In episode 10 Susan sits down with Argentine game maker Nico Castez to talk about cranking out 100 games at Avix, chasing strange ideas instead of trends, and turning that wild energy into his new studio, Goraku Club.
They dig into hard‑won lessons about money, momentum, and community, plus what Nico wants the next wave of Latin American creators to build.

• (00:00) - Intro
• (01:28) - Meet Nico Castez
• (03:47) - The Road to Avix
• (13:04) - Making Games with Friends
• (16:23) - What it was like
• (20:43) - COVID Times
• (23:37) - The End of Avix
• (31:59) - Moving On
• (35:31) - Goraku Club
• (37:31) - Buenos Aires vs La Plata
• (39:34) - The Future & Take Aways
• (41:46) - Explore, Play & Stay Creative
• (44:39) - Where to find Nico
• (46:34) - Outro

Guest Bio: Nico is a visual designer and entrepreneur from Argentina who successfully ran a small indie game studio for over a decade, reaching millions of players worldwide. After closing Avix, he’s been exploring new creative paths—focusing on photography, organizing live music events, and developing personal projects. Currently in a transitional stage, he’s rethinking how to balance creativity, independence, and sustainability while continuing to build things that feel meaningful.

Follow Nico's journey!

https://allmylinks.com/nicocastez

This episode was brought to you in part by the University of Miami: School of Communications & the Knight Foundation.

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In episode 9 Susan talks with Alexis Jolis‑Desautels, a veteran designer and design leader who has spent two decades inside some of the world’s biggest game franchises helping studios actually understand their players. From starting as a QA tester at Ubisoft Montreal to building user research labs, leading design teams on major AAA projects, and mentoring the next generation of designers, Alexis brings a rare mix of craft, honesty, and cultural insight to every conversation

• (00:00) - Intro
• (01:20) - Meet Alexis
• (05:26) - Mentors & Inspiration
• (07:17) - Ubisoft
• (11:06) - Crunch
• (13:58) - Staying Sane
• (15:49) - RLD
• (21:30) - Jams
• (26:13) - Burnout
• (35:12) - The Ladder is a Lie
• (38:54) - Community
• (41:16) - Wrap-up
• (45:23) - Outro

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In episode 8, Susan talks with Darion Lowenstein, a veteran game producer, marketer, and executive who has spent nearly three decades shipping hit titles and building publishing teams across console, mobile, and emerging platforms. He and Susan dig into what it actually takes to bring a game to market at scale, why marketing and publishing strategy matter as much as design, and how he approaches mentorship, leadership, and sustainability in an industry that is constantly shifting.

• (00:00) - Intro
• (01:20) - Meet Darion Lowenstein
• (04:49) - Darion's Journey into Games
• (09:05) - Taking Risk
• (13:41) - Life at Rockstar Games
• (23:11) - The Role of a Producer
• (25:27) - What Success Feels Like
• (27:17) - Recognizing the Time to Pivot
• (31:39) - Experimental and Controvertial
• (38:08) - Advocating for Games
• (39:20) - Diversity in Games
• (42:09) - Resilience Through Networking and Finding your Own Path
• (44:55) - How do you Define Yourself?
• (47:32) - Don't be a d*ck
• (50:08) - Where to find Darion

tiktok: darionl IG: darionl1

www.secretco.net

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