I'm a father of an 8-year-old creative boy. I've spent my career as an innovator and engineering leader in Silicon Valley startups — building products, leading teams, and watching technology reshape how we work and create.
But the reason Makerplay exists has nothing to do with a pitch deck.
One spring break
One spring break, we sat down together. No curriculum. No lesson plan. Just the two of us, and an idea: what if we used AI to help him build a real video game — his game?
We described what he wanted. We iterated. We fixed bugs. We laughed when things broke. And by the end, he had something he could actually play: his very first video game.
He loved it so much.
Back to school
When he went back to school, he showed it to his class.
Everyone was impressed. Everyone loved it.
That might sound small if you haven't watched a kid carry something they made into a room full of peers. For him, it wasn't small at all.
The magical moment
When he came home, it was a magical moment. He was so proud.
What stayed with me wasn't the tech. It was watching him have — maybe for the first time — the experience of creating something that others truly loved. Not consuming someone else's game. Not scrolling. Creating. Shipping. Sharing. Being seen for what he made.
That feeling is rare. And it's powerful.
Create, don't just consume
Most of what kids get from screens is consumption. Endless feeds. Games other people built. AI used as a shortcut instead of a tool.
I wanted something different for my son — and for other kids like him.
So I built Makerplay: a place where kids can learn to think clearly, communicate precisely, and use AI to turn ideas into real games they can share with friends and family. Guided missions. Patient AI coaches. A creator page of their own. A safe environment — no ads, no inappropriate content, no chat with strangers.
Makerplay exists so more kids can have that first proud moment — the one where they realize they can create, not just consume.
If that resonates with you, I'd love to hear from you.
— dad@makerplay.ai
(yes, you can write me and I'll reply :-)