Episode #103: Savan Gupta on Collaboration

We welcome Savan Gupta to the show, but Tee is audio only… and it had nothing to do with Pip!

• Savan kicks it off, and the party begins.
• Having a company is apparently just as stressful as kids

3:07 Savan begins to unravel all his creative endeavors

• Steam-funk Studios– a multi-media and marketing firm
• From that came the Living Multiverse, a cross-media fiction project… and World Domination
• The Unconventional champions journalist and academic excellence in fandom—The Rolling Stone of Fandom. Fanthropolgy
• Sepia Riot, a project in development, championing Indian, Arab and Asian representation in fandom
• The Unconventional will be coming this year!

8:03 Tee asks Savan how he manages all these amazing projects

• Savan keeps a regular schedule, military like
• Manage expectations with those that are working with you
• Savan vets everyone and gives them an orientation so that people are ramped up
• Communicate any problems that crop up in life
• Tee throws himself under the bus, but also owns his problems
• Savan points out that when you act like a professional everything is simpler

12:29 Pip asks Savan just how many people he’s collaborated with over the years

• Savan remembers another collaboration, Geeks Gone Wild
• Collaborating means having standards and processes to encourage others who want to work with you
• Savan comes to this from a financial market
• Pip gets jealous of Savan’s organization
• Tee points out the collaboration with Galileo Games was very well organized
• Savan mentions that he’s spent years all over the country, finding talent
• Savan says past and present he’s worked with hundreds of people

17:41 Tee asks, so what do they all do?

• Everything began as a performance troupe
• In 2014 critical mass happened. Slick-brass and the Crew of the A.S.S. Titilus was joined by Rohan and the Dogs of War. Then more… and more… and consulting for others
• It got so big, that they needed residuals to support the performance, so Savan changed tack.
• Rebooting the brand, they turned inward to evaluate what goods and services work best, to make money
• The Unconventional is free, because its aim is to make a community- but it gives plenty of attribution, and a bio
• Attribution is something we need more of
• Savan answers the question about how many people who work in the company
• Shout out to Savan’s teams!
• Pip’s mind is blown

27:01 Tee asks Savan how he handles when collaboration goes bad

• Savan makes clear what expectations are, and how much time it will take to his collaborators
• His exceptions clauses are; your health (you don’t have to disclose what those are, legally as well), day job/school (hell weeks do happen in both), and finally your family.
• Everyone needs paperwork!
• Tee, Savan and Pip discuss about deadlines
• Savan describes his ‘break glass’ situation

• Now the Hobbit comes up… we have all been forged by fire
• Savan calls back to his father, for his fortitude and persistence

51:14 Tee makes sure when the pandemic is over, Savan will break bread with he and Pip once again

• Tee reveals his love for Trejos Tacos cook book
• Culinary arts series coming from the Unconventional!
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