The creative industry is competitive. Often, people measure a job’s value by its salary. However, Lucky Putra Dharmawan has a different perspective. He is a game developer and the CEO of Eternal Dream Studio. He shared his inspiring game developer story to show how his strategic decision to refuse payment for his first project actually built a strong foundation for his game studio.
Determination and Unusual Offers
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It all started a few months after Lucky decided to start his own game studio. At that time, he faced a great opportunity and challenge. It was a chance to introduce himself to a major brand that wanted to create a game for branding purposes. Facing this great opportunity, Lucky was well aware of his position, which was still at zero.
“At that point, I realized I didn’t have a portfolio, I wasn’t known by anyone, and the quality of my games was far from good. Plus, they wanted to pay a lot?” he said.
Realizing the situation, Lucky took an unusual strategic step. Instead of giving up, he offered a completely different solution. “So at that time, what I offered was that I didn’t need to be paid with money at all,” he recalled. In exchange, he requested something far more crucial for his new business, which was exposure. “But help me grow my studio’s brand. Put my logo everywhere, and introduce me to lots of people.” he said.
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The Game Developer’s Story Paid Off
His decision to trade payment for branding proved to be very effective. The project with this major client automatically became his first strong portfolio and opened many doors of opportunity. As a result, the industry slowly began to recognize his studio’s name.
In fact, it didn’t take long for Lucky to feel the positive impact of his strategy. “A few months after the deal, my studio’s name became more recognizable, and from there came even bigger opportunities,” explained Lucky. The next opportunity gave him projects with sustainable financial income.
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Valuable Lesson: Value is Not Just About Money
The story of Lucky Putra Dharmawan serves as a powerful reminder that when starting a business, it’s not all about money. There are other “values” that are sometimes far more valuable for the long term, such as reputation, networks, and a solid portfolio.
“Sometimes you have to start not with money, but with other values. I don’t feel like this is free work, because I’m making a long-term investment,” he concluded.
In the end, this developer game story isn’t just about working for free. It’s a smart case study on how to recognize the most valuable assets at every stage of the journey. For pioneers in any field, the key lesson is the courage to invest in intangible things like trust and reputation, because that’s often where the door to greater and more sustainable financial success opens.
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