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We have the honor of bringing you an exclusive interview with Siddhant "Sid" Joshi on the fascinating ambiance of S8UL Fest. Sid is well-known as the driving force behind the S8UL esports organization, and his work as an esports manager has been critical in their ascension to the top. He has guided the S8UL team through the competitive terrain with finesse as the orchestrator of strategic genius and the architect of winning.
In this intriguing chat with Sportskeeda, Sid also reveals the inner workings of esports management, shining light on the narrative behind S8UL's ascension within the exhilarating world of gaming.
BGMI streamer and S8UL manager Sid hopes to make the S8UL fest even bigger
Q) Esports can be a demanding field. How do you handle high-pressure situations and motivate your team during challenging times?
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Sid: I think I have always been somebody who thrives more under pressure, so it is not a big deal for me. I have been doing this for the longest time. I am one of the people that have existed in the (esports) scene for the longest time, so I am used to this pressure, and it just drives me to see all these kids looking up to me, to the players, and to all the creators that S8UL has. It's a great feeling to have some sort of power to drive the youth of the people, so it's a good feeling.
Q) Apart from in-game skills, what qualities do you look for in players when forming a well-rounded esports team?
Sid: I think time management is one of the most important things for any aspiring esports player. I have mentioned this before, practicing for 12 hours is not the same as somebody who practices for six but uses that six hours very well. So I think figuring out how you use your time perfectly because when you're a 16-17 years old student, you're 16-17, you have your school and your personal life as well. So when you manage that properly, use whatever time you have and properly. I think that is one of the most important qualities for somebody who's trying to get up there in esports.
Q) In a highly competitive industry, talent poaching can be a concern. How do you build loyalty and commitment among your players and staff?
Sid: At S8UL, I think we've never been worried about our players getting poached because even personally, before S8UL, I used to get a salary and it was a fixed amount of income for me. After coming here, I figured out what else I could do, and it's no longer like a fixed income for me. So I'm never worried about poaching when I'm working with S8UL because I don't think anybody else in the country can match what we do for our players.
We just don't give them salaries, but we also make them independent for the future. So at a point where even if they're not making salaries, they're still making good money, they've turned into brands, they have good numbers, they have brand deals, etc. So poaching-wise, as I said, I'm not very worried. It happens outside, and even when we want to acquire players, we never encourage poaching. Even the last roster that we had, we bought them out from all the teams that they were playing in. So, yeah, I'm not worried about my players getting poached.
Q) Esports fans often have strong opinions on team performance and roster decisions. How do you handle public feedback while staying focused on your team's long-term goals?
Sid: So it's a mix, I guess. We do listen to the community. We try our best to listen to the community, but sometimes it's situations where we can't do much, and the community sitting at home, they don't realize what kind of work we do here and how limited we are, and the boundaries that we have to set. But, yeah, we do listen to the community a lot because I have said this a lot of times in the past as well, we are because they are.
We can make these events happen because they tune in or because they come here, buy the tickets, buy our merch, like our streams. So listening to the community is a very big aspect of what we do. So this event as well, I think it's sort of a test event for us so that the next time we do it, we take into account what they like, what they dislike, and do this better and bigger (event) next time.
Q) According to you, how would you differentiate between a standard company manager and an esports manager? What are the unique nuances that are unique to the esports ecosystem?
Sid: I think one of the biggest challenges is the fact that we handle very young players. The age group, the age demographic that we handle is very different. Usually, when you have a manager for a corporate field, you have people who have worked in offices, who have passed out, and who have their degrees. They sort of understand how a corporate structure works, how an office works, and how a hierarchy works. In esports, it's a little bit different, so when we get these new players, for example, people like Goblin or even Neyo, they don't know how these things work. So for us to sort of mold youngsters into men who can guide the youth of the future, that I think is the most difficult part of being an esports manager, and that's the most differentiating thing for an esports manager.
Q) Do you think the job of an esports manager is underrated?
Sid: Oh, absolutely. Back when I started, I think I was the only esports manager in the scene. Even now, I feel like I am one of the few who truly understand the role of what needs to be done for esports.
In general, the (esports) support staff in India is kind of underrated. But at S8UL, we don't do that, we have dedicated managers for each of our rosters. We have somebody overlooking those managers, then we have somebody overlooking that guy, so we have that hierarchy in place at S8UL because we do understand (the role of an esports manager).
Thug follows 100 Thieves (an esports company), it has been an inspiration for him, and he sort of follows what they have been doing. So I think S8UL-wise, we are doing well. But in general, yeah, the esports manager and support staff in India are a little bit underrated right now.
Q) S8UL Fest is a fairly large event, So is this something you will use as a stepping stone toward the next big thing? What are your plans for expanding and driving both S8UL and esports forward in India?
Sid: I mean, at S8UL, we always speak about the next big thing. We are constantly doing something big. Every step that we take, every brand deal, every event that we do is sort of trying to beat the last one (events) that we do. Pulling something of this scale, having so many people come in (at S8UL Fest) in just a couple of days, I think it's an immense feat that Thug and Goldy Bhai have pulled off.
I don't know what they're going to do next. I always wonder whenever we do something big, how can we beat this, how is it possible that we can beat this and do something else, but they somehow make it happen, So let's see what happens next.
Q) The S8UL fest requires a considerable amount of planning and coordination. Could you share the story behind its conception? Whose idea was it, and what were the key steps taken to bring this exciting event to reality?
Sid: I mean, Thug has been discussing this for the longest time. This is a very common thing in the USA or even in Europe. The Twitch creators do a lot of these events. It never happened in India. We never felt like people would turn up, but Thug made it happen, so I am very happy. Also, shoutout to TC, the guys who did this for us. The guy who heads the TC company is a very old friend of mine, we started playing together ten years ago, so I'm very happy for him as well. I don't think this would have been possible without TC. So yeah, shoutout to them as well. Hopefully, the next one (S8UL Fest) is bigger.
