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Devon Chulick

Co-Founder & COO at StartPlaying.Games

Devon Chulick is the Co-Founder and COO of StartPlaying.Games, a Y Combinator and Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) backed social gaming marketplace platform.1 He has been in this role since March 2020, focusing on building communities through play.1

Professional Background

Devon has over 13 years of experience in the eCommerce industry.3 His career history includes:

StartPlaying.Games:

  • Co-Founder and COO (March 2020 - Present)

Chubbies Shorts:

  • Ecommerce Consultant (November 2020 - August 2022)
  • Product Manager (December 2017 - November 2020)
  • Web Producer (February 2017 - December 2017)

Other Notable Positions:

  • Advisor at Shoot Right Studios (December 2016 - Present)
  • Co-Founder of Shoot Right Studios (December 2013 - December 2016)
  • Marketing Producer at Everlane (August 2016 - November 2016)
  • Creative Manager at Dolls Kill (May 2016 - August 2016)

Entrepreneurial Experience

Before StartPlaying.Games, Devon co-founded DSF Clothing Company, a San Francisco-based chain of art and apparel stores. During its 8+ years of operation, DSF employed over 200 people and organized more than a thousand community events to activate neighborhoods and support the arts.1

Current Focus

At StartPlaying.Games, Devon is working on building a product that fosters community through gaming.2 The platform has gained significant traction, with game masters (GMs) collectively earning substantial income through the platform.4

Education and Skills

While specific details about Devon's education are not provided, his extensive experience in eCommerce, product management, and entrepreneurship has equipped him with valuable skills in building and scaling businesses, particularly in the gaming and community-building sectors.

Highlights

Aug 9 · linkedin

Now that Roll20 is officially available on Discord, I have a few more thoughts:

Why is this so important for D&D players?

(Background - full Roll20 D&D games within Discord as an activity.)

  1. Roll20 continues to be Uber-competitive in the VTT market. They're meeting their customers where they are, and they're all on Discord. We at StartPlaying know 80% of our users are using Discord to schedule or host games.

  2. The updated game engine, JumpGate, is wayyyy more efficient within Discord. This is incredible if you don't have a beefy gaming laptop or a powerful computer. Instead of having a browser and Discord eating up resources, it's all discord.

  3. 1 click to launch a game. I mean come on, that's sick.

Roll20 has really doubled down on where their users are, and it's paying off in spades. This is huge.

Jul 30 · linkedin

Here's how Game Masters (GMs) made $24 million on StartPlaying.

The internet makes it easier than ever to find, well, anything.

And still, for many finding online D&D and tabletop roleplaying games and groups is hard.

Here's why.

Most advice involves a lot of work.

  • Join these 17 Discords and maybe there is a game that fits your schedule
  • Scroll through Reddit and spin the wheel on what you end up with
  • Find a Facebook group
  • Go on forums and post for a game

And online forums have all the same problems.

That was our insight - there's no great solution.

That's why we created StartPlaying.

Here's why it works:

  • StartPlaying has verified reviews from actual players, so you can tell if the GM is the right fit for you or not.
  • It keeps people accountable; bad actors can’t go unnoticed.
  • You can see what GMs are known for, whether it be being great teachers, great with VTT, or voices, etc.
  • You can find GMs that share your own lived experiences, like military veterans, queer, black, neurodivergent, etc.

I've met players who spent weeks trying to find a game. One player did find luck, only for the game to fall apart a week later. Some people just gave up because of how difficult it was.

That's why we created StartPlaying.

Here's why it works:

  • StartPlaying has verified reviews from actual players, so you can tell if the GM is the right fit for you or not.
  • It keeps people accountable; bad actors can’t go unnoticed.
  • You can see what GMs are known for, whether it's being great teachers, great w/ VTT, voices, etc.
  • You can find GMs that share your own lived experiences, like military veterans, queer, black, neurodivergent, etc.
  • Regardless if the GM is full-time or part-time, they are invested in providing a great experience and being consistent in showing up for game night

(I have heard firsthand how that last one helps a lot of people who historically haven’t felt welcomed at gaming tables.)

Put simply: it's everything the experience of finding a game on the internet SHOULD be.

And yes, it was way easier to figure this out as a DM myself. 😉

Related Questions

What inspired Devon Chulick to start StartPlaying.Games?
How did Devon Chulick's experience at Chubbies Shorts influence his role at StartPlaying.Games?
What are some key achievements of Devon Chulick at StartPlaying.Games?
How did Devon Chulick's role at Shoot Right Studios prepare him for his current position?
What challenges has Devon Chulick faced as COO of StartPlaying.Games?
Devon Chulick
Devon Chulick, photo 1
Devon Chulick, photo 2
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Experience

Co-Founder & COO at StartPlaying.Games (March 2020 - Present)
Advisor at Shoot Right Studios (December 2016 - Present), Co-Founder at Shoot Right Studios (December 2013 - December 2016), Ecommerce Consultant at Chubbies Shorts (November 2020 - August 2022), Prod at Best Buy (July 2004 - August 2007)

Location

San Francisco, California, United States