) $0 marketing hacks (38:49) Pushing past the ‘no' (41:07) Business as a game (45:32) Creativity loves constraints (54:28) Irritation is the source of innovation (59:13) Designing a game with Tim Ferriss (01:04:08) Do what never makes you bored — Links: • Exploding Kittens - https://www.explodingkittens.com/  • Paxsite - https://www.paxsite.com  • Elan on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@mrelanlee  — Check Out Shaan's Stuff: Need to hire? You should use the same service Shaan uses to hire developers, designers, & Virtual Assistants → it's called Shepherd (tell ‘em Shaan sent you): https://bit.ly/SupportShepherd

Escape This Podcast
In The Dog House ft. Elan Lee and Amanda Harris

Escape This Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2025 77:26


Elan from Exploding Kittens and Amanda Harris from every escape room in the world join us to play through a curious, canine conundrum! Check out everything exploding kittens at https://www.explodingkittens.com/    Check out the images and write up for this Escape Room below to follow along, or play yourself! https://www.consumethismedia.com/doghouse    For everything Escape This Podcast, head to https://www.consumethismedia.com/escape-this-podcast If you can, please support the show on Patreon for blog posts, bonus audio, videos, trivia, and the chance to appear as a character in one of Dani's rooms. To hang out with us and other fans, join our discord here: https://discord.gg/AH9MZqM  Check out our second podcast, Solve This Murder! Website || iTunes || RSS Have questions, comments, puzzles, or anything else? Send us an email! (escapethispod@gmail.com)

The Fourth Curtain
Exploding Kittens' Elan Lee Stacks the Deck

The Fourth Curtain

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2025 72:28 Transcription Available


Our guest is Exploding Kitten's Elan Lee. Starting with animating breath for the film Titanic, he went on to create the world's first alternate reality game, The Beast, at Microsoft. Later he gamified Nine Inch Nails and voter registration and went on to launch the most successful Kickstarter ever for Exploding Kittens, redefining family game night. This episode features great stories and a world exclusive product announcement - this week! [00:06:30] From ILM to XboxElan shares his early work on Titanic and Star Wars, including hand-animating breath and neck seams for Jar Jar Binks—yes, really.[00:18:30] The Xbox Origin StoryElan recounts joining Microsoft during the secretive beginnings of Xbox and working with gaming legend Jordan Weisman on the launch lineup.[00:30:45] Creating the First ARG with SpielbergHow AI: Artificial Intelligence inspired Elan to pioneer alternate reality games, turning storytelling into an interactive experience.[00:35:00] Nine Inch Nails and “The Game That Calls You”Partnering with Trent Reznor, Elan built an ARG that included thermochromic CD ink, cryptic websites, and secret concerts.[00:41:30] The Clothing Line That Taught U.S. HistoryA secret-encoded T-shirt line that secretly retold the story of the American Revolution—gamified fashion meets education.[00:49:00] Why Exploding Kittens HappenedAfter stepping away from screens, Elan turned to physical games and launched Exploding Kittens, which raised $9 million on Kickstarter.[00:54:45] Inside the Chaos of Fulfilling 700,000 OrdersHow Elan went from a 200-copy side project to full-scale game production, leaning on friends (and Cards Against Humanity) to survive.[01:01:30] Teasing the New Exploding Kittens Board GameElan reveals an exclusive about a brand-new 3D board game version of Exploding Kittens coming soon—with a mechanic that took two years to perfect.Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at www.thefourthcurtain.com Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfeVideos available at https://www.youtube.com/@thefourthcurtainFollow us on twitter: @fourthcurtainEdited and mastered at https://noise-floor.com Audio Editor: Bryen HensleyVideo Editor: Sarkis GrigorianProducer: Shanglan (May) LiArt: Paul RusselCommunity Manager: Doug ZartmanFeaturing Liberation by 505

Reality Escape Pod
REPOD Season 8 Key Moments, Editor's Choice by Steve Ewing

Reality Escape Pod

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2025 79:58


Let's revisit most interesting, entertaining, and impactful moments from REPOD Season 8. Can't wait for the next season REPOD? Don't worry, Season 9 of the podcast will be back in the very near future. To pass the time until then, have a listen to some memorable clips our editor Steve Ewing selected from each episode of Season 8. And there's a bonus clip from the brand new show PG's Playhouse! It's perfect for new listeners of this podcast or fans who want to relive their favorite moments. This season we welcomed many talented escape room owners & designers: Fro creates memorable stories at Boxaroo, Jeroen built an incredible romp through real trains with Demise of the Gricers, and Curtis & Derek at Escape Ventures build amazing escape rooms at incredible speeds. Don't miss Francine & Victor talking about what it feels like to finish an epic project.  We also invited returning guest Elan Lee to discuss his new Netflix show based on Exploding Kittens and his Survivor party game. Game & puzzle creators Sandy Weisz, Oskar Van Deventer, and Brooke Breit came on to talk about the finer points of balancing challenge and fun.  Performers David Kwong and Yannick Trapman-O'Brien reflected on the ups and downs of their careers and the personal philosophies that have come out of that. And in Episode 11, escape room super-enthusiast Sera Dodd brought us one of the most emotionally powerful episodes yet. We end the look-back with a Connections-like game from our new podcast, PG's Playhouse.  If you want even more podcast episodes, consider joining our Patreon. For only $5 a month, you'll get access to our Bonus Aftershow, which is a more casual conversation with each guest. Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, & COGS by Clockwork Dog:  Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings.    Morty News:   Morty now features haunt attractions Morty for Android is here   Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also).   Buzzshot   Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS.   Special Offer for REPOD Listeners:   REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer.   COGS   COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when.   Special Offer for REPOD Listeners:   REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout. Production Credits Hosted by David Spira, Peih-Gee Law, & Steve Ewing Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira, Richard Burns, and Tommy Honton Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media  Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht

Sand Hill Road
A $40 Million Investment in Exploding Kittens

Sand Hill Road

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2025 20:24


Exploding Kittens, a kitty-powered version of Russian Roulette, has become a household staple. The company launched on Kickstarter and has never lost its edge. However, despite much success, the company's founding team decided to accept a $40 million investment, which it has yet to use.  Sand Hill Road Host Scott McGrew spoke with Elan Lee, the creator of one of the most successful card games in history, to learn more about the company's history and  success.  Sand Hill Road is hosted by Scott McGrew and produced and edited by Andrew Mendez. Sara Bueno manages NBC Bay Area's digital platforms. Stephanie Adrouny is the station's news director. If you'd like to get in touch, email us at sandhillroad@nbcuni.com or on any social media platform at @nbcbayarea.

