At e27, we have kickstarted a new articles series called work-life balance to learn more about tech enablers and executives and their lives beyond working hours.
A passionate advocate of blockchain for good and using Web3 to build a better world, Joey Alarilla has helped champion the digital revolution in the Philippines and across Asia.
He is currently Head of Content of Playfix.io, the smartest blockchain game platform that provides an all-in-one solution for developers to build quickly, launch, and grow Web3 games and NFTs. He acts as its chief storyteller, community advocate, and product evangelist. By making it easier for game developers to embrace blockchain gaming, he believes that Playfix is empowering developers and helping change the lives of millions of gamers, especially in emerging economies.
He is a regular contributor of articles for e27 (you can read his thought leadership articles here).
In this candid interview, Alarilla talks about his personal and professional life.
How would you explain what you do to a five-year-old?
Do you know how you love telling, listening to, and sharing stories with your family and friends? Well, that’s kind of like what I do.
As Head of Content, I create stories that make people aware of what my company does and how they will benefit. I also make it a point to listen to other people’s stories, befriend them, and make them part of our community.
Most importantly, I make sure that our company can help make their stories heard and that we’ll use their suggestions to improve our products and the community we are building with them.
What has been the biggest highlight/challenge of your career so far?
I’ve been a pioneer in most industries I’ve been part of, so I can honestly say that I’ve faced numerous challenges over the years.
Also Read: We can no longer adopt a cookie-cutter approach to marketing: Gunalan Ram of CINNOX
I would say the biggest challenge I overcame would still be when I became one of the pioneer editors that spun off the biggest Philippine print newspaper, the Philippine Daily Inquirer, into the biggest online news site, then known as INQ7.net, now INQUIRER.net.
I was among the few who believed in online journalism at a time when even smart people, like Bill Gates, thought the internet was just a fad.
Traditional journalists looked down on us. People looked at me like I was crazy when I started using a Nokia N90 to record video during press conferences. I later became the Multimedia Editor of INQUIRER.net, training the company’s first batch of multimedia journalists and launching our own blog, podcast, and video networks.
So while I’ve accomplished more things since, being part of this paradigm shift and persevering despite all the scepticism and adversity remains one of the highlights of my career.
It’s also why I shrug when people say blockchain is just a fad because first, it was the internet that was supposed to be a fad and later, social media.
My motto has always been: Nothing is impossible. And I don’t see any reason to change it.
How do you envision the next five years of your career?
That’s a hard question. Zen has always resonated with me, and during the pandemic, I embraced meditation and mindfulness even more. So I try to cultivate a beginner’s mind, always trying to look at the world through a beginner’s eyes. I’m living in the moment, going with the flow, one day at a time.
That’s also how I see my career now. Don’t get me wrong. I love working for Playfix.io. I believe in the Japanese concept of Ikigai, which means “reason for living”. And I’m happy to say that joining Playfix.io has played an important part in finding my Ikigai.
Ikigai is defined as the convergence of four areas of your life:
- What you love.
- What you are good at.
- What the world needs, and what you can be paid for.
Becoming Head of Content at Playfix.io has helped me tick all four boxes of what I’m looking for in my work.
My work — not my job. Because I firmly believe that our job is not our work. Our job is what we do to earn a living. Our work is what we do that makes life worth living.
So, I’m honestly not thinking of where I will be five years from now. But I know I have found my Ikigai championing crypto for creators, blockchain for good, and web3 for a better world.
What are some of your favourite work tools?
Google Docs, without a doubt. And Google Calendar. We also rely on messaging tools like WhatsApp and Telegram. Because we’re a blockchain gaming startup, Twitter and Discord are my work tools.
What’s something about you or your job that would surprise us?
I’m not a techie, I don’t code, and I don’t build computer rigs. But I have a passion for technology and a knack for explaining it in layperson’s terms.
My career has taken me across different industries. I’ve worked for companies such as Yahoo!, the Philippine Daily Inquirer, INQUIRER.net, Lazada, Tribal Worldwide Philippines, Manulife Asia, Bank of the Philippine Islands, and yes, even e27.
The common thread is that I was always a storyteller, a digital champion, and an advocate of technology for good. And I’m glad I still am at Playfix.io.
People might also be surprised that I have literary works. I won the Carlos Palanca Award, the most prestigious literary competition in the Philippines, for my essay about my daughter and fatherhood in the digital age.
I also have three short stories published by the Philippines Graphic magazine and an essay in ANI 32, the 32nd edition of the official literary journal of the Cultural Centre of the Philippines.
Do you prefer WFH or WFO, or hybrid?
WFH. I work from anywhere, which I’ve been doing since the late 90s and early 2000s. It included writing and sending my column piece on a bus ride back from the Taj Mahal in 2006.
What would you tell your younger self?
I’d tell him not to be too hard on himself but to have a beginner’s mind and relax more.
Also Read: Dream loud, dream big and dream now: Surbhi Agarwal of Yellow.ai
I would also thank him because he hung on and brought me to where I am now. Because everything that happens to us, whether good or bad, shapes who we are and our life.
Can you describe yourself in three words?
Dreamer. Believer. Catalyst.
What are you most likely to be doing if not working?
I love reading, whether it’s books or comic books. I also love watching movies and TV shows on Netflix, Disney+, HBO GO, and other streaming platforms. And I’m a huge fan of BLACKPINK, so most likely, I’m listening to their songs, even while working.
What are you currently reading/listening to/ watching?
I just finished the season finale of House of the Dragon. I’ve also enjoyed the K-dramas, Alchemy of Souls, which has become my favourite K-drama of all time, and Little Women.
I’m reading Matt Wagner’s Grendel Omnibus Volume 1: Hunter Rose.
And, of course listening to BLACKPINK’s album, Born Pink.
–
Join the e27 contributor community of thought leaders and share your opinion by submitting an article, video, podcast, or infographic
The post Try to look at the world through a beginner’s eyes: Joey Alarilla of Playfix.io appeared first on e27.