‘It’s an intuitive business’
Alok Kejriwal, CEO, Games2Win, gives us his take on online gaming
Alok Kejriwalis a serial digital entrepreneur and is currently the CEO and co-founder of Games2win – his fourth company. His previous ventures include Contests2win.com – one of India’s best recognised Internet brands, Mobile2win – acquired by Walt Disney in China and Norwest ventures in India and Media2win – one of the top 3 Interactive agencies in India.
Kejriwal created the world’s first online contesting site in 1998. He is also responsible for bringing more than a hundred of Fortune 500 global brands on to the internet for the first time in India.
He is the first Indian dot-com entrepreneur to start a venture in China. He has raised several rounds of capital from top tier global VC firms. He successfully exited Mobile2win in China via an acquisition by the Walt Disney Company.
Were you always interested in this field?
Not really. I think I was always interested in doing any kind of entrepreneurial business. Anything that made me trade, transact and sell. I’m from a Marwadi family, where instant money is obviously the ultimate aim. I spent 12 years making socks with my father, but got smitten by computers somewhere along the way.
What does your job entail?
Its all about imagining the future. What kind of games and themes will my audience like? What worked yesterday, doesn’t work today and definitely will not work tomorrow. Also, I need to eat’ sleep and drink technology so that I can adopt my games to what technology can allow. It therefore involves an intuitive understand of the business.
It is also my job to motivate the people who work with me.
How has the field of online gaming changed?
It has changed dramatically. Its moved from hardcore to casual, from PC to Web, from PS3 to Facebook, from Mobile to ITouch and IPad. Most importantly, people now buy items within games - without buying the game itself. Now it’s more social - with Farmville, you pay to buy items for yourself and for others.
What is your success mantra?
Just don’t stop experimenting. This New Age business life is all about hits and misses, not planning or serious thinking. Just do it – not once but all the time.
