• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Exclusive

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

Scopely CEO: To excel at business, create a narrative

By
Chanelle Bessette
Chanelle Bessette
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Chanelle Bessette
Chanelle Bessette
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 3, 2013, 2:48 PM ET

FORTUNE — Walter Driver is a longtime social gaming entrepreneur whose company, Scopely, works with independent gaming studios to co-develop, distribute, market, and monetize multiplayer games. Prior to Scopely, Walter founded and served as CEO of O Negative Media, where he developed social network gaming applications. Before that, he co-founded Ignition Interactive, one of the first developers of third party applications on the Facebook platform.

In 2012, Driver was recognized by the World Economic Forum as one of its Young Global Shapers, and in 2013 he was a finalist in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Brown University. After he attended Fortune’s Brainstorm Tech conference, we picked his brain about his accomplishments, technology, and the surprising thing he learned in school that has helped him as an entrepreneur. 

1. What business or technology person do you admire most? Why?

My father, Walter Driver Jr.  He’s had a very successful career in law and now finance and showed me that doing everything the right way all the time pays unforeseeable dividends over time — shortcuts rarely take you where you want to end up.

2. What other companies do you admire? Why?

Valve and Vice are two companies I think are very cool — they have an identity that means something to people who work there.

3. What technology sector excites you most?

I’m pretty thrilled to be coming of age at the advent of the smartphone era. Having a connected device in the hands of billions of people is going to create fundamentally new opportunities that are just beginning to take shape yet and are easily taken for granted in the U.S.

4. Is business school necessary for entrepreneurs?

I’ve never had any formal business education, so I honestly don’t know how useful it is, but it’s definitely not a requirement. From my perspective, most people who start companies do it because they either a) are wired that way and can’t imagine doing anything else, b) they have a unique insight into a particular market, or c) there’s a problem they are insanely passionate about solving. Business school seems like a more useful training ground for being an executive than an entrepreneur.

5. What is the best advice you ever received?

Most people overestimate what they can accomplish in the short-term and underestimate what they can accomplish in the long-term.

6. What is your greatest achievement?

The friends I’ve made. Life wouldn’t be very much fun without them.

7. What was the most important thing you learned in school?

I studied creative writing in college. I was writing poetry when most of the folks that are now my peers were writing code. How to create a narrative was the most valuable thing I learned in school — it’s how humans make sense of the world.

8. What is one goal that you would like to accomplish during your lifetime?

My aspiration is that everyone who works at Scopely to view it as one of the highlights of their professional career.

9. What was the last book you read?

Spent by Geoffrey Miller. Any entrepreneur doing something consumer-facing should read it. It’s a very interesting take on the real reasons we buy the things we buy.

10. What is one unique or quirky habit that you have?

I don’t eat any condiments. No sauces of any kind. People ask what kind of diet I’m on, but no, I’m just weird like that.

More from Fortune‘s 10 Questions series:

  • Polyvore CEO: To succeed, write ‘good, clean code’
  • Annie Longsworth on the one trait every leader needs
  • Tony Fadell on practicing what he preaches
  • Deena Varshavskaya talks retail, mobile, and empowerment
  • Mike Abbott’s deep thoughts
About the Author
By Chanelle Bessette
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

shyam
CommentaryHealth
World Economic Forum: women’s health gets only 20% of R&D funding. We must seize this $1 trillion opportunity
By Shyam BishenMay 18, 2026
39 minutes ago
Markets are jittery as the global oil crisis bleeds into a global debt selloff, while Trump weighs new military options on Iran
EnergyOil
Markets are jittery as the global oil crisis bleeds into a global debt selloff, while Trump weighs new military options on Iran
By Jason MaMay 17, 2026
5 hours ago
CDC to escalate Ebola response after WHO declares emergency
HealthHealth
CDC to escalate Ebola response after WHO declares emergency
By Jessica Nix and BloombergMay 17, 2026
6 hours ago
Four crew members ejected safely after two Navy jets collide and crash during air show in Idaho
North AmericaMilitary
Four crew members ejected safely after two Navy jets collide and crash during air show in Idaho
By The Associated PressMay 17, 2026
7 hours ago
Gundlach says it’s ‘just not possible’ for the Fed to cut rates
EconomyFederal Reserve
Gundlach says it’s ‘just not possible’ for the Fed to cut rates
By Jordan Fitzgerald, Sam Kim and BloombergMay 17, 2026
8 hours ago
Supply shocks weren’t random. They were strategic—and should be seen as ‘supply coercion’ instead, former Fed official says 
Economysupply chains
Supply shocks weren’t random. They were strategic—and should be seen as ‘supply coercion’ instead, former Fed official says 
By Jason MaMay 17, 2026
8 hours ago

Most Popular

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
AI
Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
By Jake AngeloMay 16, 2026
2 days ago
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
Politics
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
By Jake AngeloMay 12, 2026
5 days ago
The top foreign holders of U.S. debt may soon dump Treasury bonds and bring their money back home, potentially spiking borrowing costs
Economy
The top foreign holders of U.S. debt may soon dump Treasury bonds and bring their money back home, potentially spiking borrowing costs
By Jason MaMay 17, 2026
11 hours ago
Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 
Politics
Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 
By Jason MaMay 16, 2026
1 day ago
'No one was coming to save me': How Reese Witherspoon built a $900 million company from a problem Hollywood wouldn't fix
Success
'No one was coming to save me': How Reese Witherspoon built a $900 million company from a problem Hollywood wouldn't fix
By Sydney LakeMay 17, 2026
18 hours ago
SpaceX heads into a record-shattering IPO with the 'deepest moat that exists today' as investors vow to 'never bet against Elon'
Innovation
SpaceX heads into a record-shattering IPO with the 'deepest moat that exists today' as investors vow to 'never bet against Elon'
By Jason MaMay 16, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.