CHRIS BENJAMINSEN, FOUNDER OF FRVR,
ANSWERS MY CROISSANTS’ PROUST QUESTIONNAIRE
My Croissants continues with Chris Benjaminsen, founder of FRVR, a global games scaleup that has reached over 1.5 billion players across platforms, and raised over $100m.
He lives in Copenhagen. His time is currently split between building new companies through a new AI reverse incubator and making sure his beloved dog Ella Fetchgerald never flies cargo.
His answers are grounded yet light, offering a glimpse into the mindset of a builder who balances intensity with a deep appreciation for family, craft, and everyday moments.
Each founder answers a different set of questions from the Proust questionnaire.
☉ When and where are you happiest?
End of a productive day, just being with my family. That feeling of having achieved something while being surrounded by the people you love. I’m lucky enough to have that most days.
✦ What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Inspiring people to build. The best emails I get are from people who saw a talk or read something I wrote and then started making things themselves.
◇ Which living person do you most admire?
Mark Rober. Real engineer who explains complex things simply. Built a massive audience by genuinely teaching, then turned that trust into CrunchLabs. Audience first, business second. That’s the right order.
△ What is the trait you most deplore in others?
People who sell shortcuts to success. If you had the trick to the stock market, you wouldn’t be selling courses about it. I respect people who share what they’ve learned openly. What turns me off is packaging ambition as a product when there’s no real substance behind it.
◆ What is your greatest extravagance?
I booked my dog – Ella day to day, but her legal name is Ella Fetchgerald – a seat on a private pet charter flight to and from the US because I wouldn’t put her in cargo. Twice.
◻ What is your current state of mind?
Focused urgency. AI lets one person do what used to take a team, but that won’t be a competitive advantage forever. Right now judgment, speed, and taste can create outsized outcomes. I’m trying to use it well.
♫ Which talent would you most like to have?
Better math. It’s one of the few areas where I regularly hit a ceiling.
↺ If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I’d be a natural manager. I can do it, but it costs me energy, and I’m better at starting things than running them. That’s part of why I prefer to build companies and hand them off.
⬣ What is your most treasured possession?
I’m not very attached to things. My family, my dog, and the few deep connections I have, is what matters to me.
☰ Who is your favourite writer?
Iain M. Banks. The Culture novels are one of the most optimistic visions of the future I know. I’d be happy if reality moved in that direction.
What is your favourite breakfast?
A breakfast burrito from a California mom-and-pop cafe.