The first physical Octalysis Gamification Workshop ever in the Vault Coworking Space

This was the first time I hosted the physical Octalysis Gamification Full Day Workshop at The Vault Coworking Space in San Francisco.

I had connected with Kevin Holmes through the Founders Network, a community of entrepreneurs helping one another grow. Kevin’s generosity led me to The Vault, a space that became the perfect venue for my workshop. As I set up, I was joined by some incredible individuals—Dutch Driver, a long-time gamification enthusiast, and Ricardo Lopes Costa, the Founder and President of Funifier, Brazil's premier gamification platform.

That day, what started as a workshop on gamification principles quickly turned into something far more meaningful. Ricardo and I hit it off instantly, and what followed was a collaboration that would eventually evolve Funifier’s platform by integrating Octalysis principles and game design techniques. Little did we know that this partnership would grow into one of the most impressive Octalysis case studies ever seen. Just a few years later, Funifier would help Caixa Economica Federal, Brazil’s public bank, would go on to increase their recurring profits by over $1.06 billion USD and leap from being the #2 public bank in Brazil to becoming the #1 public bank, all within just 9 months. I made a case study video on how this is done: https://vimeo.com/998551750 (this video is unlikely to pass the test of time compared to this Metablox Memory on the blockchain...)

The workshop itself was a blend of fun and learning. I had brought in a variety of interactive props to make the experience engaging, including the Plants vs Zombies Flower and the Final Fantasy VII Cloud Sword—always crowd favorites. But the real highlight was the dart game. As I handed out magnetic darts throughout the day for people’s participation, the excitement grew. The more darts you collected, the more chances you had to compete in the game at the end. People were so eager to earn darts, fearing that one might not even land on the board.

By the end of the day, after a 9-hour session, the workshop was winding down, but something extraordinary happened. Even with many of the online participants already in a different time zone and on the verge of logging off to rest after pulling all-nighters to attend, they asked me to turn the webcam to watch the dart game. They didn’t want to miss it. They were hooked, fully engaged, and wanted to know who would win—if the person with the most darts would truly come out on top.

The winner of the dart game would get something personal and meaningful from me: a piece of artwork that my best friend and cousin gave me when I moved to the U.S. at age 13. It was made out of recycled paper that he had learned how to make, and it blessed me with good luck on my journeys to the new world.This artwork had immense sentimental value, and I wanted to pass it on to someone who truly connected with the spirit of the event. I told people that whoever brought this piece of artwork to any of my workshops or events in the future - no expiration date - can always walk in for free. The winner was part of Ricardo’s team, and they were excited to learn that this small token would be transferable—if they brought it to any of my future physical events, they’d be able to attend for free (or they could sell it on eBay and it would still work).

That workshop marked the beginning of not just two days of learning, but the foundation of something truly epic—a legacy of gamification that would impact industries around the world. The energy, the partnerships, and the shared commitment to transforming businesses through the power of game design made that first workshop unforgettable. Looking back, it was one of those pivotal moments in life when you know you’re on the verge of something monumental. And to think, it all started with a dart game, a piece of recycled art, and a room full of passionate, curious people.