We recently connected with Piotr “Pjot” Dyderski and have shared our conversation below.

Pjot, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

Even though I used to think that our creative projects like films, advertising, or games only make a small, temporary contribution to society’s well-being, I realized during my career that we have more influence on others than we think.

This became clear to me during the testing phase of a particularly important project. But more on that in a moment.

I was tasked with creating a Virtual Reality app for an Austrian insurance company. The app was meant to make people aware of the dangers on the road, like using phones while driving. I found it funny because I have someone in my family (let’s call her Berta) who often reaches for her phone while driving. My attempts to dissuade Berta didn’t work. I thought to myself, if we can’t succeed with her, how can we convey it to others?

The project had strict requirements, like supporting older phones. Constant adjustments and simplifications became tiring at some point. I just wanted to finish the project.

During a testing phase with a scene involving distraction due to phone use, Berta was the perfect test subject. Naturally, an accident happened, and when she took off the VR headset, we saw that this short experience had achieved more. Later that same evening, Berta called me and said that she now consciously puts her phone away while driving, so as not to be distracted.

This event showed me that our projects can indeed have a significant impact. As creators, we have the power to bring about changes that we could never have imagined.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is “Pjot,” and at the age of 28, after 7 years of service in the military, I transitioned into the industry through an alternative educational path. However, my passion for 3D and games ignited much earlier. Even during school, I had a strong interest in animation films and games, which is why I began delving into 3D relatively early. POV-ray and 3dsmax (back then by kinetix) were my first steps. Unfortunately, specialized training in those fields was prohibitively expensive at the time, leaving me no choice but to pursue something else. (YouTube tutorials weren’t an option either, given that watching videos was challenging with a 56.6k modem – and I’m not even sure if YouTube existed back then.) When I learned that the military would cover study costs after a commitment period, my path became clear to me.

My love for 3D never faded, whether I was working at an advertising agency, later venturing into self-employment, or subsequently growing together with my life partner in our LLC. Since my studies, I’ve consistently taught at universities and colleges on the side, sharing with others what has driven me for what feels like an eternity.

Over the last two years, we’ve been happy to share our know-how with clients all over the world. We’ve been providing complete solutions in different creative areas like Visual Effects (VFX), Advertising, Look Development, and the exciting worlds of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR). Our journey has been one of continuous growth and innovation, driven by a strong love for exploring art and technology.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Funny story. It’s not ads. Even though we create advertising for others, I just can’t find the time to do my own. It’s not social media either – I suck at social media

All our new clients came through existing ones, following the motto “hey, I know someone who could do that for you too.” This approach has consistently kept our schedule busy. I believe that if you approach every single one of your customers as if they’re your best, and you give them 105% at a fair price, it compensates for a lot of marketing costs. Yes, even across borders.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Starting without capital isn’t easy. Especially when money does come in, you tend to hang out with friends, dine, have drinks, or pursue hobbies. You can either save or, like I did back then, take a risk. In one of my earliest major projects, I worked tirelessly and insisted on being compensated solely with hardware. Unconventional, but the company agreed.

With really good tools, you can work better and, more importantly, faster. Iteration became easier, and as a result, the quality improved.

If I could give a piece of advice now, it would be: don’t primarily do it for the money. Invest in yourself first, then in your tools, and the money will follow.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awesome.pjot/

Image Credits
Solveig Horsfield Sign Time GmbH