GICG 008: Should I drop out of college and learn to make games on my own?

Game Industry Career Guide Podcast

#Lifestyle #Video Games #Jason W. Bay #GameIndustryCareerGuide

35:36

In the latest episode of The Innovators & Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez sits down with Sam Huang, Principal at BMW iVentures, for a candid conversation to explore the dynamic intersection of venture capital, artificial intelligence, robotics, and manufacturing innovation. Sam shares BMW iVentures’ investment thesis, focusing on Series A and B startups across the US, Europe, and Israel, with a strong emphasis on AI-driven SaaS, automation, and onshoring trends driven by labor shortages and supply chain disruptions. Listeners gain valuable perspectives on the evolving venture diligence process, the importance of product-market fit, and how higher ARR benchmarks reflect both market maturity and macroeconomic factors like rising interest rates. Sam also candidly discusses his unconventional career path—from a Stanford history PhD program to law school and ultimately venture capital—highlighting how diverse experiences enhance investment acumen. The conversation delves into the benefits of corporate venture capital, especially BMW’s hands-on support and networking advantages for portfolio companies. Additionally, Sam reveals how AI is integrated internally at BMW iVentures to optimize workflow and decision-making. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the future of innovation, investment strategy, and the transformative impact of AI and robotics on global industries. Learn more about Sam's work at https://www.bmwiventures.com/ and her involvement with the Asian Tech Collective at https://www.asiantechcollective.com/ Connect with Sam on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-huang-10375b106/ Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply at https://finstratmgmt.com/innovators-investors-podcast/ Want to learn more about Kristian Marquez's work? Check out his website at https://finstratmgmt.com…

10 years ago 7:20

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Today's question is from John, his son is wondering if he should drop out of college and learn to make games on his own? To ask me a question about how you can get a job making games, hit me up at www.GameIndustryCareerGuide.com LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE http://www.gameindustrycareerguide.com/5-legit-reasons-not-to-drop-out-of-college/

50 episodes

Game Industry Career Guide Podcast

GICG 008: Should I drop out of college and learn to make games on my own?

Game Industry Career Guide Podcast

15 subscribers

published 10 years ago

MP3•Episode home

50 episodes

#Lifestyle #Video Games #Jason W. Bay #GameIndustryCareerGuide

All episodes

Game Industry Career Guide Podcast

1
GICG050: How can I tell if a video game jobs website is a scam? 10:38

9 years ago10:38

10:38

This week's question is from Bryan, who asks "Where can I find reviews for this business site and is this a legit website that I will not be scammed by?" LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE http://www.gameindustrycareerguide.com/testing Thanks for listening! I'm going to take a break from podcasting for a while, but please stop by and see me at the website, GameIndustryCareerGuide.com. To ask me a question to be answered on this podcast, just leave a comment or send an email. For more information on getting a job in video games, visit: http://www.GameIndustryCareerGuide.com…

Game Industry Career Guide Podcast

1
GICG049: What are some demo ideas for my video game programming portfolio? 8:36

9 years ago8:36

8:36

This week's question is from Max, who asks "Hello, I don’t miss an episode of your podcast ever since the first one. I have a question: What are some specific examples of demos you could prepare for different game programming positions? Could you provide some specific examples that a hiring manager would like to see for positions such as Gameplay Programmer, Graphics Programmer, or Tools Programmer, to name a few? Thanks a lot and keep up the excellent work." LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE http://www.gameindustrycareerguide.com/what-should-i-put-into-my-video-game-programming-portfolio/ http://glslsandbox.com http://www.gameindustrycareerguide.com/the-very-best-game-programming-books/ Thanks for listening! Want to stay up to date? Subscribe to my mailing list from any page on the website. To ask me a question to be answered on this podcast, just leave a comment or send an email. For more information on getting a job in video games, visit: http://www.GameIndustryCareerGuide.com…

Game Industry Career Guide Podcast

1
GICG048: How does the video game industry adapt to new technologies? 8:29

9 years ago8:29

8:29

This week's question is from Jesse, who asks "My biggest question is how does the game industry adapt to new technologies?" LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE http://www.gameindustrycareerguide.com/careers Thanks for listening! Do me a favor and rate this podcast on iTunes. It would mean the world to me. To ask me a question to be answered on this podcast, just leave a comment or send an email. For more information on getting a job in video games, visit: http://www.GameIndustryCareerGuide.com…

