Koka for Hire

Part 2/25

Another point: I’ve grown a bit tired of developing my business in this field, so I lack the motivation to take significant steps toward scaling it. Meanwhile, the income—shrinking along with the ruble—doesn’t cover my current expenses in Montenegro, at least not at the previous consumption level, which I’m unwilling to lower.

Secondly, I’ve been on this Earth for 40 years, 35 of which I’ve adored video games and dreamed of creating them.

Time and time again, I made different choices, prioritizing other career and business decisions. But as 2024 approached, I made a New Year’s resolution to start creating a video game.

Over the past year, I’ve made significant progress on my game—writing 700 pages of documentation on game mechanics, economy, monetization, development, marketing, and most importantly, the game world and its inhabitants (my favorite part!). However, I haven’t yet succeeded in attracting other people to the project. So, I decided to try working in a game studio to see how video games are made, make connections, and gain real experience.

#KokaForHire

 

Koka for Hire

Part 1/25

For two months now, I’ve been actively and purposefully searching for a job in the gaming industry. It’s been four months since I began this journey, but the first couple of months were about warming up, diving into the topic, coming to terms with the idea, and learning the necessary tools.

Why am I doing this at all?

First of all, I need to make some extra money!

I have an established medical business that doesn’t require too much time to manage and provides a relatively stable income. However, this business operates in Russia, which is more of a constant source of stress than a reliable revenue stream.

If you’ve been living under a rock for the past three years, let me briefly catch you up. Our dictator launched an invasion of Ukraine, sparking a full-scale war in Europe. Besides causing hundreds of thousands of deaths and millions of ruined lives, this has destroyed Russia's economy, while escalating repressions have rendered property rights—already shaky—an empty formality.

As a result, I have to work harder just to maintain current income levels, while also bracing myself for the possibility that what was mine yesterday evening might belong to some Neo-Bolshevik Commissar by morning. Not the greatest perspective for financial stability.

#KokaForHire