The gaming community is known for being a little hermetic; for some brands and companies, it feels like it is a small knitting club. To Billy Le Voir-Barry, our guest today, the best way to get into it is to put away the jacket, go to startups, meetups, turn off the sales DNA and interact with the community, in his own words: “just go on and be.”

This is the kind of approach IBM applied during the time he worked there, with incredible success. 

Billy Le Voir-Barry is the President, Chief of Esports, and Gaming Visionary Officer at GENERATION Esports & Video Games Consulting. He is a gaming visionary, currently leveling up in the world of esports. Billy was an independent consultant, acting as a PMO Architect Technologist when IBM contacted him to work for them. He spent over ten years as a CTO IBM of Esports and Video Games with incredible success, and now his career goes full circle, working as a consultant in his own company. 

Our conversation today revolves around the complex task for companies and brands to approach the gaming community, how to do it organically, and what are, in Billy’s opinion, the companies that did it right. We also talk about Billy’s journey from being an independent contractor to working in one of the world’s biggest companies to being an entrepreneur. We reflect on the importance of healthy leadership, eliminating toxicity in the workplace, and much more. 

Visit GENERATION Esports & Video Games Consulting website: https://consultingesports.com/

or connect with Billy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billy-le-voir-barry-b198446/?trk=public_profile_browsemap_profile-result-card_result-card_full-click

Full Episode Breakdown:

1:53 – Billy shares a bit of the beginning of his journey, working as an independent contractor attracting IBM’s attention.

4:24 – Billy talks about the moment big companies saw gaming and esports’ potential and how he got into that space.

8:24 – John and Billy talk about the companies that did well when it comes to approaching the gaming community.

13:04 – Interacting with the digitally native freeway. Billy unravels the secrets of IBM’s unique approach to the gaming and esports community.

16:48 – John and Billy analyze the organic and successful approach of DHL and the fantastic relationship they developed with DOTA.

18:27 – Billy kindly shares what he has in mind and his goals with his consulting company.

21:24 – Billy explains how he deals with not dealing with somebody else’s vision and approach to the business and, at the same time, having the weight of being responsible for every decision as an entrepreneur.

24:41 – John and Billy talk about the relevance of learning to delegate.

32:25 – Turning off the sales DNA. John and Billy analyze the best ways of approaching the hermetic gaming community. 

36:31 – John and Billy highlight how crucial it is to build a healthy workplace for employees and the company. 

39:08 – Have a taste of the gaming experience is vital. Billy gives his take on employees of gaming companies spending a couple of hours a day to play games as an enriching habit.

43:16 – Using video games as an anchor. Billy shares his view no using video games as an educational tool.

49:04 – Billy drops some hints of where he believes the gaming industry is heading.