Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) has been around almost as long as the C programming language – both entered the world stage just under half a century ago. And both have left indelible marks: the current generation of programmers all feel the invisible influence of C on modern languages, and D&D has thoroughly enmeshed itself in pop culture.1

Software engineers, programmers and developers comprise a large proportion of the D&D fanbase. Roleplaying games (RPGs) such as D&D have thoroughly spelled-out rules and worlds to run amok in, plus they offer the chance to harness powers beyond those of ordinary mortals – much like coding!

This suggests an opportunity to create a more explicit mapping between the two worlds. Everyone loves a good categorisation scheme, and D&D comes with plenty of them. This time I went with classes – basically your profession/speciality in the Dungeons and Dragons world.

Are you a Paladin coder, standing up for well-documented, clean code in a world of hacks and hotfixes? Or a Wizard software engineer, harnessing all of the arcane programming lore you learned during your university studies? Or a maybe a Bard – a Product Manager whose talking skills far outweigh their coding? Find out your Software Engineer D&D Class here.

My wife and I host Ship It Shout It, a podcast about Product Management and Product Marketing. We had a very successful first season and are in the middle of the second season now.

This is a case study I created as part of my application for a PM position at N26. Good news – I got the job! Check it out here.

I founded an escape room in Sydney, Australia: Next Level Escape. We were the most innovative escape room in the city, combining a multi-linear puzzle path, novel narration and guidance, and a tiered system of objectives. We were ranked #3 on Trip Advisor for Fun & Games in Sydney, and grew to six figures in annualisedrevenue within the first four months of operation.

I founded the University of Wollongong Economics and Finance Society (EFSOC) while completing my undergraduate degree. The club gained over 200 members within a year, and went on to win the Newcomer Club of the Year award and then the Club of the Year award.