Game Industry Career Guide Podcast

1
GICG047: Should I take a video game job I don’t want, just to get my foot in the door? 7:54

9 years ago7:54

7:54

This week's question is from Indigo, who asks "I have a question about taking a job in a position you don’t want just to get your foot in the door. I’ve had many teachers and other people tell me that taking a QA job or a 2D art job is a good idea just to get in. But I know that I really wouldn’t enjoy it nearly as much as a 3D art position. But it’s pretty hard to find a 3D position. So I’m not sure what to do. Any advice would be great." LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE http://www.gameindustrycareerguide.com/artist http://www.gameindustrycareerguide.com/testing Thanks for listening! Remember: Work hard, work smart, don't give up, and you WILL get that job. To ask me a question to be answered on this podcast, just leave a comment or send an email. For more information on getting a job in video games, visit: http://www.GameIndustryCareerGuide.com…

Game Industry Career Guide Podcast

1
GICG046: Will my job application be rejected by resume bots if I submitted a PDF file? 8:24

9 years ago8:24

8:24

This week's question is from Travis, who asks "I am a recent computer science graduate. I applied for a tester job at Ubisoft and, following your advice, I submitted everything as a PDF file. But I recently listened to another podcast that said big companies, like Ubisoft, don't actually read resumes, computers do, and that we should use a plain resume with specific fonts and save it as a Microsoft word or a TXT file so the computer can parse the information. Is this true? Is my application going to be overlooked because I submitted PDF files?" LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE http://www.gameindustrycareerguide.com/resume http://www.gameindustrycareerguide.com/tester Thanks for listening! And thanks for being my trusted friend in science. To ask me a question to be answered on this podcast, just leave a comment or send an email. For more information on getting a job in video games, visit: http://www.GameIndustryCareerGuide.com…

Game Industry Career Guide Podcast

1
GIG045: Special birthday episode! 8:56

9 years ago8:56

8:56

Today is the 3rd birthday of GameIndustryCareerGuide.com, let's celebrate! LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE http://www.gameindustrycareerguide.com/careers Thanks for listening! Press "play," listen all the way to the end, and then there will be cake. To ask me a question to be answered on this podcast, just leave a comment or send an email. For more information on getting a job in video games, visit: http://www.GameIndustryCareerGuide.com…

Game Industry Career Guide Podcast

1
GICG044: How can I start my career as a video game industry recruiter? 9:03

9 years ago9:03

9:03

This week's question is from Ashely, who says "My name is Ashely and I am a recruiter that is new to the Video Game recruiting world. I wanted to combine what I do with one of my favorite hobbies which is playing video games. I discovered your blog and see that you are an expert in the field. Do you have any advice for me as a recruiter or can you guide me to any blogs that can help me crack into this industry?" LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE http://www.gameindustrycareerguide.com/careers http://www.gameindustrycareerguide.com/tester Thanks for listening! You're the meaning in my life, you're the inspiration. To ask me a question to be answered on this podcast, just leave a comment or send an email. For more information on getting a job in video games, visit: http://www.GameIndustryCareerGuide.com…

Game Industry Career Guide Podcast

1
GICG043: Do I need to be a good writer to get a job testing video games? 6:20

9 years ago6:20

6:20

This week's question is from Dillon, who asks "I am really interested in becoming a video game tester! I really like finding bugs and sharing about it to my friends. The only problem is I'm not a great writer. Would that be a major deal breaker?" LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE http://www.gameindustrycareerguide.com/how-to-become-a-video-game-tester/ Thanks for listening. Your mission: Share this episode with just 1 other person who would like it. Thanks. :) To ask me a question to be answered on this podcast, just leave a comment or send an email. For more information on getting a job in video games, visit: http://www.GameIndustryCareerGuide.com…

