Gordon Pretorius’ Post

How to stay excited about work? This works for me even after decades in the industry. I never stick strictly to my responsibilities. Projects where technology meets business and culture have always fascinated me. I love venturing beyond the limits of tech and product improvements. Since becoming deputy CEO at GR8 Tech, I can officially step outside my usual duty frame. For example, shaping company culture and values isn’t typically part of a CTO’s role. But it’s crucial for achieving tech efficiency and fostering a problem-solving mindset. That’s why I helped draft our values, culture, and vision document. In practice, this means building an innovative tech company requires embracing new ideas, using best coding practices, and finding creative solutions to common problems. Culture might seem mystical and hard to define. In reality, it’s the employees’ everyday actions and behavior. If you ask employees why they behave like that, they’ll just say:  “That’s how we do it here.” #companyculture #engineeringmindset #CTOrole #GR8Tech #igamingplatform #iGamingSoftware 

Excited to share that I've been admitted into the Operators Guild, an application-based, members-only community of founders, entrepreneurs, operations, and finance leaders in high-growth, VC-backed companies. 🛡 🚀 The Operators Guild – or the "OG" as they affectionately call themselves – spans almost 900 members across 25+ cities, including some of the best company builders in tech. I joined OG because how they defined "Operator" really, really resonated. "What we do goes far beyond our titles. We are multidisciplinary, cross-functional, untethered to any one department. Business first, function second. Specialists in being generalists. Together, we build the fastest-growing and most innovative companies in the world." I suppose it's because I've sometimes felt guilty that I couldn't easily hyper-specialize like others seemed to. Like there was something fundamentally wrong that I couldn't decide on one narrow lane and commit to loving it forever. Classic square peg, round hole. The OG framing empowered me to think of my breadth as an advantage, with depth in my "zones of genius" creating incredible leverage. I now believe this combination is crucial for successfully bringing transformative products to market and building winning companies. I am fully diving in, folks: I'll be attending the Operators Guild Summit on May 15-17 in Denver. It's the "only un-conference in the world for operators." To my fellow OGs, I look forward to meeting you there. Big thanks to Casey Woo and the OG team for onboarding me into this amazing community, and Russell S. for helping my candidacy. Y'all have been inspiring. If you are an "operator" or "company builder" who connected with any of this, check out the Operators Guild. You won't regret it.

A 1x dev will get more done for your company if you hire them today than some make believe 10x unicorn dev with perfect fit skillsets will when you hire them never, because they don't exist. Quit fuckin around and be a human being. Hire the dev who's 3/4 of the way there and give them runway to show you how great they can be. This industry is disgusting right now.

Two men stand in Leeds city centre about to part ways for the day. One says to the other "Andy, do you want to be the CTO in my new games business I'm setting up?" and the other says "Sure Dave, that'll be a fun distraction that won't require too much effort on my part!" Think before you speak Andy! Dave prefers to tell this story as two cowboys in a Wild West bar. But we were just in City Square outside Banyan. Kind of the Wild West I guess. Fast forward 4 months, this has rapidly gotten out of hand. I expected maybe 6 people to join us. I think we're on 45 now and I'm overseeing a 12 person dev team!! Meep! But I wouldn't have it any other way. I love being challenged, and pushed to my limits. Anything less is boring. I can't sit still and be stagnant. The first half of this year has felt like a waste of my talent, and my time. I'm hoping that side of my life picks up soon, I definitely have the ambition, I need to do something great with my life, otherwise what's the point?! Through Gamecrafters I've discovered that I absolutely love mentoring. Somewhere in the pandemic I unlocked a superpower in my brain that gave me so much more clarity and pragmatism around tech. Why we do what we do and specifically why we choose how we do it. Probably all that effort spent masking in the office was just blocking this all along. Now I'm really up for passing this down the line, because ultimately, ego aside, nothing I do is all that special, anyone can learn it, anyone can be brilliant, sometimes people just need a push in the right direction. Sometimes saying yes to something seemingly trivial can unlock something so much more! https://lnkd.in/ejPuWcJT

Great software isn't just built with code, it's built with passion, dedication, and a touch of madness. At GoOllie, we mix these elements to create solutions that truly take off. It's all about having the right team on the job, motivated and disciplined to push boundaries. When you have a crew that shares your vision and commitment, anything is possible. Together, we're setting new standards and soaring to new heights. 🚀 #SoftwareDevelopment #TeamworkMakesTheDreamWork #StartupLife

At Crunch, we're more than just a team; we're a community united by our passion for innovation and gaming. As we continue to grow and evolve in our new space, we invite every member of our Crunch family to share their unique office moments and experiences using #CrunchWay. 🎮💼 Whether it's a glimpse of your daily work, a snapshot of collaboration in action, or those much-needed coffee breaks that fuel our creativity, let's showcase the spirit and culture that make us who we are. 🌟 By using #CrunchWay, you're not just sharing a hashtag; you're telling a story of ambition, teamwork, and breakthroughs. Let's celebrate our achievements, big and small, and inspire each other every day. Together, we're not just working; we're shaping the future of gaming. 🎉 #CrunchEquation #CrunchWay #TeamCrunch #InnovateTogether #GamingCulture #iGaming

My work is mostly about finding connections between ambitious founders, innovative products, and meaningful partnerships 🙌 We dive deep into the nuances of collaboration, align values, and find that synergy that drives growth for everyone involved. Sometimes it doesn’t happen right away — there are negotiations, questions, rejections, and refinements. But more often than not, we find the right approach for our clients. Over a year ago, I joined the team at Overcode to bring my 15+ years of experience in building partnerships for startups and product companies 🚀 Now, I’m implementing my knowledge and approaches here, helping the company find equally driven people whose ideas inspire me. At Overcode, we don’t just make deals, we create valuable products with those who share our drive for growth. If I could go back to my 20-year-old self and see where I am today, I’d be amazed by the scale of the projects, the caliber of people, and the endless opportunities that come my way every day. If you’re looking for the kind of partnership that helps you move forward — let’s connect.

🚀 Our team answers: Best thing about your role 🚀 Curious about what makes our team stick around? It’s not just the coffee! 😊 We had a little chat with our team to find out what they love most about their roles here at Upscope. Turns out, it’s all about the vibes and the people. And, of course, getting to do cool stuff pretty much every day doesn’t hurt. 👉 Swipe to catch some insights from our team. You might even find a reason to join us! ✨ #TeamUpscope #techstartup #careerdevelopment

October is #EmployeeOwnership month! At LimnoTech, we are proud to be a 100% employee-owned (ESOP) company. In this video, staff share what it’s like to work at LimnoTech and what it means to be an employee-owner. #EmployeeOwned #ESOP #WeSucceedTogether

Development days are a key tool to help our employees have the time to nurture their own development, here’s some of the great stories 🌱