Archive for the ‘Career’ Category

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Just Make That Game Already!

Wednesday, May 15th, 2013

Blendo Games' Atom Zombie Smasher'

Blendo Game Designer, Brendon Chung, has a simple answer to the question, “How do I get started making games.” His answer is, “Make stuff. And then make more stuff.”

Great ideas are – well – not so great if they stay in your head or scratched out on a piece of paper. Until you actually start building something, you have no idea whether or not it will work or be any fun to play. At Cogswell College, we agree with Mr. Chung’s premise – you learn best by doing – so that’s the way we design our coursework.

Yes, learning good design theory will make your job easier and increase your chances for success but unless you get your hands dirty, you’ll never know if your idea has potential.

Read Brendon Chung’s amusing guide to getting started in video game design.

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30 Interviews with Start-up Entrepreneurs on SoundCloud

Friday, May 3rd, 2013

Jonah Lupton – Entrepreneur, Investor, Advisor, Speaker – Founder: Lupton Media Group, Parabolic Ventures, InterCapital Group, among other endeavors – compiled a set of 30 interviews from his Startup Sense radio show for your listening pleasure. If you are looking for some insight into the entrepreneurial process, this is an inspiring place to start.

Some of the companies represented are: Seed Spot, Buffer, Apptopia, Socialyzer plus interviews with IP attorneys, serial entrepreneurs and other entrepreneurial movers and shakers.

Which video gave you new insights?

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So You Want to be a Web or Mobile Developer?

Monday, April 29th, 2013

Here’s some great advice for new developers from Justin Searles of Spinnakr in this short video posted by Devsbuildit. For those just starting out he list the three biggest challenges as – the huge number of developers who have entered the field since the advent of mobile and web development became ‘sexy,’ figuring out the best way to make your app responsive in the mobile world and keeping up with the constant technological changes.

He encourages new developers to understand that bugs are part of the development process – don’t get discouraged – stick with it and you will make it work.

Take a few minutes to listen to Justin’s ideas and then let us know what you think.

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Seven Most Common Interview Questions

Friday, April 26th, 2013

Your hands are sweating and the flight or fight instinct is kicking in. Is there a bear in your backyard? No, you’re getting ready to walk into a job interview. Scary stuff, that.

This helpful article in Career Realism may help send those butterflies on their way and help you walk into that interview with confidence.

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Steve Blank on Why a Lean Start-up Changes Everything

Thursday, April 25th, 2013

Why do so many start-ups fail? Entrepreneur and educator, Steve Blank, has developed a method called, the Lean Start-up, that sets the traditional launch of a business on its head. At Cogswell College we’re a big proponent of Mr. Blank’s method.

One of the key tactics he suggests is that start-up founders should actually ask their potential customers whether the proposed product or service is something they actually want. Seems logical but many start-up founders launch their companies based on their vision and not solid market research.

A second mistake that many entrepreneurs make is to create elaborate business plans and assume that the business plan tells them everything they need to know. Blank suggests that entrepreneurs get into more of an iteration and pivot mode.

This comprehensive write-up in the Harvard Business Review about Steve Blank’s method is a must-read for every entrepreneur.

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Handcrafted Board Games Are Not Dead and Stone Librande is Proof

Wednesday, April 24th, 2013

Many Cogswell students – past and present – will recognize this name. Not only is Stone a “SimCity” Designer at Electronic Arts but he has also taught “Game Design I” at Cogswell every Fall for years. Stone brings his love of game design into the classroom and shares his enthusiasm for the creative process with those lucky – and wise enough – to take his class.

Stone wanted to do something special for his young children so 17 years ago he decided to design a board game as their Christmas present. The first game was a hit and a Christmas tradition was born. The hobby eventually led to a job when some executives from Blizzard Entertainment played his 2002 gift, “Monster Hunter.” And the rest, as they say, is history.

Read the rest of the story in the article by Wired.

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When Your Presentation Hits a Technology Speed Bump

Friday, April 19th, 2013

Ever been to a presentation where evil trolls seemed to have taken over every technical apparatus around? Nothing worked right and the poor presenter muddled through the best he could while dealing with a blank screen, no audio or wrong slide deck.

Now imagine yourself in the situation. Entrepreneurs often have to think on their feet and be prepared for any eventuality.

This article in Inc.com offers some helpful tips to deal with presentations that run into technical glitches and how to avoid them in the first place.

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Alumnus, Will Christiansen, Talks About Halo 4

Thursday, April 18th, 2013

Ever wonder what it would be like to be a team member on a AAA Title game? Cogswell College alumnus, Will Christiansen, talks about his experience and shares examples of his work on Halo 4 in this edition of inside 343 Industries.

“Sitting and working right at the crossroads between design, functionality and how our worlds come to life is what the primary role is for a Gameplay Animator at 343,” said Christiansen.

According to Will, there is always something new and different to challenge him in his work. Take a few minutes to check out his hand-keyed animations in his Halo 4 demo reels.

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Getting Your App to Market: Tips from Papaya Marketer

Thursday, April 11th, 2013

Join Justin Mauldin, Director of Marketing at Papaya Mobile in this Application Developers Alliance interview.

He talks about the need to understand your niche audience, the importance of engaging influencers in the pre-launch period and how to stand out among the million other apps on the market. Learn the steps you need to take to avoid becoming a zombie app.

Check out the video.

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A Host of Apps for Busy Entrepreneurs

Friday, April 5th, 2013

Can’t keep up with all the demands on your time? Is your smart phone your portable office? Then here are some great apps that might just make your life a little easier.

From money management to file storage to document editing to communications – check out these handy tools listed at Entrepreneur.com.

What business task gives you the biggest headache and what app could solve that problem?

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