Most video games today feel like déjà vu with better lighting. Sequels, remasters, recycled ideas wrapped in shinier engines. You know the pattern – Dying Light with more parkour and zombies, Far Cry giving you another dictator to overthrow, and Assassin’s Creed sending you to take a leap of faith into history for the 12th time.Well, it could be worse – like Silent Hill f, with its repetitive bosses, clunky combat, and a storyline so glued to Asian folklore that you spend more time Googling 1960’s Japanese books for kids to get hints than actually playing.It’s the same loop for most AAA titles: big budgets, big promises, small soul.And then, out of nowhere, you hit the “Whoa” moment.Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. A game that shouldn’t have been possible – made by 30 people in France, on a fraction of the usual budget. No corporate roadmap. No marketing empire. Just a small team with a clear vision and something to prove.What they created wasn’t just another RPG. It was art in motion.The visuals felt like a living painting. The music didn’t just accompany the story – it was the story. Every emotional note hit right where it should. Every character felt like a person, not a trope. It was about something studios often forget: meaning.The result? 9.7 user score on Metacritic. 5 million copies sold. And a stunned industry wondering how a tiny team did what 500 people couldn’t.This episode isn’t a fan review. It’s a story about how Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 rewrote the rules – and what its creators can teach anyone building products, leading teams, or just trying to make something that matters.We break it down into three simple rules:1. Make the thing you love and really want to use.2. Hire the spark – teach the skill.3. Hire smart people, then get out of their way. You’ll also hear about:🔸 The broken economics of AAA gaming – and how it mirrors corporate stagnation everywhere.🔸 The quiet power of creative freedom and why most leaders are terrified of it.🔸 Why inexperience might just be your biggest advantage.This isn’t just about gaming. It’s about leadership, creativity, and the art of trust.And if you do one thing after listening – check out this soundtrack. Let the “dim, dim, dam” echo in your ears a bit longer: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLox5pGvBTF_Unzs_XhD5Qm2DW5N6OLCvl&si=4m4tDqgFrU0efB2x