Photo: Contributed
A strong community can promote new ideas and ensure accountability. It can also act as motivation, support and even provide a little friendly competition. The power of community is undeniable, and the Okanagan tech community is no exception.
Our community is strong and growing with record speed, and maintaining connections through a period of growth like this can be a challenge. Nobody panic. We’ve got a plan.
This is “The Faces of #OKGNtech,” a showcase of Okanagan tech entrepreneurs, partners, supporters and cheerleaders designed to fuel more connection, more growth and more excitement. Follow along on the blog and on Instagram at @OKGNtech to learn more about our growing community and what makes them awesome.
Meet Lindsay. Lindsay Allen is the manager of social strategy and content at Hyper Hippo. When he’s not bringing the voice of Hyper Hippo’s players into the boardroom, you’ll find Allen playing in punk bands, organizing punk shows or playing a round of golf.
Where do you work in the Okanagan?
I’ve been working with Hyper Hippo, a mobile gaming company, for over the last six years. You could say I’m one of the ‘dustiest’ members of the Hippo team. I know staying at one company for six years is a bit abnormal, especially in the tech industry, but it’s been such a positive place to work that’s allowed me to constantly grow and hone new skills. In the beginning, I had no idea what I was doing but Hyper Hippo gave me the space to learn and access to a strong mentor which helped build the foundation of my career.
What do you do there?
I’m the manager of social strategy and content, which means that I take care of all the high-level social strategies for our games and manage a team of two—our social manager and our community manager. I started out in player support, but my manager asked where I wanted to go in my career. I’ve had a strong interest in social media since the early days of blogs and MySpace, and I thought the social landscape would give us an opportunity to connect with players on a new level.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
It’s fast-moving and always changing; the hot platform today isn’t going to be the hot platform tomorrow. I’m constantly needing to learn and find out the best way to connect with our players where they are. I also like that we’re in a player-first space and that the community can really dictate what they want to see. One of my favourite things is being able to jump into a meeting and explain what our games need based on data and conversations we’re having with players.
What advice would you give to someone interested in a job like yours?
Say yes to a lot of things. Even if you don’t think you can do a certain task or take on a new responsibility, if someone is asking you to do it, they see the potential for you to succeed. Besides, there’s no shortage of people in your company, Okanagan or online that can help guide you in learning a new skill. It’s all about getting into a company or product that you’re really passionate about and letting people know where you want to go.
What do you enjoy about the OKGNtech community?
The great thing about this community is that everyone feels close enough that you could easily connect with someone that’s able to help you grow. Being able to meet those people in person is something that’s been missed lately. Hyper Hippo doesn’t have an office anymore; our team is fully distributed. On occasion, I’ll work from the Kelowna Innovation Centre. I remember stepping into that building and immediately running into someone I knew. The Innovation Centre is a great place for that.
Do you think there is anything missing from the community here?
We need to think about accessibility in tech a lot more. It’s going to be a key component in making products or services usable by more people. As an example, when it comes to our social content, we’re spending more time thinking about the hearing impaired and how we can tell stories and use animations that don’t require dialogue or sound. It’s great that we now have unlimited access to talent and perspectives around the world to help with that effort. It removes any previous excuse for not having representation in your work.
Is there a piece of advice you often share with others?
If someone is having a difficult time deciding whether to stay at their current job or go elsewhere, I always encourage them to go elsewhere. That may sound weird coming from someone who has been in one place for six years, but I find that, even if the new job isn’t exactly what you wanted it to be, you’re going to learn so much by trying something new than you ever would by staying put.
Is there something you want to be remembered for?
I hope that I’m remembered as someone that cared a lot. I feel like it’s cool to be dismissive and not care about things in punk rock, and I really bought into that when I was younger, but it was completely against my nature. I’ve noticed a big shift in what’s important to me as I’ve moved into a management role. I care more about the people in my team and helping them get to where they want to go in their careers than I do about my own goals. If they succeed, that’s a success to me.
All People in Business Stories
