From Client Work to Owning the IP | Rebellion Founder Jason Kingsley CBE

Send us Fan MailHow do you turn a creative passion into a valuable company without losing the qualities that made the business successful?In this episode, Peter Boolkah speaks with Jason Kingsley CBE, co-founder, CEO and creative director of Rebellion.Jason and his brother Chris founded Rebellion in 1992, when two people could still create an entire computer game. The company subsequently grew from undertaking work for other organisations to developing, publishing and investing in its own games and intellectual property.Jason shares the early Atari negotiation that taught him the danger of negotiating from weakness, why he hires people whose judgement he respects and how Rebellion moved from selling its capabilities to owning the assets it creates.You’ll discover:How Jason’s interests in technology, games, art and storytelling became a companyWhy opportunity is partly random but your response is controllableWhat an early Atari deal taught him about negotiating powerWhy founders must work with people who can challenge themHow outcome-driven meetings can replace unnecessary corporate processWhy Jason does not pursue growth simply for growth’s sakeHow Rebellion moved from client work to self-publishing and owned intellectual propertyHow rapid recruitment can dilute a company’s cultureWhy one poor performer can damage an entire teamHow a portfolio approach protects a company from individual failuresHow Rebellion responded when international shipping costs increased dramaticallyWhy commercially fair supplier relationships create long-term valueWhy founders should acknowledge the role of timing and luckWhy the greatest entrepreneurial failure is never startingThis conversation was recorded in 2022. Since then, Jason has been appointed CBE for services to the creative industries.Its central lessons remain highly relevant: protect what makes the company special, build assets rather than depending entirely on client work and create a business capable of surviving when circumstances invalidate the original plan.CONNECT WITH JASON KINGSLEYRebellion: https://rebellion.comModern History TV: https://www.youtube.com/@ModernHistoryTVCONNECT WITH PETER BOOLKAHWebsite: https://www.boolkah.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/boolkahInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/pboolkah/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BoolkahX: https://twitter.com/boolkahABOUT PETER BOOLKAHPeter Boolkah is a business coach, author and speaker who has spent more than 20 years helping business owners build stronger, more valuable businesses that do not depend on them for everything.He is the creator of The Hamster Wheel Trap® and author of Your Business Sucks: Build a Business That Works Without Destroying Your Life.Peter works with founders and leadership teams on the issues that ultimately determine whether a business creates freedom or becomes another job: leadership, founder dependency, people, profit, execution, scaling, exit readiness and enterprise value.His approach is direct, practical and built around one simple question:Do you own the business, or does the business own you?Learn more at https://www.boolkah.com