Christian Gruber: Building AI Products That Play Like Games and Grow Like Startups

‍Christian Gruber is a two-time exited founder who turns game loops into growth loops for AI products people actually use.‍

He blends game psychology, pragmatic AI, and full-stack growth to build tools that don’t just work—but engage, scale, and stick.

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TL;DR Summary

• 🎮 2x exited founder: AI, gaming, product-led growth
• 🧠 CEO of Niky AI: voice-led interviews that replace resumes
• 🛠 Founder of Nifty Black: boutique AI consulting with game-thinking edge
• 🌐 Co-founder of Wunderflow: AEO/GEO-optimized Webflow studio
• 📈 Scaled products to 8-figure revenue and global adoption
• 🧩 Edge: fuses game design, behavior psychology, and LLMs into tools people actually use
• 💡 Based in Berlin, building the future of AI with a human-first mindset

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What I Do

I design human-first AI systems that behave more like games than forms—pulling users in with intrinsic feedback loops and emotional momentum. My products don’t just check boxes—they change behavior.

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At Niky AI, I lead a full-stack AI hiring platform that replaces resumes with voice-led interviews. We generate structured talent profiles from real conversations, then match talent and teams via a free-to-use marketplace.

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Through Nifty Black, I help companies streamline operations and differentiate with design-led AI—from prototype to production. Whether it's building AI copilots, structured workflows, or growth loops, we ship systems that feel alive.

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And with Wunderflow, I help founders launch fast, structured, and search-optimized—bringing Webflow together with GEO/AEO principles that get cited by AI engines, not just ranked by Google.

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Backstory

I’ve spent the last decade building at the intersection of AI, gaming, and product-led growth. Before Niky AI, I co-founded and exited two startups, including Dojo Madness (now Bayes Holding), a VC-backed esports and analytics company with 50+ employees.

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I led global product teams, and built gamified systems for learning, hiring, and marketplace growth. But the throughline has always been this:

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What makes people come back?

‍The answer, I’ve found, lies in the game layer, emotion, feedback, identity, and flow. Today, I apply those same mechanics to AI-native tools that actually get used.

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Who I Work With

• Tech startups and scale-ups looking to integrate AI in useful, usable ways
• Founders who want a sparring partner to take ideas from 0 to scalable MVP
• Enterprises needing rapid prototyping, positioning, or reactivation loops
• Media, podcasts, or conferences exploring the intersection of AI, product, and game thinking