Reality Escape Pod
Elan Lee on designing Poetry For Neanderthals (Bonus Show Preview)

Reality Escape Pod

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2024 6:42


In this Bonus Show Preview, Elan Lee, CEO of Exploding Kittens, joins us again for a conversation about Taskmaster, growing as a leader, and he gives us an exclusive scoop on the Survivor card game he's developing alongside Jeff Probst. In this sneak preview, he tells us the origin story of Poetry for Neanderthals, one of my favorite games from Exploding Kittens.   If you enjoy these previews, I hope you'll consider joining our Patreon. For only $5 a month, you'll get access to our Bonus Aftershow, where we continually release new episodes, even in our REPOD off-season.

Reality Escape Pod
Exploding Onto Netflix: Elan Lee (S8E1)

Reality Escape Pod

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2024 78:36


“We don't just make entertaining games. We make the people you're playing with more entertaining.”  “Do you want to play again?” This is the only question Elan Lee asks when playtesting his games. Millions of people have answered yes, which explains why the Exploding Kittens games have dominated the best seller lists for almost a decade. Elan has now set his sights on conquering the world of entertainment beyond board games, starting with a namesake animated Netflix show.  Elan Lee was the very first guest on REPOD, way back on Season 1, Episode 1. Then, he shared his philosophy on game design and all the cool projects he's worked on. In this follow up episode, we dig a little deeper into his design process.  I especially enjoyed hearing about how he playtests games, as well as his philosophy when it comes to writing game instructions. He also talks about creating a new line of games for younger children with his daughter, and this segment is really delightful, with insight into how to design for little ones. Elan creates party games that make the players entertaining. Escape rooms essentially do the same thing by casting their players into the hero role. Elan was really generous in sharing all the elements of his design process with us. Give this episode a listen if you're interested in applying the Exploding Kittens game philosophy to your experience design of any kind.       Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, & COGS by Clockwork Dog:  Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings.  Morty News: Morty now features haunt attractions Morty for Android is here Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also).   Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer.   COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout.   Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Steve Ewing Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht  

Geektown Radio - TV News, Interviews & UK TV Air Dates
Interview: Scoring Netflix's ‘Exploding Kittens' with Composers Jina An & Shirley Song

Geektown Radio - TV News, Interviews & UK TV Air Dates

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 30, 2024 34:01


Welcome to a new Geektown Behind The Scenes podcast. This week I'm chatting with Jina An & Shirley Song, the composers behind Netflix's brilliant adult animated series ‘Exploding Kittens'.If you haven't yet caught ‘Exploding Kittens', the series is inspired by the beloved card game from Matthew Inman of The Oatmeal webcomic, Elan Lee, and Shane Small. After a meeting in heaven, there is a general consensus that Earth sucks, so God (voiced by the wonderful Tom Ellis from ‘Lucifer') gets fired and sent to Earth to reconnect with humanity. The catch? He's trapped in the body of a chubby house cat. As part of Godcat's rehabilitation, he moves in with a dysfunctional family and tries to solve their problems, but ends up spending a lot of time chasing laser pointers. And to top it off, Godcat's next-door neighbour, who is also a cat, turns out to be none other than his nemesis, the Antichrist. It is brilliant, hilariously funny, and Season 1 is all on Netflix right now!Jina and Shirley have been composing together pretty much since college, and were tasked with creating a soundtrack that captures the show's explosive energy. This also involved them touching on a huge array of musical genres like 8-bit nostalgia, energetic Cajun flair, heavy metal rock, and both choral and orchestral scores to bring the madcap adventures and quirky characters to life.Outside of ‘Exploding Kittens', the duo are also known for working on the beloved Netflix series ‘XO, Kitty', and have a number of other projects coming up which we talk about in the interview.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/geektown. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jetpack for the Mind
Hardware is Hard – Dan Shapiro

