Will Cox Gives Valuable Advice For People Looking To Progress In Their Career

Season 2 Episode 2 - 
Will Cox offers great advice for people progressing in their career.

Transcript

 One of the biggest things I've noticed in my career was...



 Wilcox, head of mobile publishing, brings a wealth of experience and expertise in strategy, management and game publishing. There's a skill in being able to understand what other people do. If you can get those two things, that really stands you in good stead to be able to do pretty much anything that you progress in your career.



 I hit the big red button. That's it. Now we're really good together. We are live. We are live. Live on... 18.4... K...



 WALWA... QALI radio. Haaaa!



 That's our intro. Thank you. I know you used that, though. I don't want you to. Well, I'm joined today by Wilcox. Thank you very much for joining me. Thank you very much for having me. You prefer Wilnut William. I... Will. Yeah, Will is better. I have seen William across the internet, though. I have different preference for written versus... Now we had a conversation about chat GPT. Did we? And about them sometimes getting it wrong about your history. Yes. So what I did was I put together some information about you. OK. I put it into chat GPT to spit me out an intro. Oh, OK. This is going to be fun. Yeah, because we intro everyone and this one is from chat GPT. OK, brilliant. I'm looking forward to it. Wilcox, head of publishing... That's... I don't like it. Wilcox was written.



 OK. Bit of first... First black... First note, yeah. Redmark in this chat GPT. OK. Head of mobile publishing brings a wealth of experience and expertise in strategy, management and game publishing to his role. With a background in business studies and a strong focus on entrepreneurial activity and business startup, Wil has demonstrated his thoughtful and analytical approach to achieve outstanding results in the industry. His track record of guiding teams, managing content plans and fostering publishing partnerships reflects his commitment to meeting and exceeding targets while aligning with long-term corporate objectives. Sounds good, doesn't it? Yeah. Is that accurate?



 Let's go with yes.



 So that was written from everything that I researched about you. So that was a culmination of everything. And it did a good job. It's a bit of what, LinkedIn, Instagram, Reddit... I can't disclose my sources.



 But it was... I liked it. I mean, I would give that guy a job.



 Great. I'll just use chat GPT now. Why not? The future. Yeah. Now, let's talk about... a little bit about you, Wil, before we get into career, possibly, and other things you've been up to.



 We were at an event and you went up to do a speech. Do you remember when we got an award? I think it was... was it TIGA? Possibly.



 We got...



 Was it Best Publisher that year? I can't remember. Written event. Was it the...



 Developed? Developed. When I gave the award. When you gave the award. But you did a bit of a speech before. I did give a bit of a speech before, yeah, that's right. And I remember watching your speech and I was thinking, I've never seen this side of you. The very confident open and you had a brilliant way of delivering the speech that I'd not seen previously. And this is... Yeah, stuff that I'd seen in... obviously from the acting world or... that would coach someone to do ultimately. But yeah, it was very good. And I remember seeing that and I was like, "Ah!"



 And then I also remember my first interview with you. Okay, yeah, I remember that. I remember thinking how relaxed it all was and how open and welcoming.



 So is that something that you've always had? Have you always been this sort of person where it's quite easy to work with you because of your approach to management and also sort of interacting with people? Or has it been something you've developed over time?



 It's a good question.



 Probably if you asked a few of my ex-bosses, you'd get some very different opinions on this. Um...



 I think that's something that's developed over time. Okay. But I'm not sure I would be able to pinpoint that I did anything specific to... Okay. ...sort of cultivate that. It's just a thing that's naturally developed over far more years than I care to remember of experience. So is it sort of like you're seeing what works and you're saying, "Okay, if I focus on being this sort of way, I can get better results. And also me as a person, I'm growing." Yeah, I guess it's a mixture of that and it's a mixture of having seen things that I don't think have worked in the past. Okay. So when I've been managed by people that, let's say, haven't brought out the best in me and trying to take that and make sure that I'm always bringing out the best in other people. Okay. And obviously that's got you to this point now. And I think a really good example of this is... This is where, yes, I was on LinkedIn and... Okay, exciting.



 ...people can leave sort of comments about, you know, working with you and what have you. Yeah, yeah. There was a comment from 2010...



