Inside look into Yahaha’s staff — Andrew

Our staff interview series is in full swing and we’re moving through the staff so fast we soon need to hire a bunch of new people just so we can keep this up! Our next interviewee is Andrew, our Head of Community.

Welcome, Andrew! I hope you’re doing well and the day is treating you nicely. Could you tell us a little about yourself so everyone reading this can get a peek into the kind of person we’re working with?

Absolutely! Greetings everyone, my name is Andrew, so what to know about me? Originally, I am from Ireland but have been living in Finland for about 12 years now (thanks to meeting my wife through World of Warcraft). I have been working in the industry in some form for almost two decades. I started as a freelancer game critic and then moved through roles in Esports, mobile games, and tech.

You’re working in the gaming industry. Would you consider yourself a gamer? If not, what is your relationship with games, and what role have they played, if any, in your life?

I am most definitely a gamer and have been since I first discovered the world of games (a little later than most because Ireland was always behind). Ever since I first got my hands on video games I knew this was what I wanted to do in life. I never knew what I would do in the industry, just that I had to be in it. It made me definitely more adventurous due to the fact that I knew one day I would have to leave Ireland if I really wanted to work in the industry. I also spent a lot of time learning with games about a lot of worldly things that I would not have known otherwise. Nowadays, if it’s a game, I play it. It may have become an addiction.

You’re our Head of Community. I guess our next hire will be the Torso or Limbs of Community. Anyway, what exactly does it mean to be in your role? Why do we need a Head of Community?

The game and tech industry has come a long way even in the last 10 years. Back in the day, you could get by with a very small team (in some cases just one person) to do support, social media, and community-related stuff. Nowadays there is a lot to do for each individual role which ranges from everyday managing of the platforms to content creation, and just interacting with the users. My responsibility is to oversee the wonderful team I have so that all of these things happen. Whether that is helping with goals, creation, or direction, I am there to support, guide, and help each team member. I also hope to pass on the knowledge I have gained over the years to help them grow in their roles and within the industry to help them achieve their goals and dreams as well.

How about your daily life at Yahaha, could you tell us what your regular workday looks like?

The wonderful thing about working in a community position is that no day is ever the same. My schedule can vary drastically depending on what is going on, for example, I could be spending the day playing games from our wonderful event entries, or live streaming. The next day I could be in meetings all day deciding how we can better improve to give users the best experience. Maybe some events happen, or maybe I just look at some spreadsheets all day. No day is ever the same and therefore it never gets boring. It is one of the things I love about the game/tech industry, particularly the community side of things.

After the workday is done, everyone leaves the office to do their own things. What kinds of things relax you and what do you usually do in your free time?

As mentioned before, video games! I do spend a lot of time playing video games, or one in particular (currently I’m on another Path of Exile rabbit hole grind). However, I also like to read a LOT and watch anime and sci-fi/horror shows and movies. Photography is also a big interest of mine, and, of course, more importantly, hanging out with my absolute best friend Mori, my Shiba. One of the things I love most in life is stories, so this is probably why I spend so much time consuming them in various formats.

If someone wanted to do something like what you’re doing, in a company like ours, what kind of advice would you give them?

One of the sad realities at the moment is that there really isn’t an education for our roles. There are slowly starting to be some university-level degrees for social and community which makes me very happy to see, but in most cases, it is still an experience thing. Do not be afraid to start small either, you can always work your way up and always know your worth. It will take time and effort but if I had to say three things that people should really focus on when trying to make it, they would be as follows:

• Patience, it will be invaluable.
• Creativity, you and the company you work at will always want to show what sets you apart and why users will want to engage with you. What makes it special is that the users want to spend time with you and without creativity, this will be difficult.
• Understanding! A lot of people think socials and community are easy to work in and get a surprise when they jump in. Know what it is going to take, and improve in areas you might not be familiar with (like analytics and how to use them to improve your community).

Any parting words, life mottos, or other words of wisdom?

In my personal opinion we as Community, Support, or Social Media Managers don’t get better as we grow vertically, but horizontally. The more we understand about ourselves, our role, and our user base the more valuable we become and the more we can be the best we can be. Knowledge is key.

Interested in game development and want to try creating your very own game within YAHAHA? In that case, you can easily join and sign up for our Early Access by heading over to Yahaha.com.

In addition, we also have our Yahaha Discord Server for creators and our brand new YAHAHA Forums. Our creator community is not only the place where we announce brand new features and events first, but it’s also a place where creators can share knowledge, learn more about game development, and meet some amazing like-minded people.