The Business Game
The Business Game
The Business Game is not another highlight reel of overnight success. It is a structured, honest breakdown of what it really takes to build, scale, and sustain a business at every level.
We built The Business Game around a simple truth: business changes as revenue changes. The problems at $500K are not the problems at $5M. The mindset at $5M is not the mindset at $50M. That is why every conversation is grounded in our 10-Level framework, from Level 1 Startup and Survival through to Level 10 Legacy and Exit.
If you are:
• Trying to get your first consistent revenue
• Building your first real team
• Breaking through the messy middle
• Scaling toward eight or nine figures
• Or preparing for exit
There is an episode that meets you where you are.
Hosted by Steve Plummer and Kalena Stano, who speak to founders operating at every stage of the game. No gatekeeping. No hype. No recycled advice. Just real numbers, real mistakes, real strategy, and real decisions that moved the needle.
Each week, we publish two episodes every Monday and Thursday at 6pm AEST, featuring global founders, operators, and investors who break down what actually works at their level and what does not.
The Business Game exists to give you clarity. To help you identify your current level. To show you the moves required to reach the next one.
Because scaling is not random. It is a game. And every level has different rules.
Find your level. Play it properly. Then level up.
Watch video episodes on YouTube and explore more at thebusinessgamegroup.com
The Business Game
LEVEL ONE: The Tech Wunderkind Putting Ads Inside AI Chats
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LEVEL 1: $0 – $1M
STARTUP & SURVIVAL STAGE
In today’s episode of The Business Game, we’re sitting down with Andrea Tortella, Founder and CEO of Thrad – the company building advertising infrastructure for AI, placing ads directly inside conversations with large language models.
After working at Perplexity and becoming obsessed with the shift from browsing to answers, Andrea realised the internet was changing fast — and that traditional advertising models might not survive the AI era. Now, Thrad is already serving millions of ads globally, working with everyone from startups to Fortune 500 brands.
Building from the centre of Silicon Valley’s AI boom, Andrea shares why advertising inside AI conversations is inevitable, how conversational AI is completely changing the internet, and what it’s really like building a startup in one of the fastest-moving industries on earth.
If you’re building in AI, marketing, SaaS, or trying to understand where the internet is heading next… This episode is for you.
Let’s dive in, with Andrea Tortella:
• why the internet is shifting from browsing to AI answers
• the real reason AI products will need advertising to survive
• what ads inside ChatGPT-style conversations actually look like
• why “bad ads” ruined advertising’s reputation
• how conversational AI could completely change marketing
• building a startup at the centre of Silicon Valley’s AI boom
• the challenge of creating a category that doesn’t fully exist yet
• why speed is becoming one of the biggest advantages in marketing
• the unconventional marketing stunt that helped put Thrad on the map
• how AI could change the relationship between brands and customers forever
Thank you for listening to The Business Game, where real founders break down the real levels of business.
Whether you're building at Level 1 ($0–$1M) or scaling through Level 6 and beyond, this show is designed to help you understand exactly where you are, and what it takes to level up.
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, follow and leave a review. It helps more founders find the roadmap.
For full episodes, level breakdowns and behind-the-scenes content, follow us on YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.
Want to identify your level or learn more about The Business Game framework?
Visit www.thebusinessgamegroup.com
It's time to Level Up!
We’ll see you at the next level.
