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In today’s email:

• 15M Show: Episodes from Lasha Gogiberidze on scaling start-ups, and Andrei Doktoroff on thriving in an AI-dominated world.

• Imperfect is Perfect: Lessons from No Man’s Sky on the perfect iGaming launch blueprint

• 15M Community: Refer a colleague to our newsletter and gain access to our exclusive community.

This Week’s Mastery

• 📺 How to thrive in an AI-dominated world by embracing what makes you human with Andrei Doktoroff. Click here »

• 📺 How to scale your start-up by embracing this key component of operational efficiency. Click here »

Imperfect Is Perfect: A Blueprint for iGaming Innovation

In iGaming, there's a pervasive myth that products must be perfect before launch. This pursuit of flawlessness lures countless startups to their doom.

I've witnessed promising ventures crumble under the weight of their own ambition, paralysed by the fear of releasing something imperfect. You might be caught in this trap right now, endlessly polishing your product while your window of opportunity slowly closes.

The truth is that perfection is often the enemy of progress, and nowhere is this more evident than in the remarkable journey of the game, No Man's Sky.

The key to success lies not in launching a flawless product but in embracing imperfection and committing to rapid iteration.

From Crash Landing to Galactic Success

When No Man's Sky first hit the market in August 2016, it seemed destined for the gaming hall of shame. Within two weeks, its player base plummeted by 90%, with Steam reviews overwhelmingly negative.

This catastrophic launch stemmed from a perfect storm of overhyped marketing, missing features, and technical issues. The game promised a vast, multiplayer universe with diverse planets, deep space combat, and complex alien civilisations. What players got was a buggy, repetitive experience that felt empty and unfinished.

But for Hello Games, the small studio behind No Man's Sky, this wasn't the end. It was just the beginning of an extraordinary comeback story.

Instead of abandoning ship, Hello Games doubled down. They went quiet, focused on player feedback, and got to work. What followed was a series of massive, free updates that transformed the game:

1. The Foundation Update (November 2016): Added base building and survival mode

2. The Pathfinder Update (March 2017): Introduced land vehicles and base sharing

3. The Atlas Rises Update (August 2017): Overhauled the central storyline and added rudimentary multiplayer

4. NEXT (July 2018): Full multiplayer support and a complete visual overhaul

5. Beyond (August 2019): VR support and expanded online features

Each update not only added new features but also refined existing ones based on player feedback. The result? By 2020, No Man's Sky had achieved "mostly positive" reviews on Steam, won multiple awards for its turnaround. they continue to update the game and maintain a dedicated player base years after its rocky launch.

This phoenix-like rise offers a powerful lesson: success isn't about getting everything right the first time. It's about having the vision, resilience, and commitment to keep improving.

Applying the No Man's Sky Method to iGaming

The path from failure to success isn't a straight line, but a series of loops: launch, learn, iterate, repeat. Here's how you can apply this principle to your own projects:

1. Launch your Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

Don't wait for perfection. Identify your core feature set and get it to market. This could be a basic sports betting platform, a simple casino game, or a streamlined affiliate tracking system. The key is to start gathering real-world data and feedback as soon as possible.

2. Engage deeply with your user base

Your early adopters are your most valuable asset. Create multiple channels for feedback:

• In-app surveys

• Active social media presence

• Regular user conversations

• Beta testing groups for new features

Make it clear that you're listening and acting on their input. This builds trust and turns users into invested partners in your product's evolution.

3. Iterate rapidly and transparently

Use the feedback you receive to inform your development roadmap. Be open about your plans and progress. Consider:

• Monthly update posts detailing recent changes and upcoming features

• A public roadmap that users can vote on or comment on

• Regular Q&A sessions with your development team

4. Focus on core user pain points

Identify the most pressing issues affecting player experience and prioritize fixing them. This could be improving load times, refining the UI, or enhancing game fairness mechanisms.

5. Continuously expand and refine your offering

Regularly introduce new features, games, or betting markets. But don't just add—refine. Each update should not only bring something new but also improve existing elements.

Here's Why You Should Embrace Imperfection and Iteration

Launching early and iterating allows you to build a product that truly resonates with your audience. It provides real-world data to guide your development, fosters a sense of ownership among early adopters, and allows you to pivot quickly based on market feedback.

This approach is particularly crucial in the iGaming industry, where user preferences can shift rapidly, and regulatory landscapes constantly evolve. By embracing iteration, you can stay agile and responsive to these changes, adapting your product in real time to meet market demands.

Moreover, this strategy can de-risk your product launch. Instead of betting everything on a single, high-stakes release, you're spreading your risk across multiple smaller launches and updates. Each iteration is an opportunity to learn, improve, and get closer to product-market fit.

Let me share a personal example from our journey at Blask:

When we launched Blask, our AI analytics platform for iGaming companies, it was far from perfect. We had a vision of what it could be, but many features were still in development. Instead of waiting until everything was polished, we decided to launch early and bring our first users along on our development journey.

We shared our roadmap openly, brought in partners who could see the potential beyond the current product, and we work closely with them to build and refine the platform. We make it clear that their input would shape the product's evolution, and we follow through on that promise.

The result? Our early users became our most ardent supporters. They feel a sense of ownership in the product's success because they have contributed to its development. Their feedback helps us prioritise features that truly mattered to our target market, and their patience with early imperfections was rewarded with a product that increasingly met their specific needs.

This approach not only improved our platform but also created invested advocates who are our most effective marketing channel. They championed our product to their peers because they feel like part of our success story.

You can apply this same principle to your project, turning early adopters into your most vocal supporters and valuable sources of insight. By involving your users in the development process, you're not just building a product; you're building a community.

Embracing the Iterative Mindset

The story of No Man's Sky teaches us that success often lies not in a flawless launch but in the commitment to growth and improvement. Despite its rocky start, the game has achieved remarkable success through years of dedicated updates and community engagement. Each update, each new feature, and each response to user feedback is an opportunity to strengthen your product and your relationship with your users.

To embrace this mindset:

1. Reframe "failure" as learning opportunities

2. Celebrate small wins and incremental improvements

3. Foster a culture of experimentation and calculated risk-taking

4. Prioritise user satisfaction over feature completeness

5. View your product as a constantly evolving entity, not a finished product

The iGaming companies that will thrive in the coming years won't be those with the most features at launch or the biggest initial marketing splash. They'll be the ones who listen closely to their users, adapt quickly to changing needs, and consistently deliver value through persistent improvement.

So take that first imperfect step. Launch your MVP, engage with your users, and commit to continuous improvement. In doing so, you won't just create a better product—you'll build a community of loyal users invested in your success.

Let’s See Your Affiliate Marketing Skills

If you get value from 15-Minute Mastery and can think of someone who will also share our newsletter with them.

You’ll collect points for every successful signup. Here’s what you’ll get access to:

1 referral: An invitation to our private members-only community at the end of October.

5 referrals: A copy of our 15-Minute Mastery book launching in Q1 2025.

10 referrals: A 30-minute call with me where you can ask me anything about iGaming.