Raising Up New Leaders in a Startup

The Player Support Newsletter - 18 MAY 2025

Noteworthy News

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Apple Allows External Payments for App Store Purchases - an injunction was issued in the ongoing Apple vs. Epic Games lawsuit that allows developers to offer alternative payment processing services. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Apple can no longer prohibit app developers from redirect traffic to third party sites for purhases nor charge any fees or commissions on these transactions.

I am sure it is the priority 0 of every single mobile games developer to add an easy way for players to pay through their own systems.

The following are the relevant changes to the app store guidelines:

• 3.1.1 In-App Purchase: Apps may allow users to browse NFT collections owned by others, provided that, except for apps on the United States storefront, the apps may not include buttons, external links, or other calls to action that direct customers to purchasing mechanisms other than in-app purchase.

• 3.1.1(a) Link to Other Purchase Methods: Developers may apply for entitlements to provide a link in their app to a website the developer owns or maintains responsibility for in order to purchase digital content or services. These entitlements are not required for developers to include buttons, external links, or others calls to action in their United States storefront apps.

• 3.1.3 Other Purchase Methods: Apps in this section cannot, within the app, encourage users to use a purchasing method other than in-app purchase, except for apps on the United States storefront and as set forth in 3.1.1(a) and 3.1.3(a).

• 3.1.3(a) “Reader” Apps: Reader app developers may apply for the External Link Account Entitlement to provide an informational link in their app to a web site the developer owns or maintains responsibility for in order to create or manage an account. This entitlement is not required for developers to include buttons, external links, or other calls to action in their United States storefront apps.

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Introduction: The Problem of Leadership at Scale

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A great weakness of a business that requires hiring at large scale is that of good leadership. The start is especially important, and there are several other critical points as one goes from humble, small offices and homes to something more commercial. Every decision made is either a net negative or positive, so the pressure to select wisely is high, as well as the pressure to fire mismatched leaders quickly. Employees experience work mainly through their bosses and none of us wants to suffer under poor management.

Conventional approaches to the challenge tend to oversimplify the situation, usually resulting in a some minor training or a course, and a standard form as evidence that some kind of regular management conversation is happening. This vision of a manager is one of the reasons why some people make brash claims about automating away management roles. So called professional management approaches have tried to force a deeply complex human role into a simplistic mechanical one. Acronyms, diagrams, and technology have substituted experience, sound jugment, and morality. It is a bad trade made in haste and in many cases, greed.

In this week’s post, I will share some thoughts on the matter and how my company is experimenting as we grow.