Fake it till you make it: pitching a Ryan Trahan game

Fake it till you make it...

I couldn’t buy Ryan Trahan’s candy in Canada, so I printed a Joyride bag off Google, laminated it with tape, and posed with it in front of my computer running a mock-up of the game I built for him. Caption: "Let’s make a game together @Ryan Trahan."

To my surprise, it worked. Ryan (or his team) actually replied.

But let me back up for a second.

At first, my idea was a “save the world” game where Ryan is trapped in a Target store, candy monsters everywhere, blasting his way out. I modeled the monsters in 3D, made a poster, and even debated driving 7 hours to his NYC pop-up to pitch it in person. My options: spend hundreds driving 7 hours to his NYC pop-up event with no guarantee he’d even show, or risk missing my shot entirely.

I stayed home. And then everything changed.

Ryan released a cinematic trailer for his new candy, a portal to Candy Land, yellow hazmat men representing the big candy corporations trying to stop him. Instantly, I knew: this was the game.

So I built it. I modeled Ryan, the yellow men, and created a full scene that looked like a finished game. Now the challenge: getting his attention.

That’s where the Joyride “Climbers of the Day” came in. Fans holding candy got reposted daily. Since I couldn’t buy any in Canada, I faked it with my laminated bag, and Ryan noticed.

“Looks awesome,” he replied.

Not quite the answer I hoped for. I tried again the next day. Another generic response. Finally, I asked directly: “What’s the best way to reach out about a partnership?”

He gave me his partnership manager’s email. I sent my pitch, heart racing. A few days later, I got the reply:

"We’re not interested in a mobile game at this time."

Was I crushed? Yeah. But I was also proud. I hustled, got creative, and actually got Ryan Trahan’s attention. Rejection isn’t failure, it’s proof you’re aiming high enough.