As a young programmer, I built Online Soccer Manager (OSM) in my attic room in Zoetermeer. It started as a passion project—a game where football fans could take charge of their own club, managing everything from tactics to transfers. That idea struck a nerve, and the game took off.

In this talk, I’ll take you behind the scenes of how that small hobby project grew into a global platform with over fifty team members and more than a hundred million users worldwide. I’ll share the real story—legal battles, the shift to mobile, partnerships with top football clubs, negotiations with major game publishers, and the growing pains that come with scaling a company.

You’ll hear about the technical and organisational challenges we faced, what makes an online game truly engaging, and how to actually earn money with it. I’ll also talk about the emotional side—personal setbacks, learning to let go, and what it’s like to eventually sell the company you built from scratch.

This talk is for anyone dreaming of building games: whether you’re just starting out, already working on something, or just curious about how a game can go from attic to app store—and stay there. Whether you’re an indie dev, entrepreneur, football fan, or longtime OSM player—there’s something in it for you.