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Cape Town · maker · game master

I give people opportunities to connect meaningfully with others by creating beautiful experiences.

I trained in sound, taught it, and moved through education and learning design into operations. Along the way I kept building things: games, tools, and a business. Each one is a way of bringing people together.

Simon Strehler

The business I run

Shortlisted

Reverse recruiting for people who are tired of shouting into the void.

Visit shortlisted.today

Founded 2026

We handle the worst part of the job hunt

Job hunting usually means endless scrolling, tweaking and sending, then silence. Shortlisted takes that part off people's hands, so they can put their energy into what matters, like interviews.

The shortlisted.today home page

Daily matches

Roles are scanned every day and only the ones worth a person's time get through.

Hand-built applications

A tailored resume and cover letter for each role.

Interview prep

When an application lands an interview, there's a prep pack to walk in with.

My tabletop studio

The Forge and the Fable

Games, stories and tools for the table. I also run games professionally.

Visit the studio

The long project · since 2021

Fable Smith

Fable Smith runs solo tabletop campaigns over Discord. Solo play lets people tell the stories they want to tell, but it's niche and hard to get into. Fable Smith is my way of making it easier to pick up.

A Fable Smith combat in Discord: the Oracle resolving an enemy's turn on a battle map, then the Narrator describing what happens next

Tavern Mix

A sound mixer for game masters, streamed live to the table.

Try it

Rune Sweeper

A rune puzzle for the table, with a game master's view and a player's view.

Play it

Play at my table

I run games online as a professional game master on StartPlaying Games.

Book a seat

By day

The LearnWorlds home page

Learning and AI

My day job at LearnWorlds. I listen to what course creators really need, then shape the learning and the AI that help them.

About my work

The path so far

I make complicated things feel simple.

See my work and case studies
  1. SoundRecording arts, then lecturing at a sound-engineering school.
  2. EducationLearning design and running programmes for real learners.
  3. OperationsBuilding the systems that let teams do their best work.
  4. NowLearnWorlds, Shortlisted, and the games.

Things I've built because something bugged me

All of them
"

I have no hesitation in describing Simon as a star performer. He is someone who cares deeply for students and staff, and his role revolves around bringing stability to operations.

David Klaasen · Director of Learning, HyperionDev

Pull up a chair.

Photography, writing and running games. There's more about me on the About page.