Scaling and leaving your ego at the door with David Sheldon-Hicks, co-founder of Territory Studio

How did you establish the brand of Territory Studio and help it stand out in the industry?

What underpins everything is passion – what we do is geeky and niche, but anyone who works here is passionate about it because it’s something that is very focused and targeted. Digital media is a transitory medium, but we want to build something that still has interest and meaning in the next five to ten years.

What has been your most powerful tactic for attracting the right talent to your business?

Modesty is an important component, because you need to accept that everyone can do certain tasks better. You can hire talented people, but also it’s important to trust and empower them to do their job.

How do you standout in such a highly competitive market?

We are niche at Territory Studio, which reduces the amount of competition as if you want someone to do holograms and computer screen designs in a feature film there’s only about five studios that can do that really well, but there’s just us that can do that at the scale we can.

We can’t offer all the benefits that Netflix or Apple are able to – but if people are interested in creating work that has a legacy in feature films, then we can offer that.

What were the most significant challenges you have experienced growing and running a business over the last year?

It’s been a challenge with the soft skills element of our business. It’s harder to have conversations with clients remotely about, for example, the project we are doing and reassuring them that innovative solutions aren’t risky.

We have been able to become more focused on cash flow, and have reassessed what we need and what we don’t – it’s allowed us to fine-tune ready for our next growth phrase.

What are the biggest reasons start-ups in highly competitive markets, such as gaming, don’t succeed?

It’s about mindset, and being ready to adapt. What kept you successful at twenty people might get it your way when you reach fifty people – you need to unlearn things and be settled with reshaping the way you run things in a significant way. It’s also important to grow – either through training or mentorship, and talk to others who own creative businesses that have gone through something similar.

What does great leadership look like to you? 

I think there is a need for brutal honesty – you need to sell a situation for what it is, not what you want it to be. It’s also important to be self-aware – so much of a company or a brand potential is unlocked with the correct mindset.

What’s the best book, podcast or video you would recommend that you have taken long lasting learns from?

‘The Business of Expertise’ by David C. Baker and ‘The Hard Thing About Hard Things’ by Ben Horowitz.