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How did you come up with the idea for your business?
Certainly not by myself. In the Fall semester of 2022, myself and five other talented AET students came together to begin working on a game that we had no idea would turn into a viable business venture. I think the idea that all six of us could form a business entity together really started to form when we went to the world’s largest Game Developer Conference(GDC) in March of 2023 to showcase the title we’d been working on for 8 months, Re:Fresh. We initially had planned to release Re:Fresh for free on Steam, but after playing our demo, so many industry folks told us that we had something and that we should value our work and sell it! From that point forward the seed was planted, but it didn’t really mature until I attended Develop:Brighton in the UK in July of 2023 and received incredible reception from more industry professionals and publishers. I believe Develop:Brighton was really the catalyst for me that made me think ‘Wow, we could really do this. People believe in us and like the game!’. After returning from the UK, the team and I had some really difficult conversations, but we ultimately decided that we were going to form an indie game studio. And the rest is history!
What does the average day look like for you now as an entrepreneur (especially compared to past jobs/days)?
I’ve always been a highly motivated person, always looking for opportunities for myself, always doing networking and outreach to personally learn and grow, and I think the biggest shift is that my ‘go-getter’ spirit is now on a much larger scale. I’m not just looking for opportunities for myself, but for this studio and my teammates as well. I feel an intrinsic responsibility when it comes to the success of the individuals behind Merge Conflict Studio, and I want to make sure I’m always doing as best I can for myself and for the team :)
TL;DR it’s actually quite similar, just on a larger, higher stake scale!
What are some of the top things you have learned so far?
People in the games industry are overwhelmingly kind and incredibly passionate about the work they do! The formation of Merge Conflict wouldn’t have been possible without countless developers (like Xalavier Nelson, Richie de Wit, Rami Ismail, Justen Andrews, and Tyler Coleman to name just a few) who’ve given us development and business advice. Outside of the game development world, the people we’ve met through UT Austin’s network, for example the Herb-Kelleher, Harkey, and Kendra Scott Institute, have been immensely helpful particularly when it comes to the business aspect. My biggest lesson and takeaway from my entrepreneurial journey thus far has been to always ask questions and have gratitude even in the difficult times!
Who or what inspired you to become an entrepreneur?
It’s still a bit odd to consider myself an entrepreneur, but if I had to mention somebody specifically, I suppose Professor Tyler Coleman was my biggest inspiration. In addition to being a Professor at UT (at the time), Tyler is also the CEO of Retora Games. It was in his Indie Studio Class that we were able to continue development on Re:Fresh, attend GDC, and commercially launch on Steam. In a very appreciative way, my favorite description of Tyler is that he’s an agent of chaos, and from chaos sometimes opportunity arises. I’m forever grateful to him for being realistic about the indie path and for always fighting to give us opportunities. Without him, Merge Conflict Studio wouldn’t exist.
What have been 1-2 of your proudest moments in creating your business?
On a personal level, just seeing this dream come together over the past year has been something I’m really proud of. From a company standpoint, I’m proud of the fact that through every tough conversation and difficult decision, we’ve been able to stick together as a team. I’ve said it before, and I’ll continue to say it, but the people behind Merge Conflict are some of the best I’ve ever met. I’m grateful to know them!
Being nominated as the runner up “Best Student Game” for the Unity Awards was pretty cool too ;)
What’s the best advice you have received along your journey?
I’ve got two!
“Be bold. Don’t be afraid.”
“It’s never a good time to go indie.”
What’s a fun fact about you?
I love sunflowers and writing poetry :)
About The Author:
Founder of Merge Conflict Studio
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