Episode Summary
In this episode of Process Unpacked, host Amir Khorram, Vice President of Meegle US, sits down with Jim Welch, CEO and Founder of The DevHouse Agency. Jim shares the journey of building his multimillion-dollar development studio, specializing in gaming and immersive technologies like AR and VR. From grassroots beginnings to collaborating with industry giants like ExxonMobil, Jim explains how DevHouse organically scaled by addressing challenges head-on and refining its processes over time.
Jim dives into the art and science of project management in the fast-paced world of immersive tech. He highlights how minimalist tools and structured workflows help DevHouse balance creativity and operational efficiency. Jim emphasizes the role of project managers as communication leaders, ensuring clarity and agility in tackling the unique demands of custom software and game development.
Listeners will gain actionable insights on optimizing team productivity, integrating tools, and creating scalable systems to handle complex, iterative projects in the immersive tech space.
Guest-at-a-Glance
Name: Jim Welch
What they do: CEO and Founder
Company: The Devhouse Agency
Noteworthy: Built a multimillion-dollar studio specializing in gaming and immersive technologies.
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Key Insights
Project Management in Immersive Tech: Balancing Creativity and Structure
Jim Welch discusses how The DevHouse Agency manages the unique demands of AR and VR projects by combining creativity with operational precision. He emphasizes a minimalist approach to project management tools, focusing on systems that consolidate tasks and reduce complexity. Welch highlights the importance of maintaining flexible yet structured workflows to handle the iterative and experimental nature of immersive technology projects. By empowering project managers to take ownership of both technical and creative aspects, DevHouse ensures seamless collaboration and adaptability across teams. This approach enables the company to meet tight deadlines while delivering innovative solutions for clients.
Scaling a Studio: Organic Growth Through Problem-Solving
Jim Welch shares the story of DevHouse's evolution from a one-person operation to a multimillion-dollar studio. He attributes the agency's growth to solving problems as they arise and building scalable processes. Welch explains how DevHouse adopted a grassroots approach, hiring team members incrementally as demand increased. Instead of raising capital upfront, he focused on delivering results and learning from challenges. This iterative approach allowed the studio to refine its systems, ensuring efficiency and quality at scale. By fostering a problem-solving mindset, DevHouse has grown into a trusted partner for industry giants like ExxonMobil.
Challenges in AR/VR Development: Tools and Team Dynamics
Welch explores the complexities of managing AR and VR projects, highlighting the gaps in traditional project management tools for creative-heavy workflows. While many tools support software development, they often lack features for managing the approval of 3D assets and creative elements. Welch explains how DevHouse addresses these gaps by integrating face-to-face meetings with streamlined tool use to enhance decision-making and execution. He also underscores the value of fostering strong team dynamics through rituals and clear communication. This approach helps bridge the gap between creativity and operational efficiency, ensuring successful project outcomes.
The Role of Project Managers: More Than Task Managers
Jim Welch emphasizes the critical role of project managers in the success of DevHouse’s operations. Far from being mere task managers, project managers at DevHouse are deeply embedded in both the technical and creative aspects of projects. Welch describes them as "communication captains" who bridge the gap between clients, internal teams, and external collaborators. Their responsibilities include understanding client needs, guiding team workflows, and even offering creative input to ensure the project's vision is fully realized. By taking ownership and maintaining a high level of engagement, project managers at DevHouse drive projects forward with agility and precision. Welch’s insights underline the importance of empowering PMs to be decision-makers and contributors rather than just box-checkers, fostering a culture of accountability and excellence.
Episode Highlights
The Grassroots Evolution of The DevHouse Agency
Timestamp: [00:04:00]
Jim Welch shares the origins of The DevHouse Agency, starting from his solo freelance work to building a multimillion-dollar development studio. Welch highlights how he avoided raising external funds and instead focused on scaling the business organically by addressing challenges as they arose. This approach allowed DevHouse to create systems and workflows tailored to meet the unique demands of its growing client base in gaming and immersive technologies.
“I didn’t go do a big raise to start a business. I just decided, ‘Hey, I want to try my hand at doing this.’ A lot of it was early days freelance…scaling organically as more work came in and realizing, ‘Oh, we have a business here.’”
Mastering AAA Studio Collaborations
Timestamp: [00:12:00]
Welch delves into the challenges of working with AAA gaming studios, which often involve managing specific sections of large-scale projects. He explains how strong internal organization and clear communication are essential for delivering on client expectations. Welch stresses the need for well-structured systems to ensure seamless collaboration and to establish credibility during client meetings.
“Whenever you show up to those client meetings, ultimately there’s an expectation that they’re hiring you because you have expertise... You really need to know what you’re doing and know how to properly organize it and then present the results in a structured way.”
Navigating AR/VR Tool Challenges
Timestamp: [00:32:00]
Welch discusses the difficulties of integrating tools and technology in AR/VR development. While some automation enhances workflows, over-reliance on interconnected tools can create unnecessary distractions. He emphasizes the need to strike a balance between efficiency and focus, tailoring tool usage to meet the specific needs of the team and projects.
“At one point, we had every time someone made a push to our repository, it would notify the channel. It ended up being so noisy that people just ignored the channel... It’s about finding what helps your organization.”
Strengthening Teams with Rituals and Collaboration
Timestamp: [00:14:00]
Welch highlights the importance of team rituals and on-site collaboration for fostering creativity and efficiency. He explains how regular meetings and community-building activities improve iteration speed and maintain alignment within the team. For external collaborators, Welch incorporates them into as many rituals as possible to ensure seamless communication and shared goals.
“We found the community building, the connection, and the rituals make a big difference in what we do and the iteration time we spend. For our core team, that works really well.”
Top Quotes
- [00:04:00] Jim Welch: "I started working at other agencies doing somewhat similar work. I didn’t go do a big raise to start a business. I just decided, ‘Hey, I want to try my hand at doing this.’ A lot of it was early days freelance…scaling organically as more work came in and realizing, ‘Oh, we have a business here.’"
- [00:12:00] Jim Welch: "Whenever you show up to those client meetings, ultimately there’s an expectation that they’re hiring you because you have expertise. You really need to know what you’re doing and know how to properly organize it and then present the results in a structured way."
- [00:14:00] Jim Welch: "We found the community building, the connection, and the rituals make a big difference in what we do and the iteration time we spend. For our core team, that works really well."
- [00:10:00] Jim Welch: "The foundational things that we do to kind of keep this chaos somewhat contained are processes... This is how we run a sprint, this is how we handle production timelines. Those are pretty universal, even though each project’s scope, budget, and technical requirements differ."
- [00:27:00] Jim Welch: "The project manager needs this to be their baby. They need to really own every piece of this. They’re the most connected to the project, they know what the client wants, and they understand what all the craft people are doing."
- [00:32:00] Jim Welch: "At one point, we had every time someone made a push to our repository, it would notify the channel. It ended up being so noisy that people just ignored the channel... It’s about finding what helps your organization."
