Ep 21: LoserKid emails Deeproot, Robert Mueller responds!

TL;DR

Deeproot Pinball's Robert Mueller details vision, strategy, and measured confidence ahead of prototype reveal.

Summary

Key Claims

• Robert Mueller has not taken any outside money—he is self-funding Deeproot Pinball entirely from his own resources.

  high confidence · Josh emphasizes multiple times: 'he hasn't taken a dime from anybody. Legitimately, he hasn't taken a dime from anybody. This is all his own money.'

• Mueller spent significant money bailing out Zidware customers despite having no obligation to do so, in order to hire designer John Papaduke.

  high confidence · Scott states: 'this guy brought thousands of dollars to the table to bail out a failed company that wasn't even his company.' Mueller confirms in response: 'my desire to try and to help the Zidware customers got in the way of focusing on what was most important. It has sucked time and money out of the pinball project.'

• Deeproot's first prototype will be shown at Houston Arcade Expo in low-key fashion without streaming, but attendees will take photos/videos for social media.

  high confidence · Mueller: 'It will be a low-key affair we will have staff on hand to record lots of data and fix any issues i'm sure there will be ample pictures and videos taken by everyone there and posted to social media'

• Deeproot has 13 games in development pipeline, each with multiple unique innovations never before seen in pinball.

  high confidence · Mueller: 'Each of our first 13 games will have multiple unique innovations never before seen in pinball.'

• Mueller regrets the timing of bailing out Zidware customers, believing he should have launched Deeproot first, then addressed that obligation.

  high confidence · Mueller: 'I would go back and tell myself to get pinball launched first, then do the right thing.'

• Deeproot Studios in Utah is positioned as a broader creative entity beyond just pinball, though pinball is a primary focus.

  medium confidence · Mueller: 'deep root studios is an extension of the pinball project but it is also its own creative force it was never meant to be considered solely for pinball... pinball has been and always will be a means to an end not the end itself'

Notable Quotes

• “I breathe and live pinball almost every waking moment. It's something hard to get back to just standing in front of a machine and loving it for loving it.”

  Robert Mueller @ ~11:30 — Mueller addresses the challenge of transitioning from fan to maker, using analogy of a chef who can no longer enjoy cooking recreationally.

• “I've been brash, maybe too much so. But I also know that when the world sees the forest for the trees, a lot of the mysteries will make sense.”

  Robert Mueller @ ~12:15 — Mueller acknowledges his prior public persona while maintaining confidence in his vision, showing measured introspection.

• “We are not about selling high-priced art or animation first, hoping to hide a tired, cheap pinball design.”

  Robert Mueller @ ~13:00 — Directly addresses criticism that boutique manufacturers prioritize aesthetics over gameplay—core design philosophy statement.

• “If I had to do this over again, I probably would try to do things a lot differently... I would go back and tell myself to get pinball launched first, then do the right thing.”

  Robert Mueller @ ~19:30 — Mueller expresses regret about timing of Zidware bailout, suggesting it delayed core business launch, showing business maturity.

• “Besides, no one starting small would ever dent Stern's 80% to 90% command of the market.”

  Robert Mueller @ ~25:00 — Justifies 'go big' strategy with market realities, acknowledging Stern's dominance as reason for aggressive approach.

• “him paying off the Zidware people, that is amazing. And really, that should get a gold star banner number one option for me just because, again, he didn't have to do that at all.”

  Scott Larson @ ~27:45 — Generous community validation of Mueller's charitable/business decision, countering negative framing in some circles.

Entities

Signals

• ?

  business_signal: Mueller's Zidware bailout ($4,000+) represents significant capital deployment outside core business, prioritizing talent acquisition (Papaduke) and reputation management over capital efficiency.

  high · Mueller: 'my desire to try and to help the Zidware customers got in the way of focusing on what was most important. It has sucked time and money out of the pinball project.' Scott validates: 'he brought thousands of dollars to the table to bail out a failed company.'

• ~

  sentiment_shift: Hosts' shift toward validation of Mueller's decision-making and confidence in his vision, countering prior skepticism about 'brashness' with appreciation for self-funding and Zidware bailout.

  high · Scott: 'him paying off the Zidware people, that is amazing... that should get a gold star banner number one.' Josh: 'I'm refreshed because I thought that Robert was a little over the top and brash at the beginning... this seems to be also closer to the end of the production line.'

• ?

  competitive_signal: Deeproot claims 13 games each with multiple innovations never before seen in pinball, building on Williams-Bally era design principles while pushing into 21st century features.

  medium · Mueller: 'Each of our first 13 games will have multiple unique innovations never before seen in pinball... and then add in innovations on top of the Williams-Bally era and current machines.'

• ?

  design_philosophy: Deeproot positioning against 'high-priced art/animation hiding cheap design' critique; claims integrated value across build, art, animation, sound, interaction, production, and maintenance.

  high · Mueller: 'We are not about selling high-priced art or animation first, hoping to hide a tired, cheap pinball design. I hope the value speaks for itself very soon.'