Levelling Up – Guillotine’s Jake Kulkowski

Jake Kulkowski, founder of Guillotine, tells us about setting up an influencer relations agency, and why being in the content trenches is rewarding, rather than just cut throat

What is your job role and how would you describe your typical day at work?

I’m the founder of Guillotine, a small influencer relations agency based in Wales, doing big work! No two days are the same when you run your own business. I spend a lot of time ‘matchmaking’: Curating target lists of influencers for campaigns we’re crafting or events we’re running or paid activations we’re negotiating. I spend lots of time negotiating deals between creators, management and clients – making sure everyone gets paid fairly and on time!

The best part is of course spending time connecting with creators, whether it’s on Twitch, YouTube or chatting away on Discord – I make sure to be up-to-date with the industry landscape and introduce myself to as many emerging creators as I can! I like to stay in the trenches. I like the ‘grunt work’ just as much as the other bits and bobs. It helps me stay focused on who I’m working with (creators) and why I’m doing it (because I love it, and really love ‘content creation’). 

Running your own business is one of the most rewarding things you can do, but as any business-owner will tell you, you spend a lot of time creative problem-solving! Good stress, though!

What qualifications and/or experience do you need to land your job?

The role is fairly new still, despite its huge impact. I’m not sure a typical pathway has been set. There were a handful of gaming-endemic influencer relations specialists worldwide when I started, five years later and we’re in a place where all major publishers have at least one internal influencer relations expert! 

From my experience, a background as a content creator is a huge advantage. Most creators are fairly connected with a network of peers, have experience managing communities of people and already keep on top of trends – loads of transferable skills!

On the other hand, I’ve noticed an influx of performance marketing experts moving into gaming from more ‘lifestyle’-oriented agencies. They’re bringing a lot of that workflow with them, so I’d assume a marketing degree would help boost your stats if that’s the route you want to take. 

If you were interviewing someone for your team, what would you look for?

There are a few key traits essential to the Guillotine ‘ethos’ or whatever:

Being a great verbal communicator is a must! One moment you’re explaining what influencers are to publishers and the next, you’re explaining what publishers are to influencers. There’s a lot of code-switching so being able to adapt is crucial. Being a name in an inbox just isn’t enough, there needs to be presence and you spend a lot of time face-to-face with people.

Someone with a deep knowledge (and passion) about games and trends is essential. Not only does it help you pitch games to creators but it helps you advise partners and clients on activation dates, events on the way, competitor titles to avoid and so on. 

I was once on a call with a client and another agency, when they suggested the client launch a press release five days after the call we were on… on Elden Ring launch day. I pointed it out and was promptly asked by someone at that agency, what ’Elden Ring’ was. I’ve never gotten over it. 

Most importantly, I’d be looking for a matchmaker. Someone who’d feel confident curating the best creators for our campaigns and vice versa. You don’t wanna spam or send creators irrelevant stuff so I like to spend a lot of time on this. It’s something a platform or a tool can’t teach, so it’s the most important thing!

What opportunities are there for career progression at Guillotine?

We’re still a brand-new agency but when that inevitable growth spurt happens there’s plenty of opportunities to join the team and grow!  One of the best aspects of running your own small business is there’s plenty of flexibility when it comes to learning new skills and I can’t wait to see where I progress too, in terms of industry knowledge. It’s a very exciting time!