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Summary

In this episode, Heidi Christine, CMO of Pixels, shares how the team prioritized retention over hyper-growth to build one of the most active communities in Web3 gaming. She breaks down the philosophy behind Pixels’ “farmer-friendly” culture, the strategies used to onboard Web2 players, and the importance of meeting users where they are. Heidi also reflects on her own path—from engineering to leading marketing at a major gaming project—and the lessons learned along the way. The conversation touches on the role of blockchain in enhancing (not complicating) user experience, the decision to build on Ronin, and why fun, not financialization, must stay at the heart of game design.

Takeaways

— Retention is more valuable than raw growth in Web3 games

— A strong, welcoming culture builds sticky communities

— Web2 players can be onboarded when the experience feels familiar

— Blockchain should be additive to gameplay, not a barrier

— Heidi’s non-linear career path highlights the value of diverse backgrounds

— Transparency and communication strengthen user trust

— Ecosystem support from a layer one like Ronin can be transformative

— Game design must prioritize fun over financial mechanics

— Collaborating with gaming guilds accelerates community growth

— Listening to players leads to better product decisions

Timeline

(00:00) Intro to Pixels and its vision

(02:55) Why retention > growth

(05:58) Building a farmer-friendly culture

(08:46) Bringing Web2 users into Web3

(11:54) Heidi’s journey from engineer to CMO

(20:04) Leading one of Web3’s biggest games

(26:05) How blockchain fits into Pixels

(28:05) Why Pixels chose Ronin

(30:32) Guild partnerships and community building

(34:21) Using community input in dev

(36:35) Ronin’s impact on growth

(40:34) What’s next for the Pixels ecosystem

(44:40) Inspiration and humanity in game design

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