 Okay. And another one from 2011, but the 2010, I think it's really interesting from this comment to what we're talking about now. So Ross says, "William is an excellent analyst with an eye of detail and awareness of the bigger picture. He has a great insight into the current video game market and also an eye on trends of the future. I cannot recommend him highly enough and he will surely be... Sorry, surely will go on to be an industry figurehead. And I think it's quite interesting to the position you are now, how that has... It is happening, which I think is fantastic people saw back then what is to come. Enough with the flattery though, Bournemouth University. What did they have to say about it? He never came to any lectures. Who is this man? I tried to get a statement from them, but they were just like, "Yeah, we don't know."



 But let's go. I think it's the whole time. Okay. I've got a certificate to prove it. Good. And a couple of LinkedIn ones too, but we'll talk about that in a bit. But let's go before that. Oh, wow. Okay. This is really a long time ago. Yeah. Let's talk about gaming before sort of heading off to uni to do business, as I know you did there.



 What was it about gaming first that attracted you? And I've asked this previously, but was it family, friends, or just you saw something and you were intrigued by it? What began your gaming experience?



 So we're talking here pre-professionally, just what is it that I liked about gaming? Yeah, yeah.



 God, that's a really difficult question to answer.



 I mean, I can remember the very first time my best mate, Alex, told me about the Gameboy. Okay. And I think I was talking up to him. It was coming up to my birthday, and I was saying I was going to have a...



 Maybe a Walkman I wanted for my birthday.



 See, I went pre-CDs. We don't even have CDs yet.



 Probably because I wanted the Simpsons Sing the Blues album. Okay. Okay. So I was talking about, like, this is what I'm going to have for my birthday. Yeah. And Alex told us, "Oh, why don't you get a Gameboy?" He was explaining, like, "You know, it's this thing and it's got games and..." So I went, "Well, does it play tapes, though?" He was like, "No, it doesn't play tapes, mate. It's a game player." It sounds a bit rubbish if you want to play tapes.



 And then my grandfather...



 It probably originates from my grandfather. He was mega into radios and, I guess, pre-what we think of technology.



 Yeah.



 And he had, when I was a kid, a BBC Micro.



 Okay. And so we would go over to his house every Sunday and I would normally find myself in the computer room playing things like Commander Keaton and the original Prince of Persia. Wow. I love how you say as well, "Computer Room" because I'm sure it was a lot bigger than what we have now. I mean, it was a beast of a shit.



 And he had lots of radio stuff set up in there as well. So I think it was probably originally the radio room. And then once there was a computer in there, it was the computer room. Or was it? I'm thinking about it. It may have always been the radio room.



 But anyway, I would find myself in there playing these games. And then later on, we did end up with a Gameboy. Which you still... I've seen it. You still play the Gameboy? That's not the original Gameboy. Okay. But the one that I recently upgraded is one of my original childhood Gameboys. But that was, I don't know, it was probably 12, 13 when I got that one. Okay. So Gameboy Advance. So... Oh, you got the Advance. Yeah. Maybe a bit older.



 So I think it was just that it was exposure from a variety of different places. Yeah.



 I just loved it. I loved playing games.



 Back then, the jumps between different consoles were pretty epic, right? You go from a Mega Drive to a PlayStation and you know what the hell is going on here.



 And so I just loved it, right? Kept up to date with everything. I knew when everything was coming out.



 Usual schoolyard rivalries. I loved the Saturn and it's amazing. No, the PlayStation's the best.



 You know, looking back on it was probably not entirely correct. I'm not in support for the Saturn, but I still love it. I still play on mine. Oh, really?



 Wow. Yeah, that's where it all comes from, I think. That's crazy because very similarly, I look back and they were such massive leaps. And it was from friends that I had to probably hear it a few times from friends before then I jumped in and played something because very much like you, I was more into the music side of things. And then, yeah, all the game stuff.



 I also remember, you know how we watch people play games now, sort of the original watching people play games was I'd sit on my friend's sofa while he played, you know, different games like Bioshock or whatever. And I'd just sit watching him play and yeah, you know, that was amazing. That was really cool. That was a cool night.



