I became the growth engine for a gaming research startup.
1K+ subscribers · 287K+ views · 3 months
Hired as a Growth & Ops Intern, I built SIDO's entire social presence from zero —
running a founder's YouTube channel, covering a live esports combine in LA as the sole content lead,
and producing an industry show. More than just a socials person; I was bringing visibility
to what I think is the future of gaming.
Four months. Three initiatives. Full creative ownership.
SIDO is a research organization studying how people learn, train, and perform through competitive games.
They work with investors, game developers, universities, and professional esports teams —
led by co-founders Amy Zhang and Parth Naidu (ex-TSM Head Coach).
They needed someone who could move fast across content, growth, and operations without waiting
for direction. I owned the work end-to-end — from strategy to published output — building the public-facing
presence that gave their research and consulting credibility in the esports community.
Build public credibility for a research startup with no existing social presence — and connect their work to the broader esports community.
What I Owned
Growth strategy, content operations, channel management, video production, live event coverage, guest outreach, and promotional design.
Environment
Lean startup with public-facing stakes, tight deadlines, and no existing playbook — I built the systems while shipping the work.
Outcome
1K+ subscribers, 287K+ views, industry credibility through content, a live combine documented in LA, and a shipped multi-episode show.
01Sept – Nov 2025
Building SIDO's Public Presence Through YouTube
Growth strategy • Content ops • SEO • Thumbnail design • Shorts production • Community management
SIDO's research needed a public face. I built that through Parth's YouTube channel —
taking it from zero and owning every layer: growth strategy, content calendar, SEO,
thumbnail design, scripting support, Shorts production, and community management.
Three months later: 1,000 subscribers and 287,000 views — and a credible platform
that gave SIDO's research and consulting real visibility in the esports space.
Scope
Content calendar, packaging, editing, metadata, channel operations, and cross-platform coordination with X/Twitter.
Constraint
No existing social presence or playbook. I built the growth engine while shipping content daily.
Outcome
A credible public platform that positioned SIDO as a serious voice in esports — backed by real audience traction.
0 → 1,000 subscribers in 3 months.
Ran the full operation end-to-end: content calendar, custom thumbnails for every upload,
metadata & SEO optimization, Shorts editing and publishing, community tab posts,
and cross-platform coordination with Twitter/X. Every video that went up — I touched it.
Parth's debut longform video — which I scripted, filmed, edited, and designed the thumbnail for —
went viral in the League of Legends esports community, sparking conversation across Twitter/X.
SIDO flew ten emerging players to Los Angeles for an immersive week at FlyQuest's facility —
bootcamp scrims, player photoshoots, performance training, and a visit to Riot Games' studio.
This was SIDO's research in action: studying player development in a live competitive environment.
I was on-site as the sole content person, responsible for documenting the entire program,
managing real-time social output, and giving the combine the visibility it needed to validate SIDO's model.
Role on Site
Sole content operator covering athletes, staff moments, training, and social output.
Challenge
Capture enough range to make the week feel premium while publishing fast enough to matter.
Proof
Live social traction, polished videos, and behind-the-scenes artifacts that feel real.
Day 1 — Setting the Scene
The first full day of the combine — players arriving, scrims starting, and the week kicking off.
Between scrims, coaching sessions, and facility time — I was the only content person on the ground.
Everything captured had to ship the same day it was filmed.
Training & Gameplay
From players arriving at the facility to performance coaching and competitive scrims —
I documented the full arc of each day. I also ran SIDO's Twitter/X during the event, writing copy
and publishing highlight clips in real time. Everything shipped same-day.
10 players. 10 stories. One week to capture them all.
The combine wasn't just about gameplay — it was about the people. The final deliverable
brought every player's individual story to the surface.
The Final Deliverable — Player Confessionals
I scripted, filmed, and edited a confessional series spotlighting each player's story —
the culmination of the entire bootcamp experience, published on SIDO's YouTube.
Each video was designed to feel personal and cinematic, giving every player a moment to reflect
on what the week meant to them.
The series that capped the entire combine.
Each confessional was a sit-down interview I directed, filmed, and edited —
giving players space to reflect on the week, their growth, and what comes next.
Published as a playlist on SIDO's YouTube.
Graphic design • Guest outreach • Production • Live streaming • Brand identity
SIDO's consulting arm works with pro teams, coaches, and players — but that credibility needed a public stage.
I produced a multi-guest Twitch stream from scratch, bringing together coaches, analysts, and players
from the League of Legends Tier 2 ecosystem for three episodes on competitive career paths
and the state of the scene. I owned every piece: concept, format design, guest outreach,
all graphic design, promotion, and VOD thumbnail design — positioning SIDO as the go-to voice in Tier 2 development.
Format
Three-episode live discussion series designed to elevate SIDO's authority in Tier 2.
Ownership
Concept, guest coordination, promotion, visual design, and VOD packaging.
Design Value
The show looked intentional before a viewer heard a single word.
Graphic Design
Poster, stream overlays, and all 3 VOD thumbnails
Guest Outreach
Sourced and coordinated all guests across 3 episodes
Production
Format design, pre-show promotion, and live production
What being more than just a socials person taught me.
Hover to zoom
Growth is operational
Building a social presence from zero isn't just creative work — it's systems, cadence, and positioning. I learned to think like a growth operator, not just a content creator.
Ownership scales trust
Full ownership from day one meant every result was mine to defend. That accountability made me sharper and earned me more responsibility as the co-op went on.
Startups reward bias for action
There was no playbook. I said yes first and figured it out after — whether that was covering a live combine in LA or producing a show I'd never done before.
Want to know what helped me land this co-op?
I built a YouTube channel from scratch that hit 3.5M+ views — and it became the proof of work that opened this door.
