Brownsville Tech Project: My First Week on the Job

-By Maurice Evans, Primary Venture Partners Intern, Originally published on Primary Venture Partner’s Blog.

Hey! My name is Maurice Evans. I’m a 17-year-old from Brownsville, Brooklyn, with a strong love and passion for video games. I started playing video games at the age of 3, before I could even read. Video games have always been a huge part of my family life; we bonded, settled disputes, and even made wagers through video games. My long-term goal is to start my own video game company; as one of the very few forms of interactive art, I want to tell stories through video games that will touch people’s lives the same way they’ve touched mine.

I’m still learning a lot about the video game industry — both in terms of video game creation and the marketing/production side of the business. When I was young, it seemed like people were making video games that really reflected their passion for the craft. But now, it seems like people have gotten into the business just to make money, which has resulted in a lot of low-quality, even unfinished output. I’m looking to stop that downward trend of the video game industry, and bring back the fun to making games that express the real viewpoints of their creators.

A few months ago, I had the fortune of meeting Ben Sun, who is the General Partner of Primary Venture Partners. We talked for a while about where I saw myself going, my interests, what I’m passionate about, and how I’ve always been drawn to the world of technology. Ben has given me a really unique opportunity that gives me a lot of exposure to the startup world; I’ve been meeting with a lot of startups — including Primary portfolio companies BounceX, SelfMade, and a new company called Mirror that’s still pre-launch — to see how they operate, and to learn about what makes small businesses successful. I’m hoping this experience will help smooth my own journey as an entrepreneur when it comes time for me to start my video game company.

Some of my goals for this program include making valuable connections with people who could potentially help me down the road; acquiring valuable advice on how to navigate college; and first steps to take when I’m ready to start my business. I also hope to learn how to recruit a strong team, and how to pitch my ideas effectively and in a short amount of time. I’ve already sat through a few founder pitches that have helped me think through how to tell my own story.

Stay tuned for future posts as I continue to chronicle this exciting journey!