From Side Project to 35,000 Monthly Users: The MathHeads Story

Aman Rawal and Ben Hollier, the minds behind MathHeads, a game designed to make mental math enjoyable. The conversation spans the development journey and multiplayer features of MathHeads, elaborating on backend challenges, user experience, and the game’s reception. It further explores strategies in managing a mix of game modes and user engagement through platforms like Discord. The discussion highlights marketing strategies leveraging Reddit and Google Ads, tackles the intricacies of monetization and infrastructure, and showcases unexpected collaboration opportunities, such as with the World Mental Calculation League.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Community Engagement: The importance of engaging with users through platforms like Discord. MathHeads utilized user feedback extensively to improve their site and gather data on user behavior.
• Iterative Development: The value of releasing basic versions of the game to get early feedback and iterating based on user responses.
• Monetization Challenges: The journey to monetizing the platform, including failed attempts with Google AdSense and deciding to build a larger user base before focusing heavily on monetization.
• Backend Challenges: The complexities of developing real-time, head-to-head multiplayer functionalities and managing cross-platform issues (iOS vs. Android).
• Partnerships and Accountability: Highlighting the importance of having a team or partners to stay accountable and motivated, which can be crucial for maintaining momentum in developmental projects.
• User Personalization: Offering different game modes and difficulty levels to appeal to a wide range of users.
• Networking and Exposure: Through community and organic growth, they came across various partnerships and opportunities, albeit some didn’t align perfectly with their current capabilities or goals.
• Regular Updates and Communication: Ensuring to keep the user base informed about updates through regular communication on platforms like Discord.

Check out Ben and Aman's Resources:

https://mathheads.net/

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• (00:00) - Focusing on User Experience and Growth
• (00:47) - Introduction to the Hey, Good Game Podcast
• (01:01) - Meet the Creators of Math Heads
• (02:16) - Favorite Games of the Creators
• (03:55) - The Origin Story of Math Heads
• (06:13) - Challenges and Features of Math Heads
• (16:39) - User Engagement and Community Building
• (18:25) - Discord's Role in QA and Community Management
• (19:52) - Marketing Strategies and Initial Launch
• (22:42) - Challenges with Monetization and Ads
• (24:56) - Unexpected Opportunities and Collaborations
• (28:33) - Future Plans and Team Dynamics
• (30:17) - Advice for Aspiring Game Creators
• (31:45) - Balancing User Feedback and Data
• (34:36) - Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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Check out our brainy games:

Sumplete - https://sumplete.com
Squeezy - https://imsqueezy.com/
Kakuro Conquest - https://kakuroconquest.com
Mathler - https://mathler.com
Crosswordle - https://crosswordle.com
Sudoku Conquest - https://sudokuconquest.com
Hitori Conquest - https://hitoriconquest.com
Wordga - https://wordga.com