Everyone Says They’d Buy Bitcoin If They Went Back to 2016. They’re Missing the Biggest Opportunity.
Ask almost anyone this question:
“If you could go back to 2016, what would you do?”
Most people give the same answer.
“I’d buy Bitcoin.”
And honestly, they’re probably right.
Bitcoin created incredible wealth.
But looking back from 2026, I think millions of people are overlooking an opportunity that may have been even bigger.
Creating games.
Not because every game becomes a blockbuster.
But because 2016 was the beginning of a golden decade for independent game developers, creators, and digital intellectual property.
While everyone was watching the price of Bitcoin, a new generation of developers was quietly building worlds, communities, and businesses that would last for years.
If I woke up in 2016 tomorrow, here’s exactly what I’d do.
1. I’d Build Games Instead of Waiting for the Perfect Idea
Perfection delays progress.
Shipping teaches everything.
2. I’d Study Why Pokémon GO Changed the World
It wasn’t simply a successful mobile game.
It proved that millions of people were willing to explore, collect, and share experiences together.
The lesson wasn’t Pokémon.
The lesson was human curiosity.
3. I’d Learn Unity Before Everyone Else
One year of experience in 2016 would become ten years of experience by 2026.
Compound skills are just as valuable as compound investments.
4. I’d Think Small Before Thinking Big
One addictive mini-game can outperform a giant unfinished dream project.
5. I’d Publish Every Year
The internet rewards creators who consistently release work.
Invisible developers rarely become successful.
6. I’d Learn How Steam Actually Works
Making a game is only half the challenge.
Learning how players discover games is equally important.
7. I’d Treat Mobile Gaming Like the Future
Because it became exactly that.
Billions of people now carry a gaming device in their pocket.
8. I’d Build a Website Before a Following
Followers belong to platforms.
Websites belong to creators.
9. I’d Learn SEO Before Most Game Developers Did
Great games deserve to be found.
Search traffic works while you sleep.
10. I’d Build a Community Before Building a Company
People don’t fall in love with businesses.
They fall in love with stories, creators, and shared experiences.
11. I’d Create Original Characters
A memorable character can live far longer than a single game.
Games end.
Intellectual property keeps growing.
12. I’d Study Why Cozy Games Make People Feel Better
Not every successful game creates excitement.
Some create comfort.
Understanding that difference changes how you design games.
13. I’d Learn Environmental Storytelling
Players remember feelings more than features.
A quiet forest can tell a story without a single line of dialogue.
14. I’d Stop Chasing Trends
Most trends disappear.
Human curiosity doesn’t.
Build for people, not algorithms.
15. I’d Design Games That Respect Players’ Time
People are busy.
Games that create meaningful moments often outlast games that demand endless hours.
16. I’d Document Everything
Development logs.
Artwork.
Sketches.
Failures.
The journey itself becomes valuable content.
17. I’d Think Beyond One Game
Books.
Comics.
Animation.
Merchandise.
Licensing.
Every successful game can become the beginning of something much larger.
18. I’d Learn Marketing as Seriously as Programming
A hidden masterpiece is still hidden.
Visibility is part of creation.
19. I’d Build Intellectual Property, Not Just Revenue
Money comes and goes.
Strong ideas can generate value for decades.
The world’s most successful entertainment companies weren’t built around products.
They were built around worlds.
20. I’d Bet on Curiosity
Technology changes.
Platforms change.
Business models change.
But people never stop exploring.
Never stop collecting.
Never stop solving mysteries.
Never stop looking for something they’ve never seen before.
The developers who understand that simple truth will always have an advantage.
The Opportunity Everyone Talks About… and the One Almost Nobody Does
Bitcoin was an extraordinary opportunity.
No one can deny that.
But while people were watching charts, another opportunity was quietly growing in the background.
Millions of players were discovering indie games.
Digital distribution was becoming easier.
Small studios were reaching global audiences.
Creators were turning imagination into businesses.
If I truly had one chance to wake up in 2016 again, I’d still admire Bitcoin.
But I wouldn’t spend all my time trying to predict the next coin.
I’d spend it building something people would still love ten years later.
Because fortunes aren’t created only by investing in great ideas.
Sometimes they’re created by becoming the person who builds them.
