#9 - Kshiraj Telang: "The Art Director Playbook" - Working Remotely, Across Cultures, Becoming an Art Leader & more

Today's guest is Kshiraj Telang, a seasoned artist and Art Director at Moon Active.

With over 20 years in the entertainment industry, including over a decade in mobile games, Kshiraj has worked at 11 gaming studios worldwide, gaining a unique perspective on diverse environments. He began his career as a cartoonist, evolving into roles as an animator, web artist, and flash game designer. Now, Kshiraj leads a talented team at Moon Active, providing vision for the company and its products. He also launched the 'Doodles to Downloads' podcast to give back to the industry and share insights on game art. 

In this podcast, he shares insights into the differences in work culture between various countries and the impact of these experiences on his professional development. Kshiraj also discusses the challenges and strategies of managing a globally distributed remote team. Additionally, he touches on how to become a better leader and the critical role of decision-making.

This episode offers valuable inspiration and practical advice for aspiring or senior artists and leaders in the gaming industry. 

Andrew Hubermann's podcast about the GrowthMindset: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQDOU3hPci0⁠

Connect with Kshiraj:LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/kshiraj/⁠Youtube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DoodlestoDownloadsInstagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/kshiraj/⁠

Connect with Harry:LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/⁠Youtube: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@UCtZBNcgtKJR2NtGct3-cFWg ⁠
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou/

Sign up to Gaming Rally Newsletter (Harry Phokou & Ali Farha's weeklynewsletter): gamingrally.net⁠

Chapters:00:00 Introduction01:20 Kshiraj’s Career Journey and Podcasting04:12 Lessons Learned from Working Across Cultures06:07 How to manage a remote team09:24 How Cultural Mindset Influenced Kshiraj's Career12:06 King vs. Rovio: Cultural and Work Style Differences17:04 Quality or Iterative Art? Which is better?19:03 How Iteration Affects Motivation21:31 Kshiraj's Way to Enable a Team as an Art Leader28:26 The Vision Behind a Fully Remote Global Studio35:05 Helpful Tools for Remote Work from Kshiraj39:58 Why the Mobile Industry? Its Dominance and Kshiraj's Choice44:16 Advice for Aspiring Artists47:13 How to Become a Great Leader: Essential Traits and Skills54:09 How Kshiraj Winds Down After Work55:53 Ways to Connect and Kshiraj’s podcast56:34 Final Advice

Music: https://www.bensound.com
License code: TPMOHN9REZGWEFBQ