YouSaid · the spoken record

Benny H. Schmitt

lines on the record: 18
first: 2025-07-17
most recent: 2025-07-17
sittings or episodes: 1
sources: podcast

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Masters of scale is a weight what original. Our executive producer is Yves Trow. Our senior producer is Trisha Bobita. The production team includes Masha Makatunina and Brandon Klein, our senior talent executive is Stephanie Stern, mixing and mastering by Aaron Bastinelli and Brian Pugh, original music by Ryan Holliday. Our head of podcast is Lital Malad. The scripted narration of Reed Hoffman used in this episode was produced using Reese Beecher with full consent and permission. Visit MastersofScale.com to find the transcript for this episode and to subscribe to our newsletter.”
2025-07-17 · Masters of Scale · CATAN: Reid Hoffman’s favorite board game for business leaders · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“It was such a treat to talk with Ben and Guido about one of my favorite games, the way they're shepherding the brand first built by their father into the future is fascinating to watch. Tan truly is one of the best ways to get you into the problem solving mindset that entrepreneurship requires. I hope you find a board. Some friends and get all the game's lumber or wheat and brick you need to build something great while playing together.”
2025-07-17 · Masters of Scale · CATAN: Reid Hoffman’s favorite board game for business leaders · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Remember to ask Bill Gates if he wants to play new energy with me since I see him every so often. Thank you both for coming to Masters of Scale Guido, Ben, it's been a great pleasure. I look forward to playing Catan with you at some point in person.”
2025-07-17 · Masters of Scale · CATAN: Reid Hoffman’s favorite board game for business leaders · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Have a copy. I've played it a few times, meaning to play it more. Been kind of busy starting some AI companies. But what's been the response so far?”
2025-07-17 · Masters of Scale · CATAN: Reid Hoffman’s favorite board game for business leaders · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“So maybe Ben, this is the right question for you because I did mean ask. I mean, what was the inspiration? What is the response been to the new energy? The climate catan is obviously very timely in terms of important issues in society. So what was the inspiration and what have been the learning so far?”
2025-07-17 · Masters of Scale · CATAN: Reid Hoffman’s favorite board game for business leaders · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“That reminds me congrats on the thirtieth anniversary of the game and the new sixth edition. There's a ton of expansions, right? So there's seafarers, there's cities, knights, there's some branded ones like Star Trek. How much of it was a strategy? How much is it people coming to you? What have been the learnings of the kind of the breadth of how katanas expanded?”
2025-07-17 · Masters of Scale · CATAN: Reid Hoffman’s favorite board game for business leaders · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Welcome back to Masters of Scale. You can find this conversation and more on our YouTube channel. So what are some of the biggest challenges that the companies faced in scaling? Licensing, marketing, manufacturing.”
2025-07-17 · Masters of Scale · CATAN: Reid Hoffman’s favorite board game for business leaders · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“There's going to be two types of companies, those are great at AI and those that went out of business because they weren't.”
2025-07-17 · Masters of Scale · CATAN: Reid Hoffman’s favorite board game for business leaders · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Still ahead, more with the Toyber brothers on how Katan scaled into a global gaming phenomenon and what's next for the brand.”
2025-07-17 · Masters of Scale · CATAN: Reid Hoffman’s favorite board game for business leaders · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“So when did each of you get formally involved in the family business and how did that come about? Ben we'll start with you.”
2025-07-17 · Masters of Scale · CATAN: Reid Hoffman’s favorite board game for business leaders · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Well, and this is actually one of the things that I find kind of amusing because, for example, a common trait in games that I'm playing, so like, for example, of Ben, you and I were playing a lot with the people I play with. They'd say, oh, Ben wins all the time. Don't trade with him. Trade with me. There's a whole psychological side that goes to it, which is among the many things that I love about where the game has more of an entrepreneurial texture, real-world texture, because it plays into all of those dynamics.”
2025-07-17 · Masters of Scale · CATAN: Reid Hoffman’s favorite board game for business leaders · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“So the way that I got so hooked was that I thought it was the and still think it is the best game that mirrors a bunch of things that are more true about like entrepreneurship. And it's partially because you have partial knowledge of the common set. I mean, maybe you've been tracking exactly what resources are in the hands, but even then that can trade out with a robber. You have collaboration, which is an essential thing, in addition to competition. And then there was some really unique elements that I'd never seen before, like the tiles being randomly put out, you never play on the same board twice.”
2025-07-17 · Masters of Scale · CATAN: Reid Hoffman’s favorite board game for business leaders · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“I don't know how many people who are listening to this have actually played. I highly recommend it. It's one of the reasons why I'm here talking to you guys. But a quick pricey of what settlers of Catan is.”
2025-07-17 · Masters of Scale · CATAN: Reid Hoffman’s favorite board game for business leaders · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Can you go into any more depth on what you found in the cultural parallels and dissimilarities between the US gameplay and the German gameplay?”
2025-07-17 · Masters of Scale · CATAN: Reid Hoffman’s favorite board game for business leaders · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“So one of the things I'm curious about is how did it play a role in your family dynamic? Because at least my experience playing settlers, and I don't know how universal this is, but one of the classic parts of negotiation is like, no, no, no, don't trade with Tom. Tom's closer to wintering, or Tom betrayed you on the last one, or that kind of thing. And I'm curious, obviously, because it's a family business. How did settlers play a role at the dining table and the evolution of the family dynamic?”
2025-07-17 · Masters of Scale · CATAN: Reid Hoffman’s favorite board game for business leaders · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Ben Guido, welcome to Master of Scale. I've been looking forward to this for a number of years. As you both know, I am a huge fan of settlers, probably first coming to your attention with the Wall Street Journal story front page story about how much Alex settlers, which I thought was rather amusing, but I was perfectly happy given how much I like what you guys do. And so why don't we start with what your earliest memories of the game were?”
2025-07-17 · Masters of Scale · CATAN: Reid Hoffman’s favorite board game for business leaders · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“I'm read Hoffman, your host Ben and Guido's father Klaus invented the board game, originally called settlers of Katan when the boys were young. They've spent a lifetime in the family business of scaling the game and its philosophy of succeeding through strategic collaboration. Players compete to cultivate an island, farming, mining, and expanding their territory, but to do so they need to trade strategically and build alliances. I think we could all use more practice with that in our lives and businesses.”
2025-07-17 · Masters of Scale · CATAN: Reid Hoffman’s favorite board game for business leaders · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“This week, on Masters of Scale, I talk with Ben and Guido Toyber. Their brothers who grew up playing the hit board game Katan, because thirty years ago their father Klaus invented it. Now the brothers run the business of Katan with more than forty five million games sold worldwide. Talk about why I think this game, where players pretend to develop an island by gathering resources, building roads, and forming trading alliances is the best board game for entrepreneurs.”
2025-07-17 · Masters of Scale · CATAN: Reid Hoffman’s favorite board game for business leaders · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT