In this episode of the NFX Podcast, Max Child (Founder & CEO of Weekend, the #1 voice AI games company in the world, formerly Volley) breaks down why AI will turn everyone into a gamer — not just the hardcore players.
We dive into how voice AI, large language models, and smart TVs are unlocking a new kind of interactive entertainment — where games are powered by conversation, not controllers.
You’ll learn:
- Why AI expands gaming to billions of new users
- How conversation is becoming the new gameplay mechanic
- Why the living room (TV) is the next major platform shift
- The 3 real growth strategies every founder needs to know
- The founder lesson that matters most: staying alive long enough for luck to hit
Max also shares how AI is already 2–2.5x’ing engineering productivity and what that means for building faster, better products. This isn’t just about gaming — it’s about how AI creates entirely new categories, and how founders can position themselves to win.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:12 What Weekend is building (AI games on TV)
05:30 Why AI will create a new gaming category
10:45 Founder lessons: survival, speed, and luck
18:00 The 3 growth strategies that actually work
23:30 AI and the future of product development
27:00 The long-term vision: Roblox for TV
If you're a founder, builder, or operator working in AI, gaming, or consumer — subscribe for more conversations on network effects, startup strategy, and building enduring companies.
#AI #Startups #Gaming #Founders #VentureCapital #NFX
