Meet Justin Hamm: Game Developer, Teacher & Advocate
Justin is a seasoned game developer with nearly 10 years of professional Unity experience, complemented by recent exploration into Godot for personal projects. As our new Game Development Bootcamp Instructor, he brings an impressive career that includes working at major companies like Meta, as well as co-founding Spiraloid Workshop to develop VR comics and games. He has experience across PC, mobile, and AR/VR platforms, giving him a comprehensive view of the gaming landscape.
His journey began in 2015 when he moved from Virginia to Washington with no programming knowledge, job experience, formal education, or financial resources. Within his first year, a chance encounter at a game jam led to meeting Bay Raitt, who would become his business partner. What started as a leap of faith has evolved into a successful career spanning indie development, major tech companies, and now education.
Recently diagnosed with ADHD, Justin has gained valuable insights into different learning styles and challenges, which has shaped his approach to teaching and mentoring aspiring developers.
Justin's Teaching Philosophy: Making Programming Accessible
Justin firmly believes that programming is something anyone can do—the key is learning it in a way that works for you personally.
"I'm of the opinion that programming is something that anyone can do. The key is learning it in a way that works for you personally. In my case, I needed to learn the 'why' behind things, as well as put it into practice in a fun way so I could keep engaged."
His teaching approach centers around stories, analogies, and creative exercises rather than overwhelming theory. He often uses language analogies, explaining that programming languages work much like spoken languages: "Syntax is just another word for grammar. Functions are verbs. Variables are nouns. You already know and use a lot of the skills necessary for programming."
Drawing from his own struggles as a beginner, Justin focuses on making programming fun and engaging, ensuring students understand not just the "how" but the "why" behind concepts.
A Teacher Who Understands Struggle
Justin's personal experience with learning challenges gives him a unique perspective on teaching. After struggling to understand programming multiple times in his childhood, he eventually found a teacher who could explain concepts in a way that worked for him.
"I always remember how many people told me I wasn't cut out for programming when I was a kid, and how that contrasts with the career I've had. I want to inspire others so that they never give up on their dreams."
This experience has made him deeply empathetic to students who face similar struggles. He believes that if someone is struggling with a concept, there's always a reason—and finding that reason is key to helping them succeed.
Diverse Teaching Experience
Justin brings a wealth of teaching experience to the classroom, including serving as an assistant instructor for college-level game development courses, volunteering to teach programming to teenagers at summer camps, training colleagues in corporate settings to help them understand cross-departmental concepts, and informally mentoring numerous friends in programming and game development. His experience spans from formal classroom settings to one-on-one mentoring, giving him the versatility to adapt his teaching style to different learning needs.
Staying Current with Industry Trends
Justin stays connected to the rapidly evolving game development landscape through active game playing for research and inspiration, networking with creators and developers across the industry, maintaining connections with colleagues at major tech companies, and continuous learning and experimentation with new technologies. His curious nature and willingness to explore new concepts—sometimes even challenging AI to do more than it should—keeps him at the forefront of development techniques and trends.
Beyond Game Development: Life and Passions
When not coding or teaching, Justin is passionate about travel, with Japan holding a special place as his favourite destination. He's also an accomplished baker (a hobby that started on the suggestion of a producer at Uber Entertainment) and loves swimming—often for hours at a time.
His favourite gaming experiences range from classic titles like Super Mario World and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time to modern favourites like Little Big Planet and recent plays of Elden Ring Nightreign. These diverse influences continue to inspire his development work and teaching approach.
Words of Wisdom for Aspiring Developers
Justin's advice to students is both simple and powerful:
"Never give up. If you really want to follow your dreams, follow them. The only person who can truly decide if it will work out or not is you. Also, be consistent. Even if you learn only one small thing each day, or make one step towards your goal, that's progress. It adds up."
Why Learn from Justin?
Justin brings a rare combination of technical expertise, teaching experience, and personal understanding of learning challenges to the classroom. His journey from complete beginner to successful professional developer provides students with both inspiration and practical guidance.
Having personally experienced the transformation that good teaching can create, Justin is committed to paying that forward, helping students overcome obstacles and discover their potential in game development.
Stay updated on Justin's journey and insights by connecting with him on LinkedIn.
Start Your Game Development Journey Today
Ready to transform your creative ideas into playable games? Take inspiration from Justin's journey and begin your own transformation in our Game Development Bootcamp, where you'll learn from instructors who truly understand both the technical and personal aspects of becoming a game developer.
