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We did Computer Science at UMass. From there, we went into tech sales. So it's kind of selling software, so we did demos for customers. And the whole time we were doing that, that was kind of our placeholder job and we've always had a passion for gaming. Then we got into computer science because we wanted to make video games. There was a lot of pressure just from seeing where your own personal career is going versus the career where you're working for someone else. And I saw, there's an immediate ceiling on the career working for someone else and I'm seeing all these opportunities coming out for myself, and the only thing stopping those opportunities was the full time job. I think you just have a moment. There's no real other way to explain it. It's a moment you're just see it, you're like, yeah, I have to do this. But I will say a lot of people assume that moment's there when it's not. There's definitely a process to this, right. It's not just, all right, I'm out of college. I'm gonna work for myself for five years and make a million dollars by year four. No, it doesn't work like that. There's definitely a big process of getting that job that you might not love but that lets you eat, sleep, and whatnot. And then setting up a plan to be, all right, well I can work here while I do this at night and get my full passion together and whatnot. And you have to go through that until you have that moment for real, not until you make it up for yourself. So that took us nine years. It might take some people shorter, longer, depending on what your opportunities are and whatnot. But once the opportunity is there and it's clear, it's important to jump on them. 

I do recommend getting into computer science because it opens so many doors. No matter what field you want to go into, a foundation in computer science paired with self-confidence can take you far. If you do want to go into game design specifically, the most important thing to do is start now and practice. School gives you training, but consistently practicing your skills on your own is what's going to elevate you above your peers.

Feeling like I didn't belong was a huge roadblock for me. Computer science is predominantly made up of white males and I also didn't have a background in it before college. It took a while but I eventually gained the confidence I needed to succeed.

I start my day by looking over the task board with my brother and then tackling each task that needs to get done that day. We also make sure to realign ourselves with our goals, especially during development periods. Development involves a lot of coding and art design. As we work, we’ll sync up throughout the day to make sure we’re both on track. We also spend time managing our community through social media. If a convention is coming up, we’ll spend time organizing equipment and getting ready.

Khalil Abdullah

About Khalil

Khalil Abdullah

About Khalil

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