Akin Babayigit: How Tripledot Studios Became #1 Fastest-Growing Company in Europe | E1030

I mean, the size is just comical. I mean, like, you know, there's a lot of things you listen to around saying, like, gaming is bigger than movies and films combined, right? That's a very real thing. But even then, you know, people misunderstand how big gaming is.

(instrumental music) Ekin, I am so excited for this, my friend. We've known each other for a while. I'm so thrilled that you took the time to join me, so thank you so much.

Man, it's such a privilege. It's an honor. I do have to say, you know, first of all, on a personal level, I really love you. Really. On a professional level, I think most people don't know, but, uh, we have an amazing professional relationship. You're an investor in our business as well. And we'll talk about kind of startup advice and all of that, but most people don't know you're actually a media entrepreneur, not just any VC. For me, it's such an amazing privilege to be here. You're one of the very few people I tell my kids about at dinner table. I say, "You know, Uncle Harry did this." You know, "I want you to do this like Uncle Harry when they were ..." And it's not me blowing smoke up your ass. This is really legitimate, and I'm really, really happy to be here.

I mean, poor kids. Uh, one-

(laughs)

... (laughs) and then that, and that will lead to Wandsworth Prison. Uh, but, uh, no, it's funny. I always say when I think about you and Leo, uh, these are the founders where whatever they were doing, it could be selling kitchen knives, you just wanna give them all of your money. (laughs)

(laughs)

But no, I was, uh, talking to JZ before the show and he gave me this very apt description of Turkish Muslim-

(laughs)

... sent by your mother, not by the government.

Yes.

Yale HBS. Give me the snapshot. Like, how did that happen?

Sure. So, um, I grew up in Turkey, uh, until I was 16, and I was this mega nerd. I was in, like, the math Olympiad team, and I was just, I was one of those people that, um, I was social, but I wasn't, um, you know, externally facing, externally friendly. My mother, um, came in one day, and my mother is not for the faint of heart, and she said, "I decided to put you on a exam for the Rotary Club to go to the US." And I protested and I said, "I don't want to. I'm happy here in Turkey." And, and she came and she said, "Fine, you can be a garbageman then." And that was the end of discussion. So next thing I knew, I was in a exam room, uh, with the Rotary Club. I went to the US, into Wisconsin. And you took a math nerd from Turkey, put them in Tomah, Wisconsin, uh, where not only people did not see anybody from anywhere else, people never saw anyone with dark hair.