 And I think we've lost that little but we've got all now the streams and things like this. Yeah, it's a different type of thing. I mean, I remember being again, probably how old was I when the N64 came out? Probably 13, 14. And the amount of time I spent basically all night with the guys at school playing winner stays on either Golden Eye or Mario. Oh, Golden Eye. Yeah, so much fun. Yeah. So I mean, I was pretty good at Golden Eye. Okay. I was pretty good at Mario. I was pretty damn good at both. And it got to the point where my handicap against everyone else. Yeah, I don't know if you how much you played Golden Eye, but different characters had different heights, right? So I did not know this. Okay, really tall. Yeah. And very easy to hit and odd job was always really hard to get because he was really sure. And so the default aim is your bullets would just go over the top of his head. Interesting. So I used to have to be Jaws in every match. Yeah. And I had to play looking at the reflection in the window just next to the TV. So all my controls were reversed. Yeah, I was the easiest character to kill. Yeah. I still won.



 Is it you being that good or your friends?



 That bad.



 I own the console and could probably get it. But I'm sure you were. I'm sure you were. No, I remember those times. Golden Eye. What a game that led me on to don't if you played Call of Duty United offensive. So it was the first one but the expansion. Okay. No, I wouldn't have played that. It was when it was just it wasn't the full game. It was simply just like a free-for-all. I remember playing this. Do you remember just sinking so many hours into these games without a care or a thought? Of what the next day brings. Yeah, many a long summer day. I was talking to my mum about this recently about some summers when I was younger. Beautiful weather outside, but I would just like slightly bring up the blinds turn on the console and I'd have a whale of a time. Oh, God. She's like, did you knock outside? I was like, no, absolutely not.



 Right. Okay. So Bournemouth Uni, you studied business. I did studied as you absorbed. So what was it about studying business? Was that like a clear path for you moving into your Uni days?



 I am a clear path is probably not quite the way I would put it. I was always interested in business and I wanted to try and run things do stuff. I thought that was a good space to go into.



 I think, yeah, probably it was just sort of if that was a good course to do at the University. I wanted to be at. Okay.



 I sort of just took it from there. Yeah, I wouldn't I wouldn't say it was massively.



 Yeah, I'd been dreaming of that being my future since a young boy. Yeah, but you just want to naturally made. Yeah. It's to go into. And in hindsight, do you think that was a good decision?



 I would definitely.



 Yes, I know ultimately I think it was a good a good decision. I actually weirdly was thinking about this last night or a couple of nights ago. I think the only thing I would change is I would have applied myself.



 Like I think now yeah, if I could go back to University. Yeah. And like really work hard for four years. Yeah, I would 100% go and do that. Do you think it forced you to take a couple more steps when you left to get to more of where you wanted to be? And you think if you applied you'd be able to accelerate quicker.



 Yes.



 I mean, I think I



 yeah, I learned about being a bit scrappy and trying to



 find ways of getting things done.



 And you combine that with a bit of luck and things tend to go in the right direction. Yeah, but yeah, I think ultimately working a bit harder back then probably would have made initial moves a bit easier. But having said that I may not have ended up where I did end up right. It might have been that think other things I'd have tried. Yeah, I've worked out and that I may never have ended up working in games. So yeah, I'm also not



 that upset about the way things went. Then the things that happened as you say may not have happened and maybe it was all part of the plan. It's yeah, we'll never know but here you are now though. Exactly. On the Qually podcast. I mean, it doesn't get any better than this. Oh no. So just get out there and retire. Yeah, this is the last stage. It seems. Yeah, I've done it. Done it all. So business at Bournemouth and then you worked at Panasonic.



 I did that was that was a the course I did. I forget exactly. It was like a four-year sandwich course. I think they called it. So I did two years at University. Didn't buy first two years. Yeah. Did a year out working at Panasonic and then I went back and did my four year of University. Okay.



 What caused the jump from working at Panasonic? I guess is to do with tech and things like this. But then to move into games. So I guess the two were not connected at all. Right. I had did the year at Panasonic went back to University during that time was when I was doing a project called the Internet Games database. Yeah with Ross from LinkedIn. Oh, interesting. And you were co-founders. We were yeah to co-founders that did that. Okay. And so and then really it was from there that I went on to okay. Well get properly into the games industry. Was it simply an opening you saw or how did that come about? Was it contact? It was interestingly another friend of Alice. So me Ross. Yeah used to go to the pub with another guy. We'd always be discussing that we can do this and that's how the idea for that website came about.



