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Joe Burridge

@joefindstalent

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Head of Talent at @playventures | Investing in the Games Industry | ex-Epic Games, ex-EA | [email protected]

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Keeping my annual tradition alive, these are my favourite books I read in 2025. Three fiction, three non fiction. They didn’t all come out this year, but I loved every one of them and happily recommend all six.NON-FICTIONPlay Nice by Jason SchreierThis is the third book I’ve read by Jason, and at this point they’re all must reads for anyone in games, or anyone curious about how this industry really works. A sharp, uncomfortable look at Blizzard and what happens when creativity, power, and people collide.Up Down Up by Kim NordstromA brutally honest account of startup life, leadership, burnout, and rebuilding after everything goes wrong. The audiobook was beautifully narrated by my pal Nick Button-Brown and included plenty of audio clips from those interviewed.Revenge of the Tipping Point by Malcolm GladwellEverything Malcolm writes is brilliant and the audiobooks are best in class all thanks to his many years experience podcasting. A fresh lens on how small shifts and hidden forces can quietly reshape entire systems.FICTIONThe Poisoned King by Katherine RundellA sequel to Impossible Creaturesm, I genuinely believe this series is history in the making. It’s lush, clever historical fiction full of danger, loyalty and characters that have so much depth. I’d be shocked if this doesn’t become a major film franchise.Saga Volume 12 by Brian K Vaughan and Fiona StaplesThe best comic book series ever? Volume 1 launched in 2012 and I've been avidly reading this series for over a decade now. The art is beautiful and the story is full of action and heart wrenching twists.Here Lies Arthur by Philip ReeveI might be a little biased with this one as Philip signed my copy of Here Lies Arthur when he visited my kids school recently. A grounded, almost unsettling retelling of Arthurian legend that strips away myth to reveal power, storytelling and truth. And based in South West England so it's a story close to home. by @joefindstalent

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7 months ago

6 months without alcohol! 🕺🏻 by @joefindstalent

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8 months ago

Today was the second time this year Sir Ian Livingstone (Co-Founder of Games Workshop) and I hung out at a conference which officially makes us best buds.Had a brilliant day in London at The Funding Formula, a full day event organised by Ukie focused on connecting gaming founders and investors. Packed with some really insightful talks so I'll definitely be back.I might be biased but I think the best talk was on venture capital in #gaming by these lovely gentlemen. by @joefindstalent

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8 months ago

My first ever ultra marathon! 50km with 1,800m elevation in 7h 10m 🤩 by @joefindstalent

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9 months ago

What a week! The second annual Play Ventures Golf Tournament was a success and is now officially an annual tradition. Naturally, I showed up as Happy Gilmore.You couldn’t have asked for better weather: blue skies, a light breeze and plenty of laughs with the best crew.We capped it off with an unforgettable evening on a sauna boat. Get as hot as possible, dive straight into the sea and watch the sunset. Finland never disappoints.It’s still going to be sunny and warm when I’m back for Slush in November, right… right?! 😅 by @joefindstalent

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a year ago

It took me years to realise that when work is quiet...that's not a problem to solve.For the longest time, I’d fill the gaps. Side projects, admin, anything to feel (or let's be honest, look) productive. Sometimes that meant making meaningful progress on lower-priority work which is fantastic. But other times, it was just busywork.Truth is, every job has peaks and troughs. And when things are quiet it’s a chance to recharge.So if your summer workload is light, that’s not a cue to panic. Start late. Finish early. Take a walk. Be with your people. Do what needs doing so you’re rested and ready when the next wave comes in.And on the rare days when the sun is out in England, it's definitely OK to take a long lunch break and go for a long forest walk with your wife and daughters. by @joefindstalent

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a year ago

Just got back from my fourth Develop:Brighton and it was hands down the best one yet! Let's take a look at the highlights...My talk on "Attracting Talent When You're Not AAA" went down a storm, thanks to everyone who came! I’ll share a summary next week so keep an eye out for that.I hosted a packed-out Magic: The Gathering event at Loading Bar with full tables (and in typical fashion lost every game).Helped organise two SpecialEffect charity events: a sunrise 5K run and a morning sea swim.Took 19th out of 70 at the GamesAid poker tournament and met Sir Ian Livingstone (and somehow kept my inner fanboy in check).My games recruiter D&D crew met in real life for the first time! Looking at you Ellie, Tom, Tim and Rose.Caught up with amazing friends, founders (looking at you Robin Squire) and folks from the Play Ventures portfolio including a BBQ at Rupert Loman-West's absurdly beautiful home.And on a personal note, this was my first ever sober conference after giving up alcohol for good recently. I had the best time. Clear head, full heart, no regrets. 10/10 would recommend.Until next year!#developbrighton #develop2025 by @joefindstalent

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a year ago

18 year old me had a mic, a bass guitar and no clue I was learning skills I’d use for the rest of my life.From the age of 13, I was on stage with a mic, guitar in hand, trying to get a crowd to care about songs my friends and I had written in someone’s garage. By 18, we were playing sweaty shows at places like the infamous Cavern in Exeter.I didn’t realise it then, but we were little entrepreneurs:🎙️ We learned how to perform and hold a room which makes standing on stage now, talking about hiring, talent or startups, feel second nature.💿 We self-funded studio sessions with money from our part-time jobs.📀 We produced CDs, distributed them at gigs (and to our ever-supportive parents), and ran our own mini-marketing campaigns on MySpace.📬 We sent out hundreds of emails to promoters, booked our own gigs and managed every aspect of getting heard.At the time, we just wanted to make music and have fun. But what we were actually doing was learning to collaborate, ship something we cared about and hustle hard with zero resources. by @joefindstalent

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a year ago

Two cities, two microphones and one very lucky guy who loves being on stage talking about video games.Last week I had the honour of hosting the Play Summit in Singapore! Three days on stage with some of the best founders and investors in gaming. Honestly, career highlight stuff. I’ve never felt cooler than striding around with a hands-free Britney Spears-style mic, hyping up the crowd and celebrating our amazing speakers.Massive thank you to the Play Ventures team for trusting me with the mic and the moment.And then this week, I found myself speaking at the @Pitchflix event for London Tech Week, sharing the Play Ventures story with a room full of founders and investors at the iconic Level39 at One Canada Square.#videogames #gamedev #gamesindustry #singapore #chijmes #level39 by @joefindstalent

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a year ago

Did you know that a tiny corner in South West England is home to the best game development program in the UK?I'm on my way home from spending time with the Games Academy students at Falmouth University and I am so impressed. They're graduating with phenomenal portfolios and real world, collaborative game dev experience. And it's just a short trip over the county border from me.I'm definitely going to be down here again soon!#falmouthuni #gamedev by @joefindstalent

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a year ago

The British Armed Forces inspired me to make this video. And hopefully it inspires someone to make video games...Also, what do you think of my Jason Statham impression?#unrealengine #uefn #roblox #videogames #gaming #gamedev #gamedevelopers by @joefindstalent

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a year ago

Brighton Marathon complete!! 🥳 by @joefindstalent

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a year ago