One of the first things he points out is how many new founders start in the wrong place.
If you talk to people who’ve been running game studios for a long time, the advice is usually less exciting than you expect. It’s not about big ideas or chasing trends. It’s about staying in business long enough to get better at what you do. That’s the kind of view Nipin P N brings after more than 16 years leading NipsApp Game Studios.
One of the first things he points out is how many new founders start in the wrong place. They begin with a game idea they feel strongly about. That’s fine. But a game idea is not a business. It doesn’t cover salaries, delays, or months where nothing ships. A studio has to deal with all of that from day one.
Because of that, he often pushes new teams to take on client work early. Not because it’s exciting, but because it teaches the basics fast. When you work with clients, you don’t get unlimited time. You don’t get to keep changing direction. You agree on a scope, you deliver, and you fix what breaks. That pressure forces teams to become reliable.
And reliability is what brings repeat work. Not creativity alone.
Another common mistake he’s seen is hiring too quickly. A few early wins come in, and the team starts expanding. On paper, that looks like growth. In practice, it creates stress. Costs go up, coordination gets messy, and suddenly the team is spending more time managing itself than building anything useful.
He takes a different view. Keep the team small until the work is steady. Add people only when there’s a clear need. A tight team that communicates well will almost always outperform a larger one that’s still figuring things out.
There’s also the issue of chasing what’s popular. If a certain type of game is doing well, new studios rush to build something similar. The problem is timing. By the time the game is ready, the trend may already be fading. What looked like a safe bet turns into a missed window.
His advice is simpler. Build something you can actually finish. A working game that ships on time has more value than a bigger idea that keeps getting delayed. Finishing matters more than trying to impress.
Money is another area where things break down quickly. Game development is not predictable. Projects slip. Clients change requirements. Some ideas don’t work out. If a studio is spending freely during good months, it won’t last long when things slow down.
So the focus stays on control. Know your costs. Keep a buffer. Don’t assume the next project will arrive right when you need it. That kind of thinking isn’t exciting, but it keeps the company alive.
He also talks about how teams handle their work internally. In the beginning, many studios rely on informal setups. Files are shared loosely, tasks are tracked in chats, and decisions stay in people’s heads. It works for a small prototype, but it breaks once projects grow.
Basic structure helps avoid that. Clear task lists. Proper version control. Regular updates. These are not big-company practices. They are simple habits that save time and prevent confusion. Setting them up early makes everything easier later.
When it comes to building original games, his view is cautious. Every studio wants to create its own title. That’s where identity comes from. But relying only on one game is risky. If it fails, there’s nothing to fall back on.
That’s why he leans toward a mix. Client work brings steady income. Internal projects give room to try new ideas. It’s not a perfect balance, and it’s not always easy to manage. But it reduces the chance of a single failure taking down the whole company.
Expectations are another area where new founders struggle. It’s easy to look at global success stories and assume similar results are within reach. What gets missed is how different the starting conditions are. Access to funding, market reach, and timing all play a role.
So instead of comparing too early, he suggests focusing on what’s directly in front of you. What can your team build right now. What kind of work can you deliver consistently. That’s a more useful starting point than aiming for outcomes you can’t control.
Over the years, the Indian game development field has improved a lot. Better tools, more experienced developers, and easier access to global clients. But the core problems haven’t changed. Teams still need to deliver on time. They still need to manage costs. They still need to keep going when work slows down.
Sixteen years in this business doesn’t come from one big success. It comes from staying steady while things shift around you. Taking on work, finishing it, learning from it, and doing it again.
That may not sound impressive at first. But it’s what separates teams that last from those that disappear after their first attempt.
And for anyone starting out, that’s probably the most useful thing to understand. This is not a field where you win once and you’re set. It’s a field where you keep proving you can do the work, again and again.