Jetpack for the Mind

Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2024 98:39


I met Dan Shapiro years ago when I went out to fly kites with Elan Lee. What a delightful guy! Dan is an inspiring entrepreneur with boundless energy, always upbeat. He's had, I think, four companies that succeeded, maybe three that were venture backed. Dan did something super cool. He got excited about making a board game that would teach kids how to program called Robot Turtles. He made that game using Kickstarter or something, and in the process really figured out how to succeed at crowdfunding. I think at the time it was one of the most successful crowdfunding campaigns ever for game. But then he took that knowledge and he used it when he started Glowforge. Glowforge is a desktop laser cutter. This is a tool you can use to cut materials. You draw something on your computer, click print and it'll literally use a laser to go cut or engrave materials. You've seen this kind of thing. Things engraved in wood that are done this way now, and lots of parts can be made this way for all kinds of projects. Dan wanted to democratize that. I don't know if my laser cutter was the first one he ever saw, but one way or another, he ended up with one in his garage and they were like these kind of crummy, chinese laser cutters with print drivers from hell that are used to operate them, and they're sort of dicey, but it's still inspiring because what you can do with them. Dan had one in his garage to make Robot Turtles. So the next company he wanted to make, Glowforge, was to try and take that amazing tool and bring it to everyone. And this was very analogous to what Makerbot had done with 3D printers, which I got to help with a little bit. In those days, Dan asked me what I thought about it and I got to help him, be a little advisor for Glowforge. They made this thing a very big success, in part by crowdfunding the first version and this was really hard to do. They made the first prototype. Made a very inspiring video about it. They did a crowdfunding campaign and got world record pre-orders for this thing and that's how they funded starting the company and it's hard to do that. Hard to keep everybody happy. All these things, especially hardware projects always take longer than you hope or estimate. I think they probably lost some of their backers along the way for those reasons. But they did ship, which was not true of a lot of other crowdfunding campaigns. I'm a Kickstarter junkie, so I back all kinds of stuff and a good fraction of it never shows up and a good fraction of it shows up and by the time it does, I can't remember what it was in the first place. I've been wanting to share this conversation with Dan with you guys for a long time. He's a great entrepreneur. I have a hard time getting him to say anything mean about anybody or anything, he's so positive. You'll learn about not only Glowforge and what they've done, but also, a little bit about how to think about these technologies and bringing them into the world. Enjoy! Important Links: Glowforge Robot Turtles Dan Shapiro Photobucket MakerBot About Dan Shapiro Dan Shapiro is a high networth individual based in Seattle, Washington. Dan is a Co-Founder and serves as the CEO of Glowforge. Prior to that, he served as the CEO of Robot Turtles, Google, Sparkbuy, and Ontela. He was also the Founder of Photobucket. He seeks to invest in consumer internet, mobile, finance and education-based companies operating in Seattle and Silicon Valley. Shapiro is currently investing in private equity, including venture capital fund strategies.

Masters of Scale
138. Find co-creators everywhere, w/Exploding Kittens' Elan Lee

Masters of Scale

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 12, 2023 44:58


What lessons can business leaders learn from the games industry? Elan Lee, co-founder of Exploding Kittens Inc., joins Reid Hoffman to discuss how Exploding Kittens became one of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns of all time. Elan shares how creativity and diverse expertise were essential for scaling a potential one-off success into a prolific games studio. And he reveals how he cultivated a community by transforming casual colleagues, partners and customers into key stakeholders. Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com/Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/subscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Board Game Design Lab
Designing Games FOR and WITH Young Kids with Elan Lee

Board Game Design Lab

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2023 68:43


In this episode, Elan Lee, the creator of Exploding Kittens, talks about his venture into creating games for small children. Elan has been designing the games alongside his four-year-old daughter, and we talk about the process of designing games both for and with small kids. We also get into the business side of things and... The post Designing Games FOR and WITH Young Kids with Elan Lee appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The Playground Podcast
Gaming the Industry: Elan Lee of Exploding Kittens

The Playground Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2023 38:07


Richard and Chris talk with game inventor Elan Lee about his hugely successful game Exploding Kittens, developing great games, and his new line of Kitten Games, which Elan developed with his 4-year-old daughter. This high-energy conversation will have you thinking about what makes a good game in the current market. Elan is also hugely entertaining and thoughtful about the role of games in our lives. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-playground-podcast/support

The Tim Ferriss Show
#663: In Case You Missed It: February 2023 Recap of "The Tim Ferriss Show"

The Tim Ferriss Show

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 29, 2023 37:09


This episode is brought to you by 5-Bullet Friday, my very own email newsletter.Welcome to another episode of The Tim Ferriss Show, where it is my job to deconstruct world-class performers to tease out the routines, habits, et cetera that you can apply to your own life. This is a special inbetweenisode, which serves as a recap of the episodes from last month. It features a short clip from each conversation in one place so you can easily jump around to get a feel for the episode and guest.Based on your feedback, this format has been tweaked and improved since the first recap episode. For instance, @hypersundays on Twitter suggested that the bios for each guest can slow the momentum, so we moved all the bios to the end. See it as a teaser. Something to whet your appetite. If you like what you hear, you can of course find the full episodes at tim.blog/podcast. Please enjoy! *This episode is brought to you by 5-Bullet Friday, my very own email newsletter that every Friday features five bullet points highlighting cool things I've found that week, including apps, books, documentaries, gadgets, albums, articles, TV shows, new hacks or tricks, and—of course—all sorts of weird stuff I've dug up from around the world.It's free, it's always going to be free, and you can subscribe now at tim.blog/friday.*Timestamps:Professor John Vervaeke: 00:02:58Brené Brown: 00:06:30Elan Lee: 00:13:57Dr. Matthew Walker: 00:22:58Full episode titles:Professor John Vervaeke — How to Build a Life of Wisdom, Flow, and Contemplation (#657)Brené Brown — Striving versus Self-Acceptance, Saving Marriages, and More (#409) (Originally posted in February 2020 and reposted in February 2023) Elan Lee, Co-Creator of Exploding Kittens — How to Raise Millions on Kickstarter, Deconstructing Mega-Successes, Secrets of Game Design, The Power of Positive Constraints, The Delights of Craftsmanship, and The Art of Turning Fans into Superfans (#653)Dr. Matthew Walker, All Things Sleep Continued — The Hidden Dangers of Melatonin, Tools for Insomnia, Enhancing Learning and Sleep Spindles, The Upsides of Sleep Divorce, How Sleep Impacts Sex (and Vice Versa), Adventures in Lucid Dreaming, The One Clock to Rule Them All, The IP Addresses of Your Memories, and More (#654)*For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsorsSign up for Tim's email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Discover Tim's books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissYouTube: youtube.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, Margaret Atwood, Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel, Dr. Gabor Maté, Anne Lamott, Sarah Silverman, Dr. Andrew Huberman, and many more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Tim Ferriss Show
#653: Elan Lee, Co-Creator of Exploding Kittens — How to Raise Millions on Kickstarter, Deconstructing Mega-Successes, Secrets of Game Design, The Power of Positive Constraints, The Delights of Craftsmanship, and The Art of Turning Fans Into Superfans