 Chris was actually the one that really wanted to be in video games wanted to be an artist and he just happened to mention. Well, there's a job at Sega going as an analyst. Okay. That's something you kind of do. Isn't it? Why don't you apply for it? I thought yeah, why why don't I apply for it? Yeah, so I applied for it got promptly rejected right? That kind of sucks kind of forgot all about it. And then I maybe three months later, don't know exactly how long it was, but three months later, I got a call and said, oh, we're re-evaluating. The candidates. Okay.



 The reason that we'd rejected you is because you were not based near the office. So we just wanted to record you up and see how things are going. Like right. What would your plans be if you got the job? Well, I'd move to love.



 That's why I applied for it. Yeah, come for an interview. So yeah, went for the interview and then one day I went to another and that's where how I got in. Okay. So joining Sega you ultimately went to the US. Yes. San Francisco. Yes.



 Let's talk a little bit about moving there and what it was like. Were you in your 20s at the time? Yeah, I would have been 20 mid mid 20s 25 when I moved to San Francisco. I was in a similar place moving to New York and I know for me, it was just amazing being sort of in your 20s in this new electric place. Was it a similar? Yeah, it was. It was I'd never really been interested in moving abroad. But I wouldn't say it wasn't it. I just never even crossed my mind that it was something I could do. And then the opportunity randomly came up. Yeah, it was amazing.



 Exactly like you say right. You're a youngish guy. Yeah, new place new people doing really interesting things. It was amazing. I loved it. What made you come back? Was it the job that moved you over to with Singapore next or did you take a pit stop in the UK? So it was started off down in London, moved to San Francisco was there for four years ish four or five years. I remember exactly how long then Tokyo right in Singapore. Yeah with a kind of a bit of Manila thrown in there as well. Okay, and then back to the UK. Yeah, how was the sort of transition from being all these different cultures and then moving back to the UK? Was it something that you were happy about or did you want to stay in one of these places?



 So it was definitely planned to come back to the UK and it was you know, it was a conscious effort to find something here. Okay, would have maybe like to have stayed abroad a little bit longer. Yeah, mostly we moved back for family reasons. We wanted my son Oscar to go to school in the UK. Okay.



 Personally, I would quite like to go and live in Japan again, right?



 I'd go and live in America again.



 I probably would go and live in Singapore again as well actually, but of all the places I've been I think Japan is the one that really stands out as being just a unique different place to be. Was it was it the difference that was so appealing or was there something about the culture that you really sort of connected with and it felt home? Yeah, well, I think a little bit of both. So my the final job I did in America, I was in Japan a lot. I think you know at one point I was probably in Tokyo every couple of months. I was there for a few weeks. So I was in Japan a lot. I'd started hanging out with a lot of the people in the Japan office. I'd started to make a few friends outside of the office.



 One of which later became my wife. Yeah, so yeah, there was sort of that personal reason to move over and it was also sort of you know, I as I mentioned, I'd gone to San Francisco not really ever thinking about living abroad. Okay, but it was quite easy. You know everything was basically that it's the same as living here. It's different people that there's a slight nuance to the way people are. Yeah, but ultimately you you understand everything about it. And so it was also kind of the challenge of right. We've done America that I've proven I can live somewhere else. Yeah, but Japan's really different right? Right. Yeah, there's not much English. It's a totally different culture. So it was sort of it felt like I knew a little bit about being there but also knew that there was a ton that I didn't know anything about. So it's kind of a for me that was mostly but just a personal challenge of seeing you know, can I can I do it? Yeah, and one thing I wanted to ask you was about the energy. So when I lived in the New York the energy things were the same as here, you know, people were different but there were things that was the same but the energy was so different. Yeah, in I don't know what it's like in San Francisco or over in Japan, but was what was the feeling like there just a general atmosphere in Japan specifically or well, we can talk about San Francisco and Japan. Yeah, and how because I think they're they are all completely different right in terms of like say in terms of the energy of people. Yeah,



