With over 10 years of experience in project management, software development and systems analysis and design, Eyad Al-Basheer is today the Operations Manager of Tamatem Inc., a leading mobile game publishing company in the Arab world. Before joining Tamatem, Eyad had been working as assistant department head, systems analyst, and team leader.
A versatile and accomplished senior IT professional, Eyad enjoys an extensive exposure to a number of trade and finance modules, in addition to his track record of successfully delivering critical projects on time and within budget. After many years spent in the banking industry building systems for more than 60 banks across the Arab region,
Eyad has decided to challenge himself and enter a whole new field: startups! Eyad has a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Princess Sumaya University for Technology.
Here, Eyad shares with Bayt.com what a typical day in his life looks like.
Eyad's agenda:
8:00AM – 9:00AM Good sleep pumps in good vibes for your day. So I make sure I’ve had a good night sleep. Without breakfast, my stomach will growl through all meetings, so to avoid that embarrassment, I enjoy a healthy breakfast, usually one with eggs and cheese, and the magical ingredient to a good day: Turkish coffee!
10:00AM – 2:00PM Before I touch anything, the coffee addict in me has his second cup of coffee. My most important responsibilities are to analyze statistics of our games downloads and revenues for the previous day, ensure we are on track, and fix any bugs or mistakes. I also hold daily meetings with our teams of artists, developers, quality assurance experts and user experience designers, in order to ensure that they're on track and that everything is going as planned.
Our meetings are usually a quick brainstorm session to discuss potential opportunities and improve the user experience and overall quality of our games. At around 12:00PM, I meet with our publishing team. You see, consistency in a project is vital, so we sit down to discuss any challenges and plan for our next games or business deals. My job can be summarized in organizing, identifying, developing, and aggregating the best practices to implement across the organization.
2:00PM – 3:00PM Time for lunch! My homemade sandwich and apple, and of course, the daily mockery of my colleagues due to the apple! "Hey, you got to stay health, right?" Disconnection from the business environment and enjoy a casual chit chat with friends and colleagues. The great thing about our location in King Hussein Business Park (KHBP) is that many other startups – and friends – are around.
3:00PM – 5:00PM After lunch, I start managing the release calendar of projects to ensure smooth work process with shared services such as tech operations, testing units, and designers – all in-line for a successful launch. The gaming industry is a tough market; the slightest errors can result in huge losses. I am also responsible for assigning roles and responsibilities for each team member, and supporting them if needed. I keep an eye on our competitors, to know any new releases, features, etc.
Constant evaluation and improvement of policies and procedures are done to promote structured accountability among employees and operations. The cool thing about the gaming industry, is that we have to test, meaning, we get to play games! I start playing our latest games to test for bugs, and develop new innovative features, to take the game to the next level. I log all testing details, and then have a 15-minute meeting with the team to highlight results. Have we reached targets? Are we on track? Great! Now let’s all play a FIFA game in our dedicated play zone.
6:00PM – 7:00PM Office is quiet now, so I enjoy a cup of coffee and wrap up the day. I make sure that operations are going smoothly, games are being downloaded by thousands of users, and positive reviews are being written. This time is also a time for me to sit with our CEO and exchange quick notes on daily progress, updates on game release calendars, and overall situation of the operations.
8:00PM – 11:00PM After a hectic day, I enjoy a light meal and freshen up. Depending on my schedule, I may go for a run, or out for coffee or dinner with friends. But of course, emails will always hunt me even after working hours, but I manage to balance my life and work. On weekends, we usually head outside Amman, to explore the outdoors.
11:00PM Series time! Yes, I’m not only addicted to games, but also to TV shows. This week is the premiere of True Detective - can’t wait! About to put my headsets on, but before I go, don’t forget to download Tamatem’s latest games! :D