The Tim Ferriss Show

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 2, 2023 128:53


Brought to you by Athletic Greens's AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement, Helix Sleep premium mattresses, and Shopify global commerce platform providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business. Elan Lee (@elanlee) is the co-creator and chief executive officer of Exploding Kittens, a leading gaming and entertainment company. Under his leadership, Exploding Kittens has expanded its portfolio to nearly 30 different games with more than 20 million games sold in more than 50 countries since its founding in 2015. Before founding Exploding Kittens, Lee was the chief design officer at Xbox Entertainment Studios, where he led the Interactive Entertainment Portfolio. Prior to that, he was the founder and chief creative officer of Fourth Wall Studios and co-founder of 42 Entertainment. He began his career at Microsoft Games Studios as a lead designer on the original Xbox. Lee has won a Primetime Emmy for the series Dirty Work; Game Innovator of the Year for Exploding Kittens; a Peabody Award for the world's first alternate reality game, The Beast; and an IndieCade Trailblazer Award for a distinguished career in interactive entertainment, among others.Please enjoy!This episode is brought to you by Shopify! Shopify is one of my favorite platforms and one of my favorite companies. Shopify is designed for anyone to sell anywhere, giving entrepreneurs the resources once reserved for big business. In no time flat, you can have a great-looking online store that brings your ideas to life, and you can have the tools to manage your day-to-day and drive sales. No coding or design experience required.Go to shopify.com/Tim to sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period. It's a great deal for a great service, so I encourage you to check it out. Take your business to the next level today by visiting shopify.com/Tim.*This episode is also brought to you by Athletic Greens. I get asked all the time, “If you could use only one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is usually AG1 by Athletic Greens, my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body in 2010 and did not get paid to do so. I do my best with nutrient-dense meals, of course, but AG further covers my bases with vitamins, minerals, and whole-food-sourced micronutrients that support gut health and the immune system. Right now, Athletic Greens is offering you their Vitamin D Liquid Formula free with your first subscription purchase—a vital nutrient for a strong immune system and strong bones. Visit AthleticGreens.com/Tim to claim this special offer today and receive the free Vitamin D Liquid Formula (and 10 free travel packs) with your first subscription purchase! That's up to a one-year supply of Vitamin D as added value when you try their delicious and comprehensive all-in-one daily greens product.*This episode is also brought to you by Helix Sleep! Helix was selected as the #1 overall mattress of 2020 by GQ magazine, Wired, Apartment Therapy, and many others. With Helix, there's a specific mattress to meet each and every body's unique comfort needs. Just take their quiz—only two minutes to complete—that matches your body type and sleep preferences to the perfect mattress for you. They have a 10-year warranty, and you get to try it out for a hundred nights, risk-free. They'll even pick it up from you if you don't love it. And now, Helix is offering 20% off all mattress orders plus two free pillows at HelixSleep.com/Tim.*For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsorsSign up for Tim's email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Discover Tim's books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissYouTube: youtube.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, Margaret Atwood, Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel, Dr. Gabor Maté, Anne Lamott, Sarah Silverman, Dr. Andrew Huberman, and many more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

So Very Wrong About Games
#236: Dead Reckoning

So Very Wrong About Games

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2022 72:34


Replete with a robust menagerie in this episode, we perhaps begin to see why anthropomorphic animals seem to feature in every other game lately. We have Dalmations (plus a cow named Doog trying to impersonate a Dalmation), horsies, goats, weasels and wombats (seldom do we see such an august alliteration!), meeses (not to be confused with mooses), and some needed stinkin' badgers. Not a great petting zoo, sure--o of limited utility in a game of Ark Nova--but an impressive collection nonetheless.Games Played Last Week:02:05 -Spots (Alex Hague, Jon Perry, and Justin Vickers, CMYK, 2022)02:20 -Long Shot: The Dice Game (Chris Handy, Perplext, 2022)03:37 -Mountain Goats (Stefan Risthaus, BoardGameTables.com, 2020)06:10 -Mysterium Park (Oleksandr Nevskiy and Oleg Sidorenko, Libellud, 2020)09:08 -Oathsworn: Into the Deepwood (Jamie Jolly, Shadowborne Games, 2022)15:50 -Weasel-Tech (Ivan Sorensen, Nordic Weasel Games, 2021)21:22 -Hand-to-Hand Wombat (Matthew Inman, Elan Lee, & Cory O'Brien, Exploding Kittens, 2022)25:02 -Root: The Marauder Expansion (Nick Brachmann, Patrick Leder, Cole Wehrle, and Joshua Yearsley, Leder Games, 2022)28:45 -Capital Lux 2: Generations (Eilif Svensson & Kristian Amundsen Østby, Aporta Games, 2020)29:22 -I.S.S. Vanguard (Andrzej Betkiewicz, Krzysztof Piskorski, Paweł Samborski, and Marcin Świerkot, Awaken Realms, 2022)36:08 -Cult of the Deep (Sam Stockton, B.A. Games, 2022)39:58 -Strike (Dieter Nüßle, Ravensburger, 2012)News (and why it doesn't matter):42:40 Aegean Sea by Carl Chudyk on BackerKit43:18 All sorts of Patreon-exclusive content and free games! www.patreon.com/svwag44:27 Canadian patrons! Sent a message through Patreon to possibly win a copy of Horizons of Spirit Island: Tell us your Spirit Name!46:08 Feature Game: Dead Reckoning (John D. Clair, Alderac Entertainment Group, 2022)

Walkabout Talkabouts
Talkabout #7: Elan Lee's 1.5 million questions about WMG: Labyrinth

Walkabout Talkabouts

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2022 40:21


Exploding Kittens' co-founder & CEO Elan Lee turns the Walkabout Talkabout format around, interviewing Mighty Coconut executive producer Lucas Martell about how he got his start, set studio's roots in animation, one fateful trip to Belize, narrative projects, the jump into interactive/games, and how the Walkabout Mini Golf: Labyrinth course came into existence in partnership with The Henson Company. Follow along as they duo talk tech, artwork, production, and playing your way through the maze of entrepreneurship.

