Working for Alienware had always been a goal of mine ever since I saw an Alienware system on display at Best Buy in 2004. I had always been a gamer, but every gaming system I DIYed was built with secondhand parts or whatever I could trade for at swap meets and flea markets. Seeing an Alienware in person, not just in a magazine or random ad, effortlessly playing Jedi Knight 2 (which made my system explode) made me a believer on the spot. After many applications, I finally got the opportunity to join the mothership in 2006, just a few months before Alienware was acquired by Dell! I landed myself in the Depot repair department, where I learned the true value and happiness that comes from taking something that is broken and bringing it back to life, from working with your hands and developing troubleshooting skills.

A few years later, I moved over to Quality auditing and after short stint there, I found myself as part of the Product Reviews team, benchmarking and configuring systems that would be sent out to press. That role expanded into Performance testing and eval, meaning now my team would get early preproduction samples of products and run them through the paces to ensure they met and exceeded gamer expectations.

I moved from Miami to Austin in 2017 and shortly after, was given the opportunity to pursue my first Planning role as the Consumer Graphics Planner. I have been the Alienware Desktop planner since late 2020 and am proud to have been part of many incredible core teams that have brought our systems to life.

What is a key skill you would say you have that helps you thrive in gaming?

Patience. Patience is the key skill to help you thrive in anything, whether it be actual gaming or planning gaming products. It is very important to take a step back and remind yourself to keep calm and collected and to keep moving forward towards a solution. This is much harder when the opposing team has all but obliterated your team, half of which went away from keyboard (AFK) or lost internet connection, and you can feel a weird twitch forming in your eye. It’s important to remind yourself that there is always the next game.

How do you stay updated with latest trends in the industry?

I have been a gamer all of my life, mostly on PC as a DIYer but also with multiple generations of consoles. Many of my product visions are based on my own experience and on my interactions with consumers who are as passionate about gaming as I am. The Alienware Consumer Engagement team is always in the trenches with the gaming community and their feedback and perspectives are priceless when planning the next generation of gaming systems.

How did you get the idea for Area-51?

The Alienware Area-51 brand has always meant the best and I wanted to live up to that legacy. I’ve had the privilege of working alongside planners, product managers and core teams who brought previous gen Area-51 systems to life, in addition to being that kid wandering the rows at Best Buy and stumbling upon this behemoth of a powerhouse called Area-51. It’s that feeling of awe and excitement that I wanted to capture with this new Area-51. An entirely unapologetic full-size desktop with relentless performance that embodies what it means to be an Alienware.

Where did the name come from?

The Area-51 desktop, as a brand, has existed since at least 1999 and always represented high end gaming performance. The Area-51 name is a nod to the top-secret Area-51 government site in Nevada where, purportedly, alien remains and UFOs are stored and being studied.

I am fairly certain they will be studying how this new Area-51 desktop can stay so cool and quiet even under extreme gaming loads but really the secret is REDACTED with some REDACTED and a gentle sprinkling of REDACTED.

Where do you see the future of gaming desktops heading in the next five years?

The possibilities are endless, but I do know one thing: Alienware will be at the forefront.

What advice do you have for aspiring product managers in the gaming industry?

Listen, engage and be humble! The gaming community is MASSIVE, and everyone has different needs and use cases, but they all share the same passion and excitement towards their favorite hobby. With that passion comes a deep sense of what they want and why they want it, and they are not afraid to be direct and blunt in their feedback.

While that can be intimidating at times it’s important to understand that it comes from a good place – gamers are pursuing what makes them happy and they do it in a community of like-minded people. They will absolutely protect their own from any external forces that are perceived as interlopers. My advice for any aspiring product manager trying to get into the gaming industry is to be real, embrace the passion and actively participate in the community. Play some games and grow some thick skin!

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