FAQ

Anyone in the Dutch game indudstry can apply. We aim to be inclusive: we welcome underrepresented people, as well as game industry professionals or entrepreneurs that are more established.

We only require that you have a clear goal for the mentorship, and that you are part of the Dutch game industry in a business manner. This can be as an entrepreneur / studio owner, or as a professional who wants to up their game.

No, students can at present not apply for mentorship. Our mentor network is meant for professional users only. As long as you are a student, you should get the guidance you need from your institution.

We can accept students if they have a studio that already has turnover, launched one or more successful games, or if their venture has serious business potential.

Dutch Game Mentors is a network for the Dutch game industry. We do accept applicants from outside of The Netherlands e.g. if they are working remotely for a Dutch company. Foreigners living or working in The Netherlands may also apply.

Generally we only reject applications if there is no link to the Dutch game industry.

Participation is 100% free for both mentors and mentees. We also don’t accept mentors that charge a fee for their mentorship. Although, after the agreed period they may make different arrangements for continued coaching.

No, you don’t need to be a member. Although we do appreciate it. With your membership you support what we do for the Dutch game industry, including this mentorship program. Apply here.

Mentoring is very flexible and doesn’t need to take much time. You and your mentor decide together the frequency, duration and if the meetings are in person or online, so it fits your busy schedule.

Some mentees feel comfortable with an online call of 1 hour 1x per month, just to discuss latest developments.  Others like to meet their mentor in person. We generally advise to have max. 4 meetings with your mentor, unless you and your mentor decide otherwise.

In the game industry you will face many challenges. Creating games is not easy. Most of these challenges are not unique.

If you are an entrepreneur, you will find that many others have had the same issues e.g. with funding and building a studio.

If you are a professional, there are many other professionals in the same role that are facing similar challenges or have solved problems that now hold you back. There’s a lot to gain when you share knowledge and have someone to talk to with an educated opinion or a refreshing perspective.

Invest in yourself and build a relationship with someone you can learn from.

This depends on your needs and the mentor’s preference and availability.

We leave this for mentor and mentee to find the best way to work together.

However, we do encourage you to have at least one in person meeting as part of the mentoring process. In practice these are the most valuable.

The Dutch Game Association is a non-profit association, with the goal to help the Dutch game industry to achieve its full potential. The Dutch Game Mentors network fits this goal perfectly.

Although we have a set of guidelines, we leave it to the mentor and mentee to find their optimal process. Some will benefit from regular monthly or quarterly meetings, while others settle for once or twice a year; it’s up to you.

We expect the mentee to take the initiative and make the necessary appointments. If travel is necessary for an in person meeting, the mentee is expected to travel to the mentor, unless you both agree otherwise.

Our mentors are volunteers that have enjoyed success in the games industry and who want to help others grow.

They are established entrepreneurs or experts in their field.

Here’s a list of our mentors.

No. We perform the matching process. You can leave your preference(s) in the mentorship form and we’ll do our best to match you with the desired mentor. We can suggest a different mentor if we think it is a better match, or if the mentor you have chosen is not available.

You can ask for one mentor at a time, but if you decide you need someone else or if your mentor is no longer available, you are free to apply again for a match with a new mentor.

It can be valuable to have different perspectives and opinions.

Technically, a mentor is someone who has been in the trenches and lived through the same challenges as you. This usually different from a consultant or business coach who may have excellent advice, but not always from their own experience.

A mentor that is active for Dutch Game Mentors needs to be either a:

• Established entrepreneur or studio owner, or;
• An expert professional who has worked on one or more successful games.

We’ll look at your mentorship form, any preferences you have and of course different roles require different experience. If you’re a sound designer working for a AAA-studio, it probably won’t be useful to match you with an independent studio owner who’s main expertise is fundraising. We’ll make the match based on the profile of both the mentor and the mentee.

We will also do a proposal which you or the mentor can refuse.

Once you both agree, we will share contact details of the mentor with you and you can start the mentorship process.

We’ve setup Dutch Game Mentors because it can be difficult to find people that have both a high level of expertise and experience, that are willing to take the time to coach mentees.

Because we play a role in the matching process, we can save mentors time. At the same time, we set a bar an expectations so that both parties can be confident that they are not wasting their time. Game industry veterans with a track record can get swamped with loads of requests for mentoring. They will be more receptive if some due diligence has been done on the applicant.

As a mentee, you can be sure that the mentors that are part of our network are top notch and are willing to commit their valuable time if they decide to accept you as their mentee.

Are you someone that has is an established game industry veteran? Do you want to contribute to the game industry by guiding others to new heights? Do you have at least 8 hours of time available per year for mentoring?

Then yes, we are more than happy to welcome you to the Dutch Game Mentors network. Visit the Become a mentor page for more information and to apply.

You absolutely can. A mentor can be someone who has more experience than you, but it can also be someone on the same level. We can all learn from each other. It can be great to have someone to talk to about your professional or personal challenges, ambitions and goals. If you are a mentor and you would like to be paired as a mentee with one of the other mentors in the network, just apply through the application form or contact us with your request.

Finding a job in the games industry can be challenging, but is not the kind of question to ask a mentor. Mentorship is meant for personal growth in your profession and/or business.

If you’re looking for a job, check out this resource.