TheXPerts: Meet Aaron Biedma

Welcome to our Member Spotlight at TheXPlace, featuring a unique twist: a self-interview with one of our most esteemed professional members, Aaron Biedma. This edition provides an intimate, in-depth look at Aaron’s journey, narrated in his own words, offering a personal perspective on his remarkable career in the game dev industry.

📜 Bio

I am a seasoned and driven product leader. I most recently served as a Director of Product Management where I built up the discipline from scratch at the company as well as launched/ran multiple products. Over the years I have had a wide experience working on various platforms from PC based major and minor platforms, web based, and mobile. I have always thrown myself into whatever product and new platforms/experiences and have learned quickly so I can apply my experience and knowledge to drive my teams to success. I have been involved in all areas of production on games as well as during all phases of games through their pitch, planning/development (including P&Ls), release, and live service.

🏆 Overcoming Challenges

The number one challenge is not having a solid vision or shifting goalposts. If your leaders keep shifting the vision or what they want to do/where they want to go then delivering and executing on a roadmap and reaching objectives becomes an almost insurmountable challenge. Your key in product management is to align with your key leaders, get buy-in on your strategy and roadmap, and advocate for that chance for your product and features to get results. It may ultimately be out of your hands, but keep plugging away and working with your leadership on alignment.

🌟 Proudest Moment

The different times I have gotten to work with a big IP that I grew up with have been a dream for me...from Star Trek and Star Wars, to The Simpsons and Disney.

💪 Secret Weapon

Doing more than just researching and playing the genre of game I'm working on is a key weapon for me. The wider you go in the games you play, the industry and fan sites you visit, etc., will give you so many more creative ideas for features, content, and more that could work wonders on your products.

🔎 Background and Role

I've gone from my start as a Game Master on PC MMORPGs to a Director of Product Management in my almost 14 years in the industry. The key with every game, tool, and platform I've been involved with has been gaining product knowledge from day 1, so you're not operating with a blindfold and just listening to everyone else.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Team Dynamics

Collaboration is essential as a product manager; you must start by getting to know your team members and stakeholders. Show genuine interest in them as people, not just in what they are working on, when you can have conversations like that with coworkers that opens the door to easier collaboration and communication. When working on a project or feature, making sure team members across different departments know what objectives we are trying to reach helps keep team members aligned.

💡 Advice for Aspiring Professionals

It is a tough time in the industry right now with the churn of roles/jobs. But there are signs that it may turn back around in the short term. Don't be discouraged if it takes awhile to get your foot in the door since there are many established veterans also looking.

There are many resources out there on product management. Make sure you look not just at product management as a whole but also video game product management. The role can vary widely from studio to studio but there is much you can learn and apply that is freely available out there.

Don't miss out on the chance to be part of a community where exceptional individuals like Aaron Biedma thrive. Click here to learn more about our membership and start your journey with TheXPlace now. Your future self will thank you!

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