labyrinth belize exploding kittens elan lee henson company mighty coconut
Business Casual
How ‘Exploding Kittens' Became a Netflix Show

Business Casual

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2022 38:48


Nora chats with Elan Lee, game designer and the co-founder and CEO of Exploding Kittens, a card game that became the #1 most-backed project in Kickstarter history and has sold over 11 million games. Elan talks about creating the game with co-founder Matt Inman, creator of The Oatmeal, and how they turned a single piece of intellectual property -- a game about cats exploding -- into a multi-platform entertainment brand. For more info on our presenting sponsor, check out realvision.com/businesscasual.  Host: Nora Ali Producers: Bella Hutchins, Olivia Meade    Video Editor: Sebastian Vega Production, Mixing & Sound Design: Daniel Markus Music: Daniel Markus & Breakmaster Cylinder Fact Checker: Kate Brandt  Senior Producer: Katherine Milsop VP, Head of Multimedia: Sarah Singer  Full transcripts for all Business Casual episodes available at https://businesscasual.fm

Web Summit
Exploding Kittens, bedazzled dragon eggs and fuzzy vending machines

Web Summit

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 9, 2022 25:32


Marketing campaigns can be a successful shot in the dark or a misfired attempt to replicate previously famous campaigns. But when viral works, boy does it work. That's something Exploding Kittens' Elan Lee and Eric Lang learned from their experience marketing the unusual card game at games conventions and on Kickstarter.The secret to their success has been, as they put it, a result of cultivating surprise and joy – not only for their audience, but also for themselves. A case in point is the eight-foot high fuzzy vending machine they exhibited at several conventions.The machine dispensed random items while, in the background, staff were busy creating weird and wonderful gifts for the hordes of curious attendees. When someone dressed as Game of Thrones' Daenerys Targaryen got in line, they swiftly bedazzled a watermelon, creating a magic moment for Exploding Kittens fans that soon went viral online.Exploding Kittens CEO Elan Lee and game designer Eric Lang were on the creatiff stage at Collision 2022.Image: Diarmuid Greene/Web Summit (CC BY 2.0)Use promo code 'TNS10' for 10% off your #CollisionConf ticket now.

So Very Wrong About Games
#223: Stroganov

So Very Wrong About Games

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2022 60:00


Much talk of animals this week, what with wombats and mass animal harvesting in Stroganov. Mark's experience was that despite covering many hot-button issues in his medical ethics classes, the one that invariably produced the most voluble emotional responses was that of medical testing on animals. Pit Bull owners, in particular; despite there being no medical testing of the type discussed on Pit Bulls. Go figure. Games Played Last Week:01:03 -San Francisco (Reiner Knizia, Rebel Studio, 2022)04:44 -Ca$h 'n Guns: Second Edition (Ludovic Maublanc, Repos Production, 2014) 06:69 -Carnegie (Xavier Georges, Quined Games, 2022)08:15 -Vengeance (Gordon Calleja, Mighty Boards, 2018)10:17 -Dungeons & Dragons: Dungeon Scrawlers--Heroes of Undermountain (Vangelis Bagiartakis & Konstantinos Karagiannis, Wizkids, 2021)12:58 -Dungeons, Dice & Danger (Richard Garfield, alea, 2022)15:44 -Space Statoon Phoenix (Gabriel J. Cohn, Rio Grande Games, 2022)20:09 -The Great Wall (Kamil 'Sanex' Cieśla, Robert Plesowicz, & Łukasz Włodarczyk, Awaken Realms, 2021)23:08 -Hand-to-Hand Wombat (Matthew Inman, Elan Lee, & Cory O'Brien, Exploding Kittens, 2022)26:38 -Transmissions (Adam West, CrossCut Games, 2022)27:54 -Legacy of Dragonholt (Nikki Valens with Daniel Clark, Tim Flanders, Annie VanderMeer Mitsoda, & Greg Spyridis, FFG, 2017)News (and why it doesn't matter):32:06 SVWAG at the Shut Up & Sit Down Expo: SHUX! September 30 - October 232:30 SVWAG back on YouTube: Video review of Stars of Akarios' Preludehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXJrOXhZz0E32:42 Gordon Calleja's Fateforge: Chronicles of Kaan33:33 Undaunted: Battle of Britain34:37 Ascending Empires: Zenith edition 2023 WizKids35:48 Hickory Dickory36:20 Spirit Island: New Horizons Target-exclusive38:42 CMON's Dune: War for Arrakis39:20 Feature Game: Stroganov (Andreas Steding, Game Brewer, 2021)

Walkabout Talkabouts
Talkabout #1: The Players Are Entertaining

Walkabout Talkabouts

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 30, 2022 36:18


Walkabout along with Elan Lee, Co-creator and CEO of Exploding Kittens, Gustav Stenmark, Game Producer at Resolution Games, Lucas Martell, Executive Producer and Don Carson, Senior Art Director at Mighty Coconut as they play Walkabout Mini Golf: Gardens of Babylon and discuss how fun games are made including the origins of Exploding Kittens, how a former Disney Imagineer came to work for Mighty Coconut, the scale of the team at Resolution Games, the physics of loop-to-loops, publishing physical vs. virtual games, Star Wars Episode 1, and much more!

