Hello, friend! 👋
I'm Mike Arnone, and I'm on a mission to help incredible indie game creators like you master the business side of game development. (You know, the stuff they don't teach you in Unity tutorials!)
Remember the first time you opened Game Maker or Unreal? Pretty intimidating, right? But piece by piece, tutorial by tutorial, you figured it out. The business side of indie games is exactly the same way. What looks like a scary boss fight of spreadsheets and marketing plans is actually just a series of manageable side quests. My mission is to be your quest-giver, breaking down these challenges into achievable goals and showing you that business skills are just another tool in your dev toolkit 🧰 ⛏️ 🔧
YOU.GOT.THIS!
Why Freaking Cool Indies?
Time and again, I witnessed the same story playing out: talented indie developers pouring their hearts into incredible games, only to struggle with the business side of game development. Despite their creative brilliance, they felt overwhelmed by challenges like:
- Building an audience pre-launch
- Connecting with content creators and journalists
- Crafting marketing messages that resonate
- Building relationships with publishers
- Managing the legal and financial aspects
- And the countless other business challenges that no one prepared them for
Sound familiar?
Does this sound like you? That's why Freaking Cool Indies exists. We're here to help you transform your creative masterpiece into a successful game business – without losing your soul in the process. 👻
The FCI Difference
Forget standard developer interviews that only scratch the surface of game design. At Freaking Cool Indies, we go deeper – exploring the actual business strategies that make games successful. Our guests (teachers) share their battle-tested processes, proven workflows, and real-world lessons learned, all explained in clear, practical terms. Whether you're new to concepts like marketing funnels or user acquisition metrics, we break everything down into actionable steps you can actually use.
"But Mike, I'm a dev, not a businessperson!"
Trust me, you can be both! And you don't have to figure it out alone. Whether you're just starting out or looking to level up your existing game, you've found your community.
The Business Side
When I'm not diving into indie games, I'm working with CFOs and financial leaders across Canada and the US, helping them level up their organizations through podcast-based professional development. As a Senior Manager of Customer Success, I've mastered the art of strategic thinking, relationship building, and turning complex challenges into opportunities. Now, I'm bringing these power-ups to the indie game community, because I believe your creative vision deserves the same level of strategic support.
The Gaming Connection
Growing up with a controller in hand (Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! was my first true love), I've watched indie games evolve from passion projects into a thriving industry. Today, I co-host the Growin' Up Gaming podcast, where I get to geek out about games with my friends while staying connected to this amazing community.
Freaking Cool Indies is where passion meets practicality, where creative vision meets business strategy, and where indie developers come to transform their games from hidden gems into sustainable successes.
Ready to level up your indie game business? Let's make it happen!
—Mike
P.S. When I'm not geeking out about indie games and business strategies, you might find me training for my next triathlon (completed my first 70.3 Ironman!), reminiscing about backpacking through Central America, or exploring my hometown of Toronto 🇨🇦. Because like any good indie dev knows – life's all about embracing new challenges!