Unpredictable Hits

In this episode, Amit Carmi, CEO at Sett, sits down with Asi Burak, Chief Business Officer at Tilting Point, to dive into the business side of mobile gaming from someone who's been in the industry for over two decades. Asi shares how Tilting Point evolved from traditional publishing to pioneering UA financing in 2017, why that model has now become the industry standard, and what it takes to win big IPs like 007 and SpongeBob in a market where launching new games is harder than ever.They also discuss how AI is reshaping monetization and advertising, and why Asi believes video games are still a medium the world underestimates.

In this episode, we sit down with Yair Melamed, SVP Games at Zynga, to explore what it really takes to lead at the highest levels of mobile gaming. Yair shares why even while managing over a thousand people, the best executives stay obsessed with the details, and how that obsession is what enables strategic thinking, not the opposite. From his early days as an engineer at Playtika to Chief Games Officer at Wildlife and now running multiple studios at Zynga, Yair's career spans every phase of the mobile gaming journey. We discuss launching new games in an era of rising CPIs, the fight for players against aggressive APAC competition, how to scale a game into a real business, and the personal moments that shaped his leadership including the decision to bet on himself and leave his comfort zone.

Different city, same obsession. This season, Unpredictable Hits lands in Barcelona to sit down with the people who've been shaping mobile gaming for years. Serious studios, global hits, and a lot of tapas.We're diving deep into what's really moving mobile games right now: UA and creatives, AI, and how the best teams are building systems that scale. Each episode, Amit, Co-Founder & CEO of Sett, brings in brilliant guests to talk shop and unpack what's working, what's broken, and what's next.This is the show for UA and marketing people who want to stay curious, stay sharp, and stay in the game.

Unpredictable Hits is a series of sharp, fun, and brutally honest conversations with the people shaping the future of mobile gaming in the AI era.In this episode, we sit down with Jon Bellamy, CEO of Jagex, to explore what it takes to lead RuneScape, a 25-year-old world that millions still treat as home. Jon explains why running Jagex often feels “more like government than game development,” and how community and trust shape every decision.From his early years as a RuneScape player to roles in VC, Huge Games, and now the CEO seat, Jon’s path spans every side of the industry. We discuss legacy, community governance, the real impact of AI on development, and what it takes to keep a living game thriving across generations.We dive into:(00:00:00) Intro and Jon's journey to Jagex(00:02:42) Managing a community like a government(00:06:51) The 70% poll threshold for new features(00:09:23) Dragonwilds and early access success(00:14:10) Card Game: Hardest lessons and unsolvable problems(00:20:06) Strategy: Betting on 10 bold things(00:26:21) Balancing new players vs. loyal community(00:37:43) The truth about AI in game development(00:46:04) Human creativity vs. "AI Slop"Check other episodes: https://www.sett.ai/podcastLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sett-ai/posts/?feedView=all

Unpredictable Hits is a series of sharp, fun, and brutally honest conversations with the people shaping the future of mobile gaming in the AI era.In this episode, we sit down with Shaun Rutland, ex-PlayStation and founder of Hutch, to explore how the playbook for building a studio is shifting, and what it takes to do it with clarity and speed.From Royal Mail to PlayStation to Hutch, Shaun’s career moved across roles, platforms, and company sizes — all the way to building his own AI-first studio today. It’s a look at how experience, adaptability, and timing shape the way modern game studios are built.We dive into:(00:00) Intro: AI, Mobile Games, and the Unfiltered Truth(01:17) Shaun's Path: Postman, PlayStation, and Hutch's Origin(08:22) Crucial Lesson: Why You Must Ship the Game(15:25) The Danger of Hyper-Growth & Team Alignment(28:25) AI-First Studio: Why Now is the Best Time to Build(34:29) AI's Biggest Impact: Why It's Not Just Art Assets(45:50) Competitive Edge: Distribution Trumps Execution(50:10) Early Marketing Hire: Finding the Science-Driven Marketer(57:15) Founder Advice: Community, Focus, and Giving BackCheck other episodes: https://www.sett.ai/podcastLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sett-ai/posts/?feedView=all

Unpredictable Hits is a series of sharp, fun, and brutally honest conversations with the people shaping the future of mobile gaming in the era of AI.In this episode, we sit down with Zeynep Tasoz Cataner, Senior Marketing Creative Director at Zynga, to talk about the tension between speed, data, and authenticity in mobile gaming. She shares what it takes to build creative teams that move fast without losing their edge, and why AI won’t replace artists, but will raise the bar for them.We dive into:(00:00) Intro(01:31) From Brand Entrepreneur to Zynga’s Creative Lead(05:00) The Crisis of Authenticity in an AI World(07:50) Balancing Scale, Authenticity, and Retention with Authentic Ads(15:38) The "Deconstruction" Method: How to Find Your Next Hero Creative(28:22) The Secret to Ending UA vs. Creative Team Tension(31:36) What is a "Data-Driven Artist"?(39:38) Launching New Games: Creative Strategy for Soft Launch(45:10) Advice for Creative Leaders and EntrepreneursCheck other episodes: https://www.sett.ai/podcastLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sett-ai/

Unpredictable Hits is a series of sharp, fun, and brutally honest conversations with the people shaping the future of mobile gaming in the era of AI.Most founders dream of building a gaming empire. Akin Babayigit actually did it.In this episode, we sit down with the co-founder of Tripledot Studios, one of Europe’s fastest-growing game companies, to unpack his journey from Turkey to the global gaming stage. Akin shares some unfiltered perspectives on risk, resilience, and building from zero to one.We dive into:Global forces in mobile gamingThe personal bets and early risks behind founding TripledotHow Akin thinks about scaling a gaming company (and why he thrives in the zero-to-one stage)What it means to build for the long game vs chasing short-term winsThe mindset shift that separates good founders from legendary onesIf you care about games, startups, or building something that lasts, this one’s for you(00:00) Intro(01:15) Akin Babayigit’s Journey: From Turkey to Yale and McKinsey(09:51) Building the Facebook (Meta) Gaming Ecosystem(14:06) The Founding Story of Tripledot Studios(19:47) The "Zero to One" Founder vs. The Scaled Executive(36:55) Why Turkish and Chinese Gaming Studios are Dominating(40:08) How Gaming Companies Should Actually Be Using AI(53:24) Advice for New Founders: "If Not Now, Then When?"

What happens when AI collides with mobile gaming? This is Unpredictable Hits, a series of sharp, fun, and brutally honest conversations with the people shaping what’s next. We’re here to find out what’s actually happening and where it's all headed, straight from the source.Each episode, Amit, Co-Founder & CEO of Sett, teams up with brilliant guests to talk shop and ask the hard questions.Join us as we explore the weird, the brilliant, and the broken sides of AI in gaming and try to make sense of it all.