Board Game Design Lab
Community Building with Carol Mertz and Elan Lee

Board Game Design Lab

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2022 57:01


Carol Mertz and Elan Lee, from Exploding Kittens, discuss how to build a community. ​​We talk about their record-setting Kickstarter campaign, building relationships with customers, guerrilla marketing techniques, and what it looks like to focus on the “crowd” portion of crowdfunding. And be sure to check out their latest Kickstarter project, Hand to Hand Wombat,... The post Community Building with Carol Mertz and Elan Lee appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Dad I'd Like To Friend (The DILF Podcast)

Kevin welcomes constant innovator and co-creator of Exploding Kittens, Elan Lee, for a candid conversation on everything from the benefits of creating resource limitations for our children and the importance of charting our own path -- both in life and parenthood… to maintaining a sense of balance with all life throws at us while remaining an actively involved parent and partner. // Check out the full episode for a SPECIAL EXCLUSIVE OFFER  from the team at Exploding Kittens.../ LINKS:  Elan's talk at EG 10 / Aqua Notes// For questions, comments, or future topic suggestions, join us at –> https://Instagram.com/DILFpodcast

LA Weekly Weekly
Co-Creator And CEO Of Exploding Kittens Elan Lee Knows How To Play The Game

LA Weekly Weekly

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 4, 2021 48:39


On this week’s episode of the L.A. Weekly Weekly Podcast, host and publisher Brian Calle talks with Co-Creator and CEO of Exploding Kittens Elan Lee about all things gaming, invention and the pursuit of the fickle heart that is entrepreneurial success.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The MADEcast
Elan Lee

The MADEcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2021 31:19


This week's guest is Elan Lee, who you might know from hit board games like Exploding Kittens, but he got his start in ARGs (Alternate Reality Games), which he used to create amazing viral marketing campaigns for games like Halo. Tune in to learn about Elan's consistent design philosophy about making players have extraordinary experiences... oh, and to hear the myriad of wacky hijinks he's gotten into for the sake of fun.

Talks at Google
Ep137 - Elan Lee | Exploding Kittens & The Key to Running a Successful Kickstarter

Talks at Google

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2021 49:22


Game designer Elan Lee visited Google in 2019 to talk about the work that went into the record-setting Exploding Kittens Kickstarter. Exploding Kittens is an irreverent, highly-strategic card-game version of Russian roulette, and is the most funded game in the history of Kickstarter. In this Talk, Elan discusses how his groundbreaking work on Alternate Reality games such as The Beast and Ilovebees made him aware of the power of positive online communities. In addition, he describes how his analysis of previous Kickstarter campaigns showed him the connection between daily community engagement and acquiring new backers. Originally published in July 2019. To see the full video, visit https://g.co/talksatgoogle/explodingkittens

Monetizing Media
Building an Iconic Brand in Tabletop Games - with Elan Lee (Exploding Kittens)

Monetizing Media

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2021 41:55


Exploding Kittens co-founder & CEO Elan Lee talks with Monetizing Media host Eric Peckham about the $13 billion (and growing!) tabletop games market and his company's expansion strategy within it. Elan was a longtime video game executive who rose to become the Chief Design Officer at Xbox before leaving in late 2014 and launching Exploding Kittens as a new card game on Kickstarter. It not only had one of the most successful Kickstarter crowdfunding campaigns ever but became one of the most popular tabletop games in the industry. The Exploding Kittens brand has launched several new games since (surpassing 16 million units sold) and also launched mobile games tied to the Exploding Kittens IP. It's adding new IP from both in-house development and operating as a publisher, and working to bring this IP into film & TV. // Join the Monetizing Media newsletter and find more resources at MonetizingMedia.com

Inc. Uncensored
Matthew Inman and Elan Lee: Invite Everyone to The Party

Inc. Uncensored

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 29, 2021 66:36


Christine Lagorio-Chafkin talks to Matthew Inman and Elan Lee--founders of Exploding Kittens--about how they founded their company, when to give up on a potentially good idea, and the $1 million dollar meow.

invite exploding kittens elan lee matthew inman christine lagorio chafkin
Reality Escape Pod
S1E1: Trailblazing Game Designer Elan Lee (Exploding Kittens)

Reality Escape Pod

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 2, 2021 47:20


In this episode, David and Peih-Gee chat with Elan Lee, one of the creators of the ARG (alternate reality game), and co-creator of Exploding Kittens - the most-backed campaign on Kickstarter at the time.   David manages to surprise Elan with interview questions that he’s never been asked before. Elan talks about creating the world’s first ARG and shares stories about what happens when you don’t properly define borders in immersive gaming. We also talk about escape rooms (of course) and Elan’s post-game ritual. We find out that Elan is a huge fan of Survivor and he tells us why he considers Jeff Probst to be one of the world’s best game designers.   Elan tells us that the best-designed games aren’t entertaining in and of themselves, but rather, that the best-designed games make the players entertaining. Show Notes Music: "The Legend of LoFi" by Dj Cutman & James Landino, provided by GameChops.

Techstination
Innovative family games from Exploding Kittens

Techstination

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 8, 2020 2:00


Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear.   I’m Fred Fishkin.       It’s a company that’s five years old…co-founded by Elan Lee…an Xbox games designer.   Now Exploding Kittens…which started with a card game that broke Kickstarter records…is out with lots more fun for the holiday season...

Penn's Sunday School
Elan Lee (part II)

Penn's Sunday School

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 27, 2020 61:58


Being great vs. being good, how to land an interview with ILM, & we play Poetry For Neanderthals with game designer Elan Lee.

Penn's Sunday School
Elan Lee vs. Elon Musk

Penn's Sunday School

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 24, 2020 65:13


Penn bets against Tesla, doesn't violate others' nondisclosure agreements, & finds out what makes a great game, with Exploding Kittens game designer Elan Lee.

