Is it better for Rovio to focus on mobile-first development or allocate resources to expand our presence on console and PC platforms?

Introduction

The trade-off we're examining today is whether Rovio should focus on mobile-first development or allocate resources to expand our presence on console and PC platforms. This decision is crucial for Rovio's future growth strategy and market positioning. I'll analyze this trade-off by considering our current market position, user base, revenue streams, and potential growth opportunities across different platforms.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Context: Based on Rovio's history with Angry Birds, I'm assuming mobile is our primary platform. Could you confirm our current revenue split between mobile, console, and PC?

Why it matters: Helps understand our current market position and potential for growth Expected answer: 80% mobile, 15% console, 5% PC Impact on approach: A high mobile percentage might suggest doubling down, while a more balanced split could indicate untapped potential in other platforms

• Business Context: I'm thinking our strategic priority might be user growth or revenue diversification. Can you share our top business objective for the next 12-18 months?

Why it matters: Aligns our platform strategy with overarching business goals Expected answer: Increase overall revenue by 30% Impact on approach: Would influence whether we prioritize short-term gains (likely mobile) or long-term growth (possibly console/PC)

• User Impact: Considering user behaviors, I'm curious about cross-platform play. How important is cross-platform functionality to our user base?

Why it matters: Determines if we need to consider a unified experience across platforms Expected answer: Moderately important, growing demand Impact on approach: High importance would push us towards a multi-platform strategy

• Technical: Regarding our current tech stack, how easily can we port our mobile games to console or PC?

Why it matters: Affects the resource allocation and timeline for expansion Expected answer: Moderate difficulty, requires significant rework Impact on approach: Easy porting might favor expansion, while difficult porting could suggest mobile focus

• Resource: Thinking about our team structure, do we have dedicated teams for mobile, console, and PC development, or is it a single cross-platform team?

Why it matters: Influences our ability to execute on different platforms simultaneously Expected answer: Primarily mobile-focused team with small console/PC units Impact on approach: Specialized teams might allow for parallel development, while a single team would require more strategic resource allocation