Interview — Women in Tech
Here’s an article written following an interview with Sophie Vo, Studio & Game Lead at Voodoo
She discusses why she chose to work at Voodoo and her vision about women in tech
Before you came to Voodoo, what was your background?
I studied at business school and specialized in marketing towards the end of my studies. After graduating, I joined Gameloft as a project manager, which was my first experience in the gaming industry. From there, I specialized in game production, as well as setting up and leading creative teams. I then moved to Berlin to work at Wooga, which had more of a start-up feel. Before joining Voodoo, I also worked as product lead for Rovio, which means that I’ve now accumulated over ten years of experience in mobile and free-to-play games!
Why Voodoo?
I came across Voodoo at the right moment in my career, at a stage where I was looking to start my own studio.
I wasn’t familiar with Voodoo at the time but was intrigued by the French success story. I wanted to bring my international experience and participate in the development of casual games, and their approach really appealed to me. I immediately felt that they had strong, smart processes. It was an opportunity to learn how to make games in a new way, moving away from traditional game development which takes a lot more time. Voodoo offered a more dynamic, more efficient way of working, and I liked that right away.
I already had a clear vision of how I wanted to build a studio, creating teams based on a model that made sense, not just based on what had been done before. Voodoo was looking for leaders with a lot of ownership, a strong vision, a hacker mindset, and people who would be disruptive in the market. My discussion with the founders was the deciding moment for me. We talked about focus, leadership, and mindset. I already felt close to the culture and was inspired by their ambition.
What makes you get up in the morning?
The team. I know every member is there for the same reasons I am! We’re dedicated to our mission as a studio, and I always look forward to seeing what the team has produced during the day or finding solutions to challenges or problems that may have come up.
I’m lucky to be working with a very talented group of people on a super ambitious project. I have complete confidence in our ability to accomplish our dream, our vision, and succeed! We’re moving forward every day, developing new game experiences that will make their mark on a mass audience, creating unique moments for players! We’re using the potential of a game to convey a story, an emotion, an experience… pushing games to their full potential!
What was your integration like?
I spent my first few months at the main office in Paris to get a feel for the culture and the mindset of the founders and teams.
As I was building a team, it was a very entrepreneurial onboarding experience. There weren’t many guidelines set in stone, it was more like a playground of creativity and innovation. It was up to me to make the best use of the environment, the people, and their knowledge.
What three words would you use to describe your role?
Team: We work together in a cohesive team with the same vision and same direction.
Environment: Our culture, team, processes, behaviours, values, and ways of working are all super important in creating the right environment to achieve our goals.
Product: I make decisions every day on product strategy, creative direction, and what message we want to communicate with our games. It’s not just a people manager role!
What’s the most exciting thing about your job?
The moments that we get to celebrate a team achievement! We’re always super proud when we finish a project together or achieve a big milestone, and these moments with the team are always really exciting.
What are the biggest challenges you face in this role?
I would say that the human element can be challenging, supporting each team member in achieving their objectives. Sometimes lack of confidence or personal problems can prevent an individual from reaching their full potential, so it’s super important to help understand what could be preventing this and creating a safe environment for every person to reach their goals.
What is the impact of your role at Voodoo?
I was involved in the creation of our first in-house casual studio! This means that I was able to actively participate in setting up the structure and processes, as well as defining our ambitions for casual.
Voodoo were already experts in hyper-casual publishing, but the creation of internal, casual studios was new ground for us. It was a long-term investment for the company, and we had to define new budgets, approaches, and games through very open discussions.
What do you consider to be the essential qualities that a candidate for this role must possess (technical and soft skills)? Do you have any advice for them?
In a lean team, I think it’s super important to be hands-on. A profile that can really pitch in and get involved with what we’re doing. Having a background in the industry, as well as experience in marketing, will always help lead the team. Owning strong communication skills is also an essential quality, you need to build trust within the team.
In modern leadership roles more generally, we look for people with emotional intelligence, who understand the team’s talent, motivation, and fears. The heart of the job for a modern leader is to love the people you work with; striving to support, understand, and help the team move forward. Tomorrow’s talents will no longer accept top-down management. Everyone wants to be treated with respect and given both ownership and flexibility.
In terms of advice for any potential candidates, I’d say to know and understand yourself well. Take the time to review your motivations, clarify your vision and make sure you know where you want to go, what you want to create, and so on. Making sure your values align with Voodoo’s values is also key.
What value speaks most about your time at Voodoo?
Ownership! I strongly believe in this value, and it’s part of our DNA as a team.
Helpfulness is also a value that I see day-to-day at Voodoo. We’re working in a very competitive and fast-paced industry. Thanks to helpfulness, and a lot of kindness, we’re all moving in the same direction. Caring for each other helps us go further.
If you could change positions with someone at Voodoo, which one would it be and why?
I would probably pick a people officer position, a role that is very much linked to the culture, the environment, and the systems that reinforce company values. I do this on a day-to-day basis with my team, but this would be on a much larger scale!
How do you feel about being a woman in the tech industry
I have come across moments where it’s been difficult during my career. Before Voodoo, I often found myself in a minority position and my opinions were put aside. Sometimes I’d be the only one with opinions that were seen as “social”. But I believe that having a different point of view is what adds value.
I think power plays do still exist in some sections of the tech industry, in which the minority is considered less powerful, and the position of power takes over the dialogue. I don’t think this is necessarily about gender though, it’s more about being the minority.
How do you feel about being a woman at Voodoo
I’ve always felt respect from everyone. The People team at Voodoo makes sure that the environment is safe for all, that’s taken very seriously. There are common policies and penalties in case of unprofessional or unwelcoming behavior, and the company won’t hesitate to take action if need be.
What would you say to women candidates that hesitate to come to Voodoo?
Yes, Voodoo is a high-performing company, which can be intimidating if you think that you have doubts or don’t have all the skills. Please don’t hesitate to contact me or other women at Voodoo to discuss it! Don’t let doubts hold you back. We have a great culture, and a great team, so join us!
https://www.voodoo.io/careers/jobs