Humans, Now and Then
B Cavello: Shaping the Future of Artificial Intelligence

Humans, Now and Then

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 3, 2020 44:01


How informed do you feel about the future of Artificial Intelligence? Have we addressed its challenges and biases, or do we need more conversations to improve its trajectory?  In this episode of Humans, Now and Then, I speak to B Cavello, Research Program Lead at the Partnership on AI, on the opportunities to improve AI, the importance of educating the public on its use, and why it's so important to bring more people together to discuss its future. Bio: B Cavello is a Program Lead at the Partnership on AI (PAI), a non-profit multi-stakeholder initiative focused on advancing the benefits and addressing the challenges of machine intelligence. PAI was founded by Amazon, Apple, DeepMind, Facebook, Google, IBM, and Microsoft in partnership with leading academic and civil society organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the MacArthur Foundation, and OpenAI. B leads PAI research in areas such as fairness, transparency, AI's impact on labor, and works closely with PAI Partner organizations.   Previously, B served as Senior Engagement Lead for IBM's AI division, the Watson Group, where they led strategic conversations with world leaders about implementing Artificial Intelligence in the real world. In June 2017, B was recognized as an IBM LGBT+ 'Out Role Model' for championing diversity and inclusion in and beyond IBM.   Prior to IBM, B was both Product Development and Community Director at Exploding Kittens, a record-breaking crowdfunded card game startup. B also co-led Phenomenon Media 501c3, an arts and education nonprofit, developing an educational tool for teaching code without the need for computers. B's personal projects focus on social good and range from textile art to computer education and security and even a game to help NASA researchers study climate change.   B received a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Texas at Dallas, and was selected as an MIT-Harvard Assembly Fellow for the 2019 Ethics and Governance in Artificial Intelligence Initiative cohort.    Find B on Twitter at twitter.com/b_cavello   Resources: Partnership on AI:  https://www.partnershiponai.org/ Partnership on AI Shared Prosperity Initiative: https://www.partnershiponai.org/shared-prosperity-initiative/ B's work at PAI: https://www.partnershiponai.org/team/b-cavello/ Katya Klinova, B's colleague at Partnership on AI working on the Shared Prosperity Initiative: https://www.partnershiponai.org/team/katya-klinova/ Rosie Campbell, working on publication norms at the Partnership on AI: https://www.partnershiponai.org/team/rosie-campbell/ B mentions Elan Lee, Xbox Designer and CEO of Exploding Kittens.  You can learn more about Exploding Kittens at explodingkittens.com LARPing = Live Action Role Playing IBM Watson Artificial Intelligence Division:  https://www.ibm.com/watson Mary Gray and Siddharth Suri, Ghost Work. https://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Work-Silicon-Building-Underclass/dp/1328566242   Frontier Development Lab: https://frontierdevelopmentlab.org/   Kevin Slavin's TED talk, How Algorithms Shape our World: Kevin Slavin: How algorithms shape our world The full transcript of this episode will soon be posted to vividspring.com/humansnowandthen Subscribe, rate and review Humans, Now and Then on Apple Podcasts or wherever you stream. Want to continue the dialogue? Join the conversation at: twitter.com/humansnownthen instagram.com/humansnowandthen facebook.com/humansnowandthen

Think Like A Game Designer
Think Like a Game Designer #20: Elan Lee

Think Like A Game Designer

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2020


How We Made It In Ecommerce
How Elan Lee Created and Sold 10 Million+ Copies of Exploding Kittens (the popular card game)

How We Made It In Ecommerce

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2020 33:18


Elan Lee is the CEO and co-founder of Exploding Kittens, the popular card game that sold over 10 million copies and set a crowdfunding record by raising 9 Million from 220,000 backers. In this episode of How We Made It In E-Commerce, Elan generously shared his methods for coming up with new ideas, creative business and marketing hacks, and the most important lessons he learned throughout his career about running a business.

Random 30 Countdown
31: Gaming Update | 'Exploding Kittens' Mobile App Review

Random 30 Countdown

Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2020 2:19


Welcome to the new series of "Mobile Must Plays" where we look at Mobile games new and old that are the best downloads for your device.  It seems like there are millions of games available for your device, so we are playing them all and picking out the best ones for you. This time, it's Exploding Kittens. Based on the popular card game "Exploding Kittens" is now a popular mobile app game available on android. The card game was the most-funded game in Kickstarter history and was created by Elan Lee, Mathew Inman and Shane Small. The basic idea of the game is that people draw cards in a Russian roulette type format until someone draws an "Exploding Kitten" that knocks them out of the game unless they can counter it with a defuse cards, like a laser pointer, belly rub or catnip sandwiches. The other cards in the game are used to move around and avoid the potential exploding kittens in an almost UNO way. The game is a paid app but will only set you back around $2.89 Australian. The Android version of the game perfectly captures the spirit of the original card game and even adds a little more in the form of extra cards exclusive to the app. The quirky cat-based artwork is really fun and drawn by "The Oatmeal" artist Matthew Inman who is just a genius. The main bit of advice for new players is to give it time, you may not master it on your first or second attempt, but when you finally get it you won't want to put it down. It’s best played in multiplayer with your friends, but there’s a singleplayer mode to get loads of practice in before you do. Watch this gameplay walkthrough to see it for yourself

Strictly Business
Can a Card Game Become the Next Big Media Brand?

Strictly Business

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2020 31:02


Exploding Kittens is the biggest sensation in tabletop gaming these days, but that's not the only reason the Chernin Group invested $30 million in the venture, started by this week's guest, former Xbox designer Elan Lee. Learn from Lee about how the plan is to translate his company's quirky intellectual property into TV shows, movies and even theme park rides. 

Strictly Business
Can a Card Game Become the Next Big Media Brand?

Strictly Business

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2020 31:02


Exploding Kittens is the biggest sensation in tabletop gaming these days, but that's not the only reason the Chernin Group invested $30 million in the venture, started by this week's guest, former Xbox designer Elan Lee. Learn from Lee about how the plan is to translate his company's quirky intellectual property into TV shows, movies and even theme park rides. 

