Unless you are the talent or already have the connections, getting into any industry means starting from the lower position. Part of that journey could include unpaid internships, which could be seen as unpaid work or as time invested in your future. Today’s guest, Philip Hübner, has a fantastic take to share in that regard. 

Philip Hübner is the Chief Business Development Officer at Challengermode. This Swedish company offers online esports infrastructure to players, organizers, and developers. Challengermode sees itself as the railroad of esports, facilitating players’ access to esports, helping organizations develop and create competitions or monetize their communities, and assist developers in launching, scale, and monetize their games.

In this episode, we talked about Philip’s remarkable journey in the gaming industry, from a professional player to becoming CBDO. He shares his vision on free internships, diversity in esports, and talent. 

Connect with Philip on Twitter: https://twitter.com/philhubner

or visit Challengermode’s website: https://www.challengermode.com/

Find them on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/challengermode/

on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/challengermode

Twitter: https://twitter.com/challengermode

Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/challengermode

or through Discord: https://discord.com/invite/challengermode

Full Episode Breakdown:

1:17 – Philip talked a bit about his family’s relationship with gaming when he was a kid.

4:25 – Philip speaks about his experience in Halo. How after a summer of practice, he and his team were beating the best teams in Europe.

8: 37 – John and Philip talk about how hard it is for parents to understand the positive aspects of gaming and how harder it was in the past. 

11:38 – Philip shares his vision on what it means to be talented.

14:28 – Philip talks about how he asked the ESPN of esports at the time to cover League of Legends and other games and ended up covering it himself, forming a team of 200 volunteers.

19:15 – Driven by passion or vision? Philip talks about his time doing free or almost free jobs.

22:35 – John and Philip talk about free internships.

26:31 – You’ll most likely be the waterboy. John and Philip talk about talking the first steps in the industry. 

31:29 – Philip talks about what they do at Challengermode.

36:50 – John and Philip talk about the inclusion of women in esports.

39:13 – Philip talks about diversity in esports.

43:45 – John and Philip talk about the pipeline to become a professional gamer.

49:19 – John and Philip talk about sponsorships and passion in gaming and esports.

54:01 – Philip talks about the show business part of esports.

56:20 – Philip speaks about what we can expect from Challengermode in the following years and what is the future of esports in his opinion.