Project Management Client Story: Virtuous Spark-X

This project management client story introduces Virtuous Spark-X. Recently we had the pleasure of running an Agile project management training for a team of producers and line producers there. Virtuous Spark-X is a Game Asset Development firm based in Vietnam, so the brief was a fresh one for us.

As part of our due diligence, as we do for all our corporate clients, we ran an online survey with each attendee. Because we wanted to gauge their project management and Agile experience, the survey also asked about their expectations for the course. So, I thought we were well prepared. However, the experience left me with two unforgettable impressions, and they really blew away my own expectations.

Why this project management client story stands out

My first impression, which I probably should not sound too surprised about, concerns the people. If those on the course represent the talent pool in the company, then the world will soon see a virtual asset development powerhouse. Every person in the workshop was exceptionally intelligent. Moreover, their command of English was unbelievably good, since most of them never studied English abroad.

It was a perfect Deja Vue of my first visit to the burgeoning tech companies in Beijing in 1996. To see where China is now, I have no doubt that Vietnam will follow a similar path. Vietnam's proud past suggests an economic miracle ahead. Indeed, I am willing to bet my house on that.

The second impression hit harder

The second impression was stranger. I felt like I was in a Matrix, and I am serious about that. It is one thing to read about people buying and selling virtual assets on games, secondlife.com, and the like. However, the rude awakening hits you hard when you meet a team who actually service the needs of these virtual economies.

I never liked Facebook, and I still do not. Yet through this experience, I now see the potential impact Meta could have on the world. Meanwhile, most of us go about our business completely oblivious to it.

What we took away from the training

Honestly, I probably gained more valuable knowledge from this engagement than the client did. Well, I hope they will not think that. Still, the lesson stands for any trainer of producers and line producers. As a result, I now plan every corporate session expecting to learn as much as I teach. Because the team in Vietnam impressed me so deeply, the survey and the workshop both reset my sense of the talent pool. Likewise, the Agile project management methods we shared felt small next to their command of game asset development.

Want to learn more about game asset development? Please visit Sparx to explore their work. Looking for project management and Agile training instead? Then come to PMCOE, and read more about the PMI standards we teach to.