Kaiju VR Taught Me About Leadership: Growing as a People-First Producer

Working as the producer on Kaiju VR has been one of the most eye-opening experiences of my game development journey. I originally thought being a producer was about timelines, features, builds, and getting things done. And while that’s all part of the job, I quickly learned that the real challenge—and the real growth—comes from working with people.

Lately, I’ve been reading The First-Time Manager, and just in the first two chapters, I’ve already had several “ah-ha” moments. It’s made me reflect deeply on how I’ve handled things as a student producer and how much of leadership is about people, not just projects.

One concept that stood out was the “Omnipotent One”—a bad manager archetype who believes, “If you want something done right, do it yourself.” They tend to hoard responsibilities, rarely take real breaks, and struggle to separate work from personal life because they don’t trust their team to carry the load. Reading that hit close to home. I’ve definitely found myself taking on too much, not because I wanted all the control, but because I didn’t trust the process enough to fully let go.

But being a producer is about trust. It’s about believing in your team’s talents—whether that’s 3D art, level design, concept, programming, or audio—and giving them the space to shine. If you're constantly holding onto everything, you're not leading—you're bottlenecking.

What surprised me the most is that before even reading this book, I was already doing some of the right things intuitively: I held regular 1-on-1 check-ins with teammates, asked how they were doing both personally and professionally, and offered support when someone was stuck or overwhelmed. Those conversations became the core of our team culture. I realize now that those human moments are leadership.

Another topic the book touched on is “span of control”—how many people are reporting to you, how many messages, emails, updates, and check-ins you’re expected to respond to. At one point on Kaiju VR, I felt buried. Not just in responsibility, but in time. I tried to respond to everything, be everywhere, help everyone. But the truth is, even the most dedicated manager has a limit. I experienced that firsthand before I even knew the term, and looking back, I see how real and valuable those lessons were. I learned to not take on too much and limit the number of reports I could take to keep my own personal sanity in check😆! This really helped me re-evaluate how I manage time, delegate tasks, and prioritize communication.

Yes, we’re all students. And I understand that deeply because I’m one too. That’s exactly why I’ve been pushing myself to take initiative—not just to ship a game, but to become the kind of leader who helps others grow. If I can support my team and help them feel capable and valued, then I’ve done my job right.

Kaiju at Spring Show 2025: A Proud Moment

One of the most rewarding moments of this journey was presenting Kaiju VR at Spring Show 2025 at my school. It was such a great experience getting to see all the amazing work across different departments—jewelry design, fashion design, graphic design, and, of course, all the incredible projects from my fellow game design students. The energy in the room was inspiring.

My presentation went smoothly, and after all the long nights and creative problem-solving we’ve poured into Kaiju VR, it felt incredible to showcase our team’s hard work to the rest of the Academy. The presentation focused on the mission of the game and its high-level concept, broke down the art style and visual direction, and shared feedback from our user experience tests and reactions from GDC. We wrapped it up with our final trailer, and seeing it all come together on screen felt like the perfect celebration of everything we’ve accomplished. It was a proud moment not just for me, but for everyone who contributed to the game.

Kaiju VR wasn’t just a game project—it was a leadership training ground. And I’m walking away from it with more than a build. I’m walking away with a better understanding of how to lead with trust, empathy, and intention.