Crowdfunding: Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and Ecommerce with CrowdCrux | Crowdfunding Demystified
EP #251 Secret Behind "Exploding Kittens" $8.7 Million Kickstarter

Crowdfunding: Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and Ecommerce with CrowdCrux | Crowdfunding Demystified

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2019 41:47


We’re going to get into the secrets behind the $8.7 million Exploding Kittens campaign and what you can learn from it. I spoke with Elan Lee, one of the creators of the game and he shared all.  You’ll hear about some of the lessons he’s learned over the years, along with the company’s new project, Throw Throw Burrito which raised $2.5 million on Kickstarter. Sponsors The Gadget Flow: Their website reaches 28 million people per month! They have a new unboxing series on YouTube where you can get your product unboxed by a tech expert. You can also get feedback for your campaign by using Crowdinsight. Fulfillrite: Kickstarter and crowdfunding reward fulfillment services. They come highly recommended! BackerKit helps crowdfunders with the survey and order fulfillment process. Don’t buried in spreadsheets and manual data entry! SendPro Online by Pitney Bowes: Save time and money no matter what you send from letters and packages or overnights and flats.

secret kickstarter exploding kittens backerkit elan lee throw throw burrito sendpro online
Cool Tools
147: Elan Lee

Cool Tools

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 2, 2018 27:35


Our guest this week is Elan Lee. Elan is a professional game designer. He is a co-creator of Exploding Kittens, the most backed crowdfunded project in history. And before that, he was Chief Design Officer for Microsoft's Xbox. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/elan-lee-co-creator-of-exploding-kittens

I Think You Two Would Get Along
Episode 6: Thank You For Signing My Paycheck

I Think You Two Would Get Along

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2018 45:13


This week, we interviewed Elan Lee (Exploding Kittens) and Cory O'Brien (Monster Prom, Inhuman Conditions) about their creative partnerships, Ursula K Le Guin, and how poorly they've been sleeping lately. Trin screams a bunch, Luke denies being Trin's boss, and Cory sings us a nice song.

Strange Success with Jane Wells
Exploding Kittens

Strange Success with Jane Wells

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2018 26:45


Elan Lee failed out of several colleges before becoming a legendary video game developer. Matthew Inman started drawing cartoons online and now has over 1.5 million followers on social media. Here’s how two guys from digital backgrounds created one of the most successful table card games, Exploding Kittens. Sales top $80 million, and they didn’t have to spend a penny of their own money to make it. Just don’t point out the typo.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

sales exploding kittens elan lee matthew inman
Room Escape Divas - Inverse Genius
51 - Elan Lee and Game Design

Room Escape Divas - Inverse Genius

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 27, 2017


Elan Lee, the co-creator of Exploding Kittens, is a game designer and an escape room enthusiast! In this episode, he talks about game design, crowdfunding, ARGs, and how awesome escape rooms are!And because we're close to Halloween, Manda and Errol wrote an escape room parody from the Nightmare before Christmas! Huzzah! We got games!

The Art of Manufacturing
Elan Lee: Exploding Kittens

The Art of Manufacturing

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2016 56:14


Community-building secrets behind the largest kickstarter in History, Exploding Kittens. Not long ago, Elan Lee was best known as a legendary video game designer and the pioneer of "alternative reality games." But thanks to his new card game, he's learning what it takes to be a manufacturer. He talks about growing his company from a founding team to 840 contract employees in less than 8 months, and the challenges that come along with it. How can a troublemaker like Elan continue to take risks when so many people's livelihoods are on the line? We learn that and so much more. And he tells some stories about alien invasions, failing fast, idea thieves, and Nine Inch Nails along the way. 

Innovation Crush
#103: Elan Lee - How to Win Fans and Influence People

Innovation Crush

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 30, 2015 49:09


How do you get 10's of 1000's of people to do absolutely anything you want them do all at once? Just ask Elan Lee, alternate reality game pioneer, marketer extraordinaire, video game designer, and record breaking crowdfunding raiser ($8M for Exploding Kittens). As a failing high school student, Elan Lee was the first person in the world to photograph a sound wave; of course after inventing the method for doing so himself. As a winning story teller and entrepreneur, he has taken home coveted Clio and Emmy awards, and his inspired brands and fans all over the world to do the seemingly impossible. On Innovation Crush, Elan talks about his 3 step process for creativity, his numerous failures, his biggest wins, empowering crowds, and his completion of 46 room escapes (and counting). http://twitter.com/elanlee

Business Rockstars
Elan Lee Creator Exploding Kittens

Business Rockstars

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 9, 2015 81:35


Are you trying to create a crowd-funding campaign but not sure where to start??? Well then you are in for a treat today. Elan Lee, creator of the new card game "Exploding Kittens" started a kick-starter campaign to raise $10,000. In 20 minutes he met this goal! Now it is up to nearly 6 million dollars!!! WHAT?!?!?! Find out how he did it now!!!!

SHIFT Radio
SHIFT Radio Episode #47: Fourth Wall Studios

SHIFT Radio

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2009 30:39


Fourth Wall Studios joins us on this episode of SHIFT Radio! Together, Co-Founders Jim Stewartson, Elan Lee and Sean Stewart build immersive, trans-media entertainment using the real world as a storytelling platform that allows characters to reach out via email, phone, SMS, and social networking sites. Jim Stewartson, President and Executive ProducerElan Lee, Chief DesignerSean Stewart, Chief Creative

president shift sms chief creative sean stewart elan lee chris melissinos fourth wall studios
SHIFT Radio
SHIFT Radio Episode #47: Fourth Wall Studios

SHIFT Radio

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2009 30:39


Fourth Wall Studios joins us on this episode of SHIFT Radio! Together, Co-Founders Jim Stewartson, Elan Lee and Sean Stewart build immersive, trans-media entertainment using the real world as a storytelling platform that allows characters to reach out via email, phone, SMS, and social networking sites. Jim Stewartson, President and Executive ProducerElan Lee, Chief DesignerSean Stewart, Chief Creative

president shift sms chief creative sean stewart elan lee chris melissinos fourth wall studios