# Joakim Achren

> Founder, angel investor, and builder. From a Netflix exit to building mobile apps with AI as a solo founder.

Joakim Achren founded a mobile games company, grew it, and exited to Netflix. After moving into angel investing and backing early-stage founders, he now builds mobile apps as a solo founder using AI — specifically Claude Code — as his only developer. He writes on Substack about building with AI, investing in startups, and the long game of founder performance. Based in Helsinki, Finland.

## Key Topics and Expertise

- AI-assisted app development and Claude Code workflows
- Mobile game development and App Store publishing
- Gaming industry startups and ecosystem analysis
- Angel investing in early-stage companies
- Solo founder development with AI tools
- Founder performance: sleep, energy, and decision-making
- Gamification design for consumer apps

## Apps

### SwoleAI
- URL: https://joakimachren.com/apps.html
- App Store: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/swoleai/id6758233819
- Platform: iOS
- Description: AI-powered workout app built entirely with Claude Code by one person. Generate personalized workout plans with ChatGPT, log sets on the gym floor, track PRs, and control everything from your Apple Watch. No engineering team — just clear thinking and an AI collaborator.

## Courses

### Building a Mobile Game with AI
- URL: https://joakimachren.com/courses/ai-game-dev.html
- Format: Free video course, 12 lessons, 10-20 minutes each
- Description: A concept-driven video course on building mobile apps with Claude Code. Uses a real speed reading game (Read Clash) as the case study. No coding experience needed.

#### Lesson List
1. The New Way to Build — Why AI changes who can make software
2. Setting Up Claude Code — Tools, environment, and your first conversation with AI
3. From Idea to Prototype in One Session — Going from concept to working first version
4. Prototyping with Claude Code — Describing what you want and getting usable code fast
5. UI Design with Claude Code — Layouts, themes, animations — directing AI like a designer
6. Game Logic and State — Teaching AI the rules: scoring, progression, persistent data
7. Content and Data — Generating exercises, quizzes, and reading passages with AI
8. Navigation and App Structure — Going from one screen to a full multi-screen app
9. QA and Debugging with Claude Code — Using AI to find and fix problems
10. Polish and Feel — Animations, transitions, and feedback that make an app feel finished
11. Publishing to the App Store — iOS builds, Xcode, and TestFlight guided by Claude Code
12. Thinking Bigger — Adding features, handling complexity, knowing when to simplify

## Books

### Sleep Again
- URL: https://sleepagain.co
- Status: In progress
- Description: A book on sleep, energy, and decision-making for founders who run hard and recover poorly. Most advice on founder performance is shallow. This goes deeper into the science and practice of sustainable high performance.

## Writing (Selected Articles on Substack)

All articles published at: https://elitegamedevelopers.substack.com

- Games Company Org Design in the Age of AI (Jan 2026) — AI reduces execution barriers, making idea validation and marketing the real bottlenecks.
- Gamification After Content Became Free (Jan 2026) — The next wave of apps will prioritize real value over engagement tricks as AI makes content cheaper.
- 12 Lessons Helsinki Can Learn from Istanbul's Mobile Gaming Boom (May 2025) — Why Istanbul surpassed Helsinki as the mobile gaming capital.
- Entering the Golden Age of Mobile Browser Apps (Sep 2024) — Mobile browser apps are poised to challenge native app stores.
- Why Voodoo's Model Doesn't Fit Indie PC Gaming (May 2024) — Why rapid mobile development fails on PC, where distribution and quality expectations differ.
- On Gamifying Consumer Apps (Mar 2024) — Successful gamification taps intrinsic motivation, not superficial mechanics. Duolingo as case study.
- A New Hope for Gaming Startups (Mar 2024) — Gaming startups succeed by pitching proprietary insights and identifying emerging platforms.
- Gaming Startups in Finland: From Boom to Bust? (Feb 2024) — Why Finland's gaming industry stalled despite thriving in the prior decade.

## Templates

Free tools for entrepreneurs, available at: https://joakimachren.com/templates.html

- Cap Table (Google Sheets) — Tracks founders, investors, option pools, and dilution across multiple funding rounds.
- Financial Model (Google Sheets) — Revenue projections, cost structure, and runway calculations for SaaS and app businesses.
- Pitch Deck Outline (Google Sheets) — Structured outline covering problem, solution, market, traction, team, and ask.

## Links

- Website: https://joakimachren.com
- Substack: https://elitegamedevelopers.substack.com
- X / Twitter: https://x.com/joakim_a
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jachren/
- Contact: https://joakimachren.com/contact.html