It’s official—SPINIKO has been around for 10 years!
And just like Steve Jobs, it all started in a garage. Except instead of inventing the iPhone, I mostly ended up giving myself grey hair. But hey, you gotta start somewhere, right? These 10 years have given me a ton of stories to tell.
Like any good story, ours began over a beer… or maybe two! Honestly, I don’t remember the details, so let’s skip straight to the good stuff. We decided to start a company that rents out games for large-scale events. And in Montreal, we’re lucky—there are a ton of them! Here are 10 stories that made me laugh, cry, and occasionally question my life choices in this crazy adventure.
1. The importance of teamwork
Do you know why you should never get into a fight with your boss?
Back in 2014, I had an awesome boss (yes, they do exist). We became friends. In 2015, I left to start JEUX SPIN. Three years later, I asked him to come work for me. And he said yes... the madman!
Long story short, I became the boss of my ex-boss… And today?
We’ve been business partners for the past 3 years, through thick and thin!
2. The value of your network
This is so important if you want to make informed decisions.
On March 5, 2017, my 30th birthday, we appeared on Les Dragons on Radio-Canada. One of the Dragons, an expert in “fun,” offered to invest in our company. We accepted. Then the phone started ringing. Friends in the event world warned us.
The honeymoon turned into a nightmare.
As luck would have it, the deal never got signed. And seeing how things unfolded for that Dragon afterward? Let’s just say we dodged a bullet.
3. Always keep innovating
Like when a game rental company started making hand sanitizer stations during COVID.
Yep, we did that. And we did it well!
Our stations are still in use five years later.
Solid, Quebec-made craftsmanship! Who would’ve thought?
Around here, washing your hands kind of became a game.
4. Forget perfection
What matters is taking action.
Back in 2015, every morning felt like diving into the deep end without knowing how to swim.
The truth is, you’re never 100% ready, things can always be better, and the odds of failure are high. We said yes to every contract, then dove in headfirst to make it work. With experience comes knowledge, and after 10 years, we’re still doing it that way…
And still loving it!
5. Failure is part of the process
Like the time we lost (almost) our entire inventory...
It’s surreal when you show up at the office one morning and discover both of your trailers, packed with games... are gone. Even worse?
Calling the insurance company and learning you’re covered for the trailer, but not what was inside it. That was October 4, 2016. It felt like we lost everything. But we got back on our feet...
With hard work, long hours, and the amazing support of friends and family who helped us financially.
6. Resilience
It's the key to making it through.
Let’s be honest, the early years were rough.
Making less than minimum wage, setting up games outdoors in the middle of winter, tearing yet another pair of jeans and not being able to afford a new one…
It makes you question your choices. But that’s when you learn:
Resilience is what builds an entrepreneur’s spirit.
7. Supporting local
Being responsible matters, especially in times of crisis.
COVID and now supply chain barriers, have pushed us to go local.
But honestly, we were already heading that way.
If you want to be proud of your work, your ethics need to be solid:
From day one!
8. Loving what you do is everything
My passions? Games and sports.
And if I get to combine the two, I’m a happy guy. Apparently, I hate losing. Guilty.
But who doesn’t?
For the past 10 years, I’ve had the chance to invent games and the rules to win them. It doesn’t get better than that.
9. Time management is an art
Especially when balancing work and family...
With two young kids, I now know what it means to have a jam-packed schedule.
I play at home. I play at work…
I basically play all the time.
And I love it!
Sure, it’s a juggling act, but it’s totally worth it.
10. Learning to delegate & trust
Now that you’ve read this article…
Did I delegate the writing to ChatGPT?
You’ll have to wait until our 20th anniversary to find out!
Thank you to all our team members who played with us for the last 10 years.
We are still alive because of you and we will never forget that.
