Joost van Dreunen

From Early Failures to ‘Clash of Clans’ and ‘Brawl Stars’ - Supercell ft Ilkka Paananen

Ilkka Paananen, Maya Hoffree, Joost van Dreunen, Roelof Botha

Supercell established a unique corporate structure known as "cells" that empowers individual game teams with startup-like autonomy, a strategy that enabled leaders to cancel their initial €8 million investment in the Facebook title *Gunshine* to pivot successfully toward mobile platforms. This bold approach fostered a culture where project failures are celebrated as learning experiments, ultimately leading to the creation of industry-defining hits like *Clash of Clans* and *Hay Day* that currently command 60% of total industry playtime. Now fifteen years old, the company continues to navigate the high barrier of launching new titles by embracing increased risk-taking, aiming to emulate the century-long legacy of Nintendo or LEGO while maintaining operational excellence.