With 50-70% of the workforce looking at remote or hybrid work setups in the next ten years, James and his team have built a digital connection platform that allows for online team building games and fun virtual conference sessions.

Listen to James’ idea from Episode 115 of How Cool Is This? and read a transcript of the full 5 minute podcast episode below:

NICK: Brian, how cool is GameApart?

BRIAN: GameApart is pretty cool. I like winning, not in the sense that I need to win and someone else needs to lose, but it's fun to play a game and it's cool to feel like a winner.

NICK: How cool is it to play games with other people virtually? We've both probably done it more than we ever have before in the past two years.

BRIAN: I'm not sure if it was between playing a game together or playing a game apart, I'd rather play together, but there are some people who, by nature of convenience or living in different states, different countries… that you have to game apart

NICK: If theoretically, you just said to me, ‘Hey, do you want to hop on a Zoom call and play a game with some other people that aren't around you?’ I would say, ‘Absolutely not.’ But it gives the opportunity for people that physically can't get together, whether it's because of a deadly respiratory disease or just because it costs a lot of money to go somewhere, to enjoy each other’s time.

BRIAN: It's cool to have the option.

NICK: Do you think people are still going to use a platform like GameApart as things continue to open up, as it's easier and maybe safer for us to physically get back together?

BRIAN: I don't think people will, but I do think that if my company had a virtual game night, then I would be more willing to say, "‘Oh, this seems like a cool idea. This is a cool way to keep everyone engaged…’ than I would have two years ago when I would have said, ‘I don't want to do that.’

NICK: Yeah, I agree. As companies have become more open to letting employees work from wherever they want, you still have to figure out ways to keep those employees engaged. You still want to include those people that aren't necessarily in the office or nearby, and this does seem like a good, easy, and effective way to do that.

BRIAN: Forced fun is still going to happen, so it may as well be cool.

NICK: Brian, what would you think about hosting a GameApart night with some of the listeners of the podcast?

BRIAN: Well, it sounds easy.

NICK: Would you be okay if one of our listeners beat you in a GameApart game?

BRIAN: Sure. What about you?

NICK: I dunno. I really appreciate our listeners and everything they do for us, but you know, I feel like they should maybe just let us win.

BRIAN: Do you think it would be cooler if we didn't offer ourselves up for a game night because it made us seem unavailable?

NICK: That's a fair point, too. If our listeners never get to meet us, that does lend an air of mystery to the podcast that is maybe more alluring than actually getting to know us as human beings.

BRIAN: Yeah, people will feel cooler if they don't have access to us.

NICK: Maybe we should host a GameApart game night with just ourselves, tell people that no one is invited, and then at the last minute invite some very lucky listeners as a surprise.

BRIAN: Yeah… start the How Cool Is This? fan page on Twitter and you, me, and James have a game night, and then on the How Cool Is This? fan page we tweet out, ‘Hey, I just got the game night link leaked if anyone wants to join.’ And then the flood gates open.

NICK: Yeah. If we leak the link, nothing cooler than that.

BRIAN: Everyone loves a leaked link.

Learn more about what James and his team are building + have fun at www.gameapart.com

Listen to a 5 minute episode of How Cool Is This? on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or anywhere else you find podcasts.