 San Francisco was mega interesting right it was



 it was around the time of Facebook IPOs and things like that. Yeah, it was sort of like they'd come with nothing but they've got an idea of the build this thing. Yeah, they've come to find a team and investment. Yeah, and so that the place was bubbling all the time. Yeah, everyone was excited. Everyone was trying to do something new. Everyone was interesting. Everyone had a different story and a different background right there was I think this is a fairly common thing to say like you never meet someone from San Francisco in San Francisco. Everyone has come from somewhere. Same it's same in New York. So in New York, yeah, right and so it's just it was a mega interesting way to be so something that we always do on a podcast. Is a quiz. No, I'm worried about it. I am also excited. Okay, like to what my topics going to be and what you because I think you're going to find out and they're very little about any stuff. So the topic Formula One. Okay, yeah, we might be okay on this. Yes, I thought I thought potentially it could be a good one. So I've got here a bunch of questions. We're probably going to do five. We'll do five. Let's do 50 and then



 we'll go through a couple. We'll see how we get on. Okay, super easy start with



 Jensen Button won the 2009 Formula One World Championship driving for which team? Braun GP. Braun GP, correct.



 By the way, I think you're the first the second person on these podcast to get the first question, right? So we're on a good and they went on to get all of them, right? That's



 big pressure. Yeah. In 2016 who became F1 World Champion and then announced his retirement from the sport five days later?



 Correct.



 Wow. See, this is one of those things that we're in a pub quiz and we'll need you there for the Formula One. Not that Formula One is normally a topic,



 but the one time it does. That's when you need me. That's when well, as long as those are the two questions.



 Well, question three.



 Who was the first ever British Formula One World Champion?



 Oh, God.



 They do get a bit more difficult here.



 I've seen you give clues sometimes.



 Yes, I can give a clue now.



 I know nothing about Formula One. So the clues I can give will be very much to do with give me based on the name. Yeah, what's it? I mean the start of the name, like the letter. So I can help with the second name. It's more.



 It's different enough.



 You would find this name part of their second name on a rose.



 Mike Hawthorne. Correct.



 I was not sure between him and one other person. Okay. Well, so I thought it was a very good clue. Okay, so we've got three out of three.



 Which British Formula One team founded in Milton Keynes was active from 1978 to 2002?



 They have two different names.



 Yep.



 So they have a name, but then they also known as.



 Just can't think of who would have been historically from 78 and then stopped in 2002. Milton Keynes. If that means anything.



 Did they become a different team?



 No, they are just also known as this other name, probably because of the way they performed. It looks like.



 Because of the way they performed. I'm guessing just with the name.



 Let me give you a clue.



 This is also the name.



 Of a group of fighter jets.



 Okay, okay. So it's arrows.



 Also known as. Also known as. This is just for bonus.



 It sounds like it's because they were quick at changing tires or refilling maybe.



 I'm going to sound really silly. Is it terrible? No footwork footwork. That ring a bell. Yeah, I mean, but I wonder why. I felt like footwork was like a sponsor.



 Potentially. I've got a arrows. I don't know. Also knows what work.



 Question. Last question. Question five.



 All right.



 The first Grand Prix to take place behind the Iron Curtain was in which country?



 And it was in 1986.



 And you would be correct.



 Congratulations. Yes, five of five. Six out of five. Yes, five out of five.



 Oh my goodness me. 2023.



 Right. So moving forward, you spent some time with Ubisoft in Singapore. I did. You had more than 200 team members. I've got here. Yeah. Well, I think the studio was 500. So even more. Yeah.



 And then you move back to the UK and joined Quarley. I did.



 Now, I've got a quote here from David. Saying thoughtful, analytical, an outstanding track record. And obviously you've shown being able to manage such a massive amount of people and all their teams.



 How did you feel moving into Quarley? Sort of knowing, I suppose about the history of David



 and I suppose what the thoughts were for the future. How did you think you'd fit into that? Yeah,



 it's an interesting question. I think with when I was interviewing with David, Jason, Simon, the overwhelming feeling I got was that we are a team of people who are going to be mega supportive of anything that people want to do. We just are hungry for success. Yeah. And that was, you know, it sort of, it harked back to those San Francisco days, right? People are hustling and they're trying to get stuff done and they just want to be successful. And that was, you know, it felt like it had the best of both worlds in terms of we are mega ambitious,



 but we're also going to be a great place to work and we're going to be supportive and we're going to, yeah, we're going to mold a really great team. That's why, you know, I think the the overwhelming feeling for me when I was making that move was that this is going to be really, really exciting. Yeah.



