I was around six the first time I played it. Two paddles. One dot. No story, except the one you created as you played.
By twelve, I had my first Atari computer. At thirteen, I launched a BBS from my bedroom and dropped $400 on a 10MB hard drive (and I got a deal). It felt like I was holding the future in my hands.
Looking back, Nolan Bushnell didn’t just build Pong. He planted the seed that would grow into a lifelong obsession: interactive storytelling.
Because Pong wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t loud. It didn’t need characters or cutscenes.
It worked because it handed you the controls.
It invited you in.
And that’s the move we still miss in modern marketing, speaking, and product design.
It’s not about dazzling people.
It’s about involving them.
Yesterday I coached a young founder on his pitch. He was showing a slide comparing a human-written post to an AI one.
I told him, “Print the slide. Put it on every table. Before you say a word, let the audience vote. Don’t talk about engagement. Create it.”
That’s persuasion in 2025.
It’s not about what you say. It’s about the game you let them play.
When people interact, they care.
When they care, they remember.
When they remember, they return.
That’s not nostalgia. That’s strategy.
So, what’s your Pong?
What simple, elegant interaction hands your audience the controls?
Because the best pitches aren’t performances. They’re invitations to play along.
