Cathal O’Sullivan is the real deal when it comes to success stories. He's one of those people that make you reevaluate where you are in life...and feel that little bit smaller!
Being labeled a HPSU (high potential startup) by Enterprise Ireland on the first application; and at such a young age that is no easy feat. Neither is being invited to speak at the gradireland's Graduate Careers Fair in the RDS today (Wednesday October 5) on the panel ‘I want to become an entrepreneur, where do I start?’
Cathal admitted to me that he's had no business experience whatsoever, something I can’t don't really buy. “It all sounds ridiculous, but it's true!” he said.
“During school and college, I did a lot of part-time work in bars, restaurants and coffee shops. It's still only the beginning, but it was really just a mixture of luck, hard work, determination, and belief in my vision that got me to where I am today."
And where is he today? Literally speaking, he's setup at the National Digital Research Centre, which is based at the Digital hub in Dublin. And he's built up 5 full employees and 10 total people working on GameX.
So what exactly is the GameX? And parents make sure to read on!
"GameX is a recommendation engine designed exclusively for the gaming industry", Cathal explained. "It assists people in finding the very best game for their tastes across console, handheld, PC and mobile".
“Games these days are expensive but that doesn’t necessarily equal quality. So I searched for a game recommendation engine. The results were uninspired at best, so I took it upon myself to design a website that solved my problem with a fellow college classmate.”
“We are releasing a child-friendly version for Gamex" Cathal added. "It will allow parents to connect their child's gaming accounts with GameX; that will then recommend a game that is suitable and age-appropriate that they will like.
“Gaming has a negative stigma with the general public, of having a negative impact on the well-being of a child growing up. This is actually further from the truth."
"Grouping up with 4 friends to achieve something is far more rewarding than sitting and watching TV for two hours. Stick to certain timeframes, allow social communication and talking about achievements are all fantastic for the kids.
“Teamwork, strategy, communication and design are all important life skills that can be improved in a positive gaming environment", he added.
As an entrepreneur, what advice has Cathal for future startups?
- Reach out to your LEO and Enterprise Ireland for support. They are a fantastic selection of people.
- Don't build or develop anything before learning absolutely everything you possibly can about your target market; don't presume anything!
And the people who he most admires in the industry? "I may get some stick for this but the founders of Riot Games (the company behind the multimillion dollar game League of Legends) - Marc Merrill and Brandon Beck are people I definitely admire."
So how can people get in touch with GameX?
There's plenty of ways to find GameX,
Facebook: gamex.io
Twiter: gamex_io
Youtube: Search GameX.io
Twitch: GameX
News/Reviews: Hub.gamex.io
Or contact Cathal directly himself through his email at cathal@gamex.io.
For more information on Grad Ireland Careers Fair, including Cathal O'Sullivan's panel, click here.
