Dmitri L, Senior VR Developer, Immersive Solutions Architect
Introduction
Dmitri is a senior VR developer on Upwork based out of Israel. He pursued his Master’s degree in Information Technology & Design. He has 7+ years of experience in the AR/VR industry and has projects done for several Fortune 500 companies such as Meta (Quest TV), Hulu, Olympic Games, COSM, RYOT, Engie, Minelli, and more.
Dmitri works across a lot of different functions within VR including software architecture, game design, 3D graphics and UI design, Visual Effects, and the actual development of different projects. He also has a team who supports VR production/development and therefore can build a VR product from scratch to finish.
The journey
Dmitri knew that he wanted to work independently his entire life and grow both professionally and personally on his own terms. He started his VR career in 2015 working at a start-up that built a custom 360 video camera and made money by shooting 360 videos with it. Like a lot of start-ups, the company ended up folding and they had to let him go. Dmitri started looking for work in 360°-video post-production over the internet and that led him to Upwork. He started working on interactive VR tours and experiences based on 360 videos, which then led him to run the full-cycle VR software development agency.
Dmitri says freelancing changed his life because it gave him and his family the freedom to live wherever they’d like, without having to look for a new job after relocation. While a lot of people think that freelancing is unsafe or inconsistent with income, he believes it is totally the opposite. To him, getting employed by someone is unsafe because one can get fired at any given point of time and have to search for another job. Whereas freelancing is an ocean of opportunities that one can raise a hand and grab one. Especially, if you have an entrepreneurial mindset. Creating a portfolio/profile/personal brand takes some time, but once that is built, it sets everything in the right place. “Freelancing is more stable for my life, for the career, for the income than being employed in a company.”
The future
Dmitri’s goal is to grow as a freelancer and grow even more as a manager of his own business - a VR development studio. To improve his personal brand, do more interesting projects and work with recognizable clients. Upwork has helped him grow and achieve these goals and he’s looking to continue to develop in the space and as a freelancer.
Connect with Dmitri on Upwork