Reflecting on 10 years of Riot

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10 years ago I moved down to Los Angeles to work at Riot Games. A month ago I made the difficult decision to leave. After parsing through my memories and thinking about my time there, I’ve collected a set of things I’ve learned from different mentors, teachers, and colleagues.
Lance Stites taught me that I should never be in doubt about whether or not I’m doing my job to the expectations of others. If I ever wasn’t sure, I should just ask. Expectations are something that a manager owes you – and if you’re not getting them despite your greatest efforts, then evaluate whether or not you’re in the right place professionally.

Steven Snow taught me that I should always challenge the perspectives of those around me. While it’s great to have team cohesion and a shared direction and vision, it’s important to bring in different perspectives in order to ensure you’re taking a comprehensive look at all the different ways you can attack an opportunity space.

Stephen Lim reinforced to me that studying games is never a substitute for experiencing it yourself. You can understand academically why people are playing Pokemon Go, but when you’re marching on Santa Monica Pier with hundreds of other people on a Friday night – you can discover the nuances of what makes the experience compelling, or what innovations and improvements lay hidden beneath.

Joe Tung taught me that building relationships with other discipline leads is a key element to the success of your game and your ability to effectively manage your product. We should all be students of the other disciplines we’re exposed to – and given Production operates at the intersection of all disciplines, we have the most to learn. The best game developers and business leaders never stop learning and relentlessly pursue growth.

Thomas Vu taught me to connect with my team on a personal level, compliment people’s work and be specific when you do it. As you become more senior it becomes really easy to get caught up in meetings and disconnected from the realities of actual game development. Staying connected to your team is important not just for your team’s culture, but for you to maintain a grounded perspective of what things are like on the front lines.

When I rejoined League in 2019 - I thought that I had developed the ability to stay calm in difficult situations. Then I met Jessica Nam and she said, “Hold my beer”. JNam led League of Legends through so many challenges that the average developer and player never got to see. Spearheading difficult changes in Riot’s culture, being asked to speak on behalf of different underrepresented groups, managing the logistics of making a game during a pandemic, and all while Executive Producing the biggest game at the company. It was also amazing to watch her mold consensus rather than search for it.

Bridget Davidson was by far the most influential and impactful mentor for me at Riot. She found me at a time in my career where I was obsessed with meeting the expectations of others. She taught me that while understanding the expectations of others is important – the most important expectations should be the ones you set for yourself. She’s constantly helped connect my dreams and overwhelming optimism with pragmatism and feasibility. Lastly, while I came to Riot with some level of developed empathy, I benefited from watching her put on a masterclass in wielding it, particularly how to manage and lead with empathy - but also drive clear accountability at the same time.

I will forever be grateful to Marc Merrill and Brandon Beck for taking a chance on me. My experience at Riot was truly transformative personally and professionally, and I wish everyone there the best of luck in their endless pursuit of making awesome shit for players.

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