Game Industry Career Guide Podcast

1
GICG042: What should I put into my video game programming portfolio? 7:48

9 years ago7:48

7:48

This week's question is from Supreeth, who asks "Hey Jason! Supreeth here, we here in India appreciate all the information provided in you website and I'm a huge fan of your podcast :). So, I would feel glad if you could provide me any certain information regarding, How do I make a game programming demo to apply for jobs? How should the demo be? In video format? How do I show my code along with my demo reel?" LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE http://www.gameindustrycareerguide.com/resources/ http://www.gameindustrycareerguide.com/best-way-to-learn-video-game-programming-in-high-school/ Thanks for listening, and for sharing this with other aspiring game programmers. To ask me a question to be answered on this podcast, just leave a comment or send an email. For more information on getting a job in video games, visit: http://www.GameIndustryCareerGuide.com…

Game Industry Career Guide Podcast

1
GICG041: Do video game studios ever consider hiring entry-level job applicants? 7:34

9 years ago7:34

7:34

This week's question is from Taylor, who asks "I am incredibly committed to my craft and improving at it, yet I am under the impression that when I apply for jobs, along with my application there may be 30+ talented artists who have been in the industry before. Do hiring managers occasionally consider candidates that have potential, despite not having the experience? Or do they only seriously consider ones that have industry experience?" LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE http://www.gameindustrycareerguide.com/you-can-swim-with-the-big-fish/ Thanks for listening, and for sharing this with other people who are bustin' their butts to get a job in the game industry. To ask me a question to be answered on this podcast, just leave a comment or send an email. For more information on getting a job in video games, visit: http://www.GameIndustryCareerGuide.com…

Game Industry Career Guide Podcast

1
GICG040: "Land a Job as a Video Game Tester" book - Free Chapter 8:13

9 years ago8:13

8:13

This week, I'm reading you a free chapter from my book, "Land a Job as a Video Game Tester." GET YOUR COPY Thanks for listening. If you liked the free chapter, please consider buying the book. I think you'll love it! http://www.gameindustrycareerguide.com/tester To ask me a question to be answered on this podcast, just leave a comment or send an email. For more information on getting a job in video games, visit: http://www.GameIndustryCareerGuide.com…

Game Industry Career Guide Podcast

1
GICG039: Could being a video game designer eventually make me hate playing games? 7:38

9 years ago7:38

7:38

This week's question is from Anthony, who asks "One concern I have is, what if being a game designer makes me hate gaming? A friend of mine said that he has talked to developers and they have told him that it’s like eating your favorite food 20 times a day. Is that true?" LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE http://www.gameindustrycareerguide.com/video-game-industry-work-life-balance/ Thanks for listening, and for sharing this with other people who want to become game designers. To ask me a question to be answered on this podcast, just leave a comment or send an email. For more information on getting a job in video games, visit: http://www.GameIndustryCareerGuide.com…

Game Industry Career Guide Podcast

1
GICG038: If I land a game dev job in a new city, can I get help with moving costs? 7:43

9 years ago7:43

7:43

This week's question is from Kit, who asks "I live in a state where there is no real game development work around, which puts me in a pickle because when I graduate I will have a degree but nowhere to use it. I already know that my best bet is to move to another state like Washington, but how does someone like me who will be new to the industry land that first job when migration cost has to be a factor? I've heard that some companies will help with this if they really want you to work with them, but I will not have a reputation at this point so I don't see that happening. Do you have any suggestions?" LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE http://www.gameindustrycareerguide.com/video-game-job-hunt-guide/ Thanks for listening. Email me if you'll be at GDC 2016, let's connect! To ask me a question to be answered on this podcast, just leave a comment or send an email. For more information on getting a job in video games, visit: http://www.GameIndustryCareerGuide.com…

Game Industry Career Guide Podcast

1
GICG037: Do video game programmers get to contribute to the game design? 7:09

9 years ago7:09

7:09

This week's question is from Derek, who asks "I’m interested in both game programming and general game design, my talents lying mostly with programming. Do game programmers often get much input in the game design outside of simply how the game functions? I assume this would largely depend on the size of the team. But I’m just wondering if it’s likely I’ll get to participate in both areas." LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE http://www.gameindustrycareerguide.com/careers Thanks for listening. Email me if you'll be at GDC 2016, let's connect! To ask me a question to be answered on this podcast, just leave a comment or send an email. For more information on getting a job in video games, visit: http://www.GameIndustryCareerGuide.com…

Game Industry Career Guide Podcast

1
GICG036: Should I learn programming if I want to become a video game designer? 6:28

9 years ago6:28