Introduction
From a young age, I was captivated by video games, spending countless hours immersed in them.
My journey began at the age of 10 when I discovered Counter-Strike 1.6, a game that quickly became my favorite among all. Unlike other children, I never had much interest in school or learning specific subjects.
My passion was elsewhere: rushing back home from school to play Counter-Strike whole day long. This competitive spirit, driven by a desire to excel, shaped much of my early life and eventually led to my career in Agile coaching.
A Journey from Gaming to Professional Growth
Growing up with Counter-Strike, I participated in numerous local tournaments and mixed games, where teams of random players competed against each other.
One of my fiercest competitors was Nikola Kovač, known as NiKo (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NiKo), who remains one of the best players in the world who remains one of the best players in the world. Despite my enthusiasm and potential opportunities, like moving to Belgrade to join a rising team, my parents were skeptical, as most were at the time saying big NO to that idea and steering me more towards focusing on school and getting good grades – which I hated the most :))
With the release of CS, my passion for gaming only intensified.
My skills improved, and I eventually moved to Banja Luka to study geography, where my best friend (Zoran) introduced me to Damjan, the CEO of a company and a fellow Counter-Strike enthusiast.
In an interesting turn of events in 2018, I found myself playing Counter-Strike at their office after hours with Damjan and his team, including Neven, the best programmer I knew, and Robert, a new acquaintance.
Key Skills from Gaming Applied to Agile Coaching
My role as the in-game leader (IGL) in Counter-Strike was pivotal.
It required me to strategize, coordinate the team, and make quick decisions under pressure.
These skills directly translated into Agile coaching, where leading teams by serving them and being a servant-leader, managing complex problems, dependencies and risk effectively, and adapting to changing circumstances are crucial.
The ability to think strategically and work effectively with others, often under tight deadlines, has been invaluable in my professional journey.
The Link Between Gaming and Agile Coaching
What fascinated me most about Counter-Strike was the role of the in-game leader (IGL), who strategized and led the team, aiming to outsmart opponents even if they were more skilled shooters.
This role required building a strong team, much like the goals of Scrum and Agile frameworks. It was here that I realized my love for working with people, solving problems, and understanding different perspectives.
Damjan noticed these qualities in me and offered me a job at his company. I started as a C# and Unity developer but soon transitioned to manual QA.
It was then that I first heard about Scrum. Guided by Agile value #1—people and interactions over processes and tools—I found joy in helping others learn and improve, particularly in Agile and Scrum. This was quite a shift for someone who had spent most of their schooling disinterested in traditional education.
As I delved deeper into Agile coaching, discovering my true calling: mentoring and guiding others to solve complex problems in simple ways.
Day by day, I invested in myself, gaining knowledge to share with others. Applying Agile principles to my own development, I focused on continuous improvement, self-reflection, and adapting my approaches to better serve those I coached.
Conclusion
The love for Counter-Strike and other competitive games like League of Legends never faded.
The high level of team organization, leadership, and helping others become their best selves are qualities I found in Agile and Scrum.
These elements of teamwork, collaboration, feedback, and continuous improvement are what drew me to Agile coaching and what continue to drive my passion today.
My journey from a gamer to a professional Agile coach is a testament to how the skills and lessons learned in one area can translate into success in another.
Have you ever transitioned skills from a hobby to a professional setting?
Share your experience in the comments!
