Tech Challenges: meet Chafik, Solutions Engineer

… Learn more about our Culture and Tech Expertise …

Before you came to Voodoo, what was your background?

I had quite a diverse experience before joining Voodoo! I started as a professional football player while studying business and product management. I then spent two years working in a marketing firm while studying computer science and engineering, as well as building side-projects. I then decided that I wanted to work in the gaming industry, so I started making games!

Voodoo was actually the first company to test one of my games, so I was naturally drawn to the company. I already knew about them because of their game portfolio, and they always caught my attention in the top charts! So I began working with them as an external studio. I tested around eight games with them before deciding to apply for a job! They offered me a role as a Solutions Engineer, and that’s how I joined the company!

Why Voodoo?

I already knew people that worked at Voodoo, so I had a good understanding of the culture and expectations. I was sure that the culture matched my values and ambitions, so I went for it.

What is your team and role at Voodoo?

I work in the Publishing Operations team. I’m in charge of ensuring that every studio we work with is supported. I basically work with every studio as a link between the technical aspect and business development. If any technical issues come up during the launch process, I’m there to save the day, making everything smoother, easier, and pleasant for the studios. I work really closely with the studios so we’ve even become friends these days!

Within Voodoo, I work very closely with the Publishing Managers and technical teams such as Voodoo Sauce. The Publishing Operations team is split in two: the non-tech side (designers, publishing associates, creatives etc.) and the tech side (solution engineers). There are currently three of us in the team, and it’s still growing fast which is super cool news.

Another aspect of my job is recruitment and onboarding. I support the recruitment process from the very beginning to make sure we have the right candidates. I’m also a coach for newcomers in the team, so I’m in charge of their onboarding. Onboarding usually lasts a month, and we document the whole process step-by-step to make sure that the new team member is ready technically for the job and gains a strong understanding of the tools we use. Since we’ve been working remotely, I have regular calls with every team member to make sure that everything is ok and see if I can help in any way.

A typical day or week at Voodoo and what projects are you currently working on?

We don’t really have a weekly routine, as we don’t do the same day every day! As we’re in the middle of different teams and studios, our days can really vary depending on what our current projects are.

For me, a typical day would be a lot of calls with studios. I really love interacting with them, I can really connect with them as I was a studio working with Voodoo once! I learn so much from our discussion too, as they’re all talented and very good at what they do. We also have a daily meeting with the whole team to discuss what we’re going to do that day and if we need any help from teammates. One of Voodoo’s key values is Helpfulness, and this really comes across in these meetings, people are always keen to help!

My favourite kind of day is probably when we launch a game, which is always super exciting. It’s like an adrenaline rush! Sometimes you see the game in the top charts the week after, which is really cool.

Since we started working remotely, we’ve started using tools like Slack, Zoom, and discord a lot more. This is quite nice because I’ve been added to a lot of different team chats so I can talk to them whenever, without needing to plan a meeting or anything.

What are the greatest strengths of your team?

I think that as Solution Engineers, our biggest strengths are being reactive and proactive. As soon as there’s a problem, we get right on it and always aim to fix it before the end of that day. I’d also say that Communication is one of our strengths as a team. We’re always striving to improve our processes, predict issues that could come up, and find solutions to potential problems.

Which tools do you mainly use?

The two main tools that we use everyday are Unity and Xcode to build on iOS. We also use Facebook Ads Manager, especially for testing campaigns.

How do your development cycles work (methodology, communication process, etc.)?

The way we work really depends on the project at hand. We have a clear process for each member of the team. For example, if we’re dealing with a launch, one person will handle the launch, come up with ideas, and prepare the VoodooSauce SDK IDs for studios. We use Notion to do that.

In terms of development cycles, we’re now Product Owners of the Voodoo TinySauce (which is a custom SDK that we now use for every prototype). This means that we work really closely with the studios, allowing us to gain a lot of insights and feedback which help us constantly improve the tool and integrate interesting new features. The first step is the ideation process, using feedback and trends as inspiration. We then clearly define owners for each task. Once the features are implemented then the developer pushes the changes to Github and requests a code review. If validated, the changes are then merged into the main code. We do a lot of QA in different versions of Unity before deploying it live on the TinySauce SDK!

With more general projects, we start with a brainstorming session all together to make sure that everyone understands the expectations, missions, deadlines, and to determine the scope of ownership for each team member.

What is the impact of your role at Voodoo?

Our job is to make Publishing Managers and studios’ lives easier. We take care of any issues that arise, and make sure that we come up with the best solutions to solve them as quickly as possible. The team has been getting more and more projects recently, such as the iOS compliance changes, so we’re really starting to have an impact on the company in that sense too.

What’s the most exciting thing about your job?

For me the most exciting thing is definitely working directly with the Studios, especially on games launches.

What are the biggest challenges you face in this role?

It can be challenging to deal with different time zones and potential language barriers when working with studios from all over the world. Our teams are really starting to get more international though, so that’s really helping in that aspect!

The best project you worked on at Voodoo?

I think it would be the Voodoo Tiny Sauce SDK. It was originally created and handled by the Voodoo Sauce team, but we then took ownership of the project and have been able to add so many features such as A/B testing for prototypes. This was definitely one of the best and more exciting projects that I’ve worked on.

What do you prefer at Voodoo? What value speaks most about your time at Voodoo?

I was very lucky when I joined Voodoo. My first week was actually meeting our in-house hyper-casual studio in Barcelona, which was a great way to kick off my Voodoo experience!

Other than that, I really appreciate the trust and ownership that managers gave me in this role. It gives me the opportunity to make quick and smart decisions when working with studios.

Another of our key values is Excellence, which I really take to heart. We always strive to work together in the best and most efficient way, and we’re always trying to help each other out.

How do you feel the individual and collective excellence daily at Voodoo?

I think collective excellence in the Publishing OPS team comes from our reactivity and communication skills. Individual excellence comes from recruiting the best talent for the team, with both high technical skills and a culture that fits the company.

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?

I think the first thing, and perhaps the most important, is problem-solving skills. We’re looking for people who think outside the box, especially when you need to solve a big issue that you haven’t faced before. Honestly, if the candidate is not the best at Unity, but they have a high problem-solving mindset, that’s the most important thing for me. Our interviews typically include case study questions to assess the candidate’s reactions, mindset, and so on.

In terms of soft skills, I think friendly people who are passionate about their work and the company’s success. We’re looking for business-oriented candidates as well as technical people.

Why should a developer/tech engineer join your team, and what advice would you give them?

If you want to learn every aspect of the tech world, whether it’s marketing, handling customers, coding quality projects and so on, this is the perfect job for you. If you’re autonomous in your role and able to be flexible within your job, then come entertain the world with us!

In terms of advice, I would say start, or keep, working on side projects. This is something that I’m still doing today, to make sure I’m continuously improving my skills and understanding of the industry. The fact that you lead side projects also demonstrates how passionate, motivated, and hardworking you truly are.

At least, can you talk about the Unity Center of Excellence at Voodoo?

Unity deployment on mobile is at the heart of development at Voodoo. Joining our Unity Center of Excellence is a great opportunity for you to access a multitude of interesting jobs and help you find the best role for your skills and expectations. If you are a talented and passionate Unity developer interested in joining Voodoo, but are not sure which role suits you the most, you can apply to join our Unity Center of Excellence. A Talent Acquisition Manager will support you along the recruitment process, advising you and leading you to the job opportunity and team that will match the best with your skills, expectations and the company’s needs.

If you would like to join the team and work on the same type of project, please apply directly on our career site: https://www.voodoo.io/careers/jobs.

Go ahead and meet the entire team with this article on our blog!