#821: My Two-Year Secret Project, COYOTE — The Strategies and Tactics for Building a Bestseller from Nothing with Elan Lee of Exploding Kittens

This is a very special episode for me. My brand-new card game, COYOTE, created in collaboration with Elan Lee and Exploding Kittens, is here. It is available in ~8,000 locations worldwide, including Walmart, Target, Amazon, and many others. Learn more: https://coyotegame.com. This episode is brought to you by: Gamma AI design partner for effortless presentations, websites, social media posts, and more: https://gamma.app (Use code TIM at checkout for 30% off any plan.) Shopify global commerce platform, providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business: https://shopify.com/tim (one-dollar-per-month trial period) Wealthfront high-yield cash account: https://Wealthfront.com/Tim New clients get 3.30% base APY from program banks + additional 0.65% boost for 3 months on your uninvested cash (max $150k balance). Terms and conditions apply. The Cash Account offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC (“WFB”) member FINRA/SIPC, not a bank. The base APY as of 1/30/2026 is representative, can change, and requires no minimum. Tim Ferriss, a non-client, receives compensation from WFB for advertising and holds a non-controlling equity interest in the corporate parent of WFB, which creates a conflict of interest. Experiences will vary. Outcomes not guaranteed. Instant withdrawals may be limited by your receiving firm and other factors. Investment advisory services provided by Wealthfront Advisers LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Securities investments: not bank deposits, not bank-guaranteed or FDIC-insured, and may lose value. Timestamps: [00:00:00] Start. [00:05:21] Coyote: a game 47 years in the making. [00:08:41] Who is Elan Lee? [00:09:37] How our motivations behind game creation intersect. [00:12:41] The nutshell view of pitching a game to a retailer. [00:14:40] Salesmanship is a learnable skill, but Elan’s a natural. [00:15:53] Why I’ve always wanted to make my own game and how development began in earnest. [00:26:00] First contact with Elan and our fast-forged, fun-focused friendship. [00:32:28] The Hanabi and Rock, Paper, Scissors-inspired Toronto trip breakthrough. [00:39:40] Early prototyping and testing. [00:45:34] The Zero Effect. [00:47:37] Recommended game design rationales, resources, and reading. [00:53:00] The beginner’s mind approach to writing effective game instructions. [00:56:26] A simple fact: less complication = more fun. [00:57:49] Cooperative vs. competitive play. [00:58:24] Leveling the playing field with attack cards and sabotage mechanics. [01:01:34] Tricking people into cognitively bettering themselves by gaming. [01:08:04] Finding the sweet spot. [01:10:44] It takes a lot of work to make a game effortlessly fun. [01:13:40] How many games does Exploding Kittens publish per year? [01:14:36] Exploding Kittens’ number-one seller was designed by Elan’s four-year-old daughter. [01:18:30] Prototypes and pitching. [01:22:26] Improving on the industry’s fundamentally flawed testing procedure. [01:24:58] Analyzing passing/failure with play testers’ video and feedback. [01:28:41] Risks of internal testing. [01:31:47] Coyote’s first positive signs from the wild. [01:34:22] Online vs. physical store sales and tweaking variables to gauge market interest. [01:41:22] What a successful line review looks like. [01:43:51] Line review hoops through which lesser-proven companies have to hop. [01:48:04] Elan’s field-tested line review meeting strategies. [01:54:15] The importance of finding proper agent representation. [01:59:35] In modern marketing, social media (especially short-form video) is king. [02:04:48] The best and worst ways for an aspiring designer to sell a game. [02:13:05] Crowdfunding pros and cons, and Kickstarter alternatives. [02:19:57] Dealing with deal terms. [02:23:56] The Exploding Kittens attitude toward rare partnerships. [02:25:45] The types of games that capture Elan’s attention. [02:27:40] Common game design mistakes. [02:29:49] How we tried to avoid these mistakes when packaging Coyote. [02:33:55] Self-publishing vs. conventional publishing. [02:38:40] Business considerations and risks. [02:44:59] Parting thoughts and a tantalizing offer. * For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast. For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday. For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts. Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books. 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