
Fireside Chat with Jay Powell and Heather Chandler | Why Games Fail Without Production
From IndieGameBusiness® by Jay Powell
February 27, 2026 · 54 min
About this episode
Jay Powell and Heather Chandler discuss the critical importance of production in game development and the risks of neglecting it.
Welcome to a new IndieGameBusiness segment: Fireside Chat. In this episode, Jay Powell sits down with Heather Chandler for a candid conversation about one of the biggest silent killers in game development: lack of production. Too many teams focus only on “make the game” without building a real plan for how it gets finished, marketed, funded, and sustained. Jay and Heather break down what bad production looks like, why so many studios underestimate it, and how the absence of structure can derail even great ideas. They’ll discuss: • Why production is more than task tracking • The risks of not having a roadmap beyond development • How poor planning impacts funding, timelines, and team morale • What studios should be thinking about before they ever write a line of code If you’re building a studio or leading a team, this Fireside Chat will challenge you to think beyond just making the game and start building the business around it. #IndieGameBusiness #FiresideChat #GameProduction #IndieDev #GameBusiness
People in this episode
Host: Jay Powell
Guest: Heather Chandler
Topics covered
- game production
- development planning
- team management
- funding
- marketing strategies
Keywords
- game development
- production planning
- team morale
- roadmap
- funding
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: IndieGameBusiness
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