 And, you know, it proved out that both of those things are true. And everyone is very, very committed to being successful. Yeah, but it's done in a really, really supportive way, which is, you know, for me, I think that's the the ideal type of environment. Yeah. And that's what I felt as well when joining because obviously I joined your team first. You did join. Abandoned.



 Rejected us.



 Anyway,



 but yes, I think that was one of the first things that I realized joining was this team was very, very open and very welcoming. And also, I suppose you hear this a lot, but failing to succeed was definitely something I felt. I felt like I could try things without the worry of all, you know, if you get this wrong, you know, that's going to be it. But yeah,



 which I think is a very creative environment, which was amazing.



 So moving forward into the future.



 What is for you, the key points you want to hit,



 of course, successful games, but is there anything about the team or the company that you see in the future that you're hoping to be a part of?



 I mean, I think obviously as you mentioned, right, the first one is having a load of really successful games. I know I can cap line up at the moment. It's looking really, really good. Yeah, obviously games, they don't all work out. Yeah, but we've got a really good foundation of games that I think could all be successful. Yeah.



 I have a side of that. I suppose, you know, first or second thing after we've got some successful games is have more successful games. Yeah.



 And then really I think it's about growth, supporting some of the other areas of the business. You know, I hope that our PC console team does really well and we see some good success there. I hope our internally developed games do well and we see more success there. You know, obviously they've been mega successful in the past. So yeah, every reason to expect they will be in the future. Absolutely. I think you're like we've both said,



 what else is there out there that we can take on? Can we



 do other things in other areas? Right? I mean, we we haven't gone into things like VR, AR, Web 3,



 e-sports. And yeah, that's not to say that we're looking at any of those things in great detail. I suppose if it happens organically as well. Exactly. Yeah. And yeah, so I think there's so many more areas we can grow in building out more quality locations, but bringing on board more members of the team.



 I think for me, it's all all of those things is just about how much can we grow this business and what can we turn it into? Yeah, I think we've got a really solid foundation from which to do that.



 Now last question before we finish up here.



 Obviously, you've had a long career of growth and development personally and within business.



 For those that are starting out or those that are on their journey.



 Do you have some advice potentially about managing both yourself and



 helping them find a pathway to keep growing and keep improving?



 So I don't have any like planned things. So all of this is going to be just random thoughts. I think I for me, one of the biggest things I noticed in my career was find a good manager.



 You know, someone that will support you someone that will push you in the right direction. Yeah, push you make you work hard. Yeah, but also someone that you can see is going to write I can work well with this person. I can see that they're going to give me opportunities because if you got a bad manager, you won't enjoy your job. Yeah, and you probably won't get pushed anywhere and become more successful. Right and I I've been at times very very lucky. I've had some fantastic managers and when I've got a good manager, I've seen my career sort of accelerate and goes really well. Yeah, and I've equally had some terrible managers where you sort of see yourself stagnate a little bit. And I never it's not good to be stagnating right? No, I think always that for me, that's really fundamental find a good manager and if you need to move around to do that, do it. Yeah, and then I think it's about being being curious. Fine. What what does that person over there that you've never spoken to do? What does this person do? Understanding a wide breadth of topics. Yeah, will really really help you understand if you're specializing in something having a bit of an understanding of what everybody else is doing. What everybody else needs from you will help you be even better at the area you're trying to specialize in and obviously as you go higher up the ladder, there are more and more things you look after that you didn't do as a junior person, right? So you need to be able to there's a skill in being able to understand what other people do without having done it yourself. Yeah, and so I think if you can get those two things being having a good manager being curious about what people are doing and understanding the linkages between different levels of the business, different areas of the business. Your business to other businesses that really stands you in good stead to be able to do pretty much anything as you progress in your career. Great. Thank you. You're very welcome. Thank you. No problem. A lot of fun. Good. Good. No, thank you for being open with us here and for those of you that watch these podcasts. We have a whole string of them on YouTube. So do go check them out. Thank you again to Wilcox being here really appreciate it. Remember to like and subscribe. All those fun things and until next time. Goodbye from us.