Call Summary: TikTok Gaming Partnerships and AI-Powered Sales

Overview

Initial conversation between Gary and Assad (introduced by Tim Joo) discussing the intersection of gaming partnerships, enterprise sales methodology, and innovative relationship management systems for the gaming industry.

Key Topics Discussed

Gaming Industry Monetization Trends

• Assad's perspective: "The rewarded gaming space is evolving rapidly. We're seeing publishers move from skepticism to active engagement, but trust is still the biggest barrier."
• Discussion of how major publishers are approaching TikTok differently than traditional platforms
• Challenge of balancing user experience with monetization in gaming content

Enterprise Sales in Gaming

• Relationship complexity: Assad manages relationships with 50+ major publishers and 200+ indie developers
• Quote: "I probably have 300 conversations a month across different stakeholders. The hardest part isn't the talking—it's remembering who needs what and when."
• Tim had mentioned Assad's team has some of the highest conversion rates in enterprise tech sales

AI Tools for Relationship Management

• Gary demonstrated the Apple Watch recording setup
• Assad immediately saw applications: "This would be game-changing for GDC. I meet 100+ people in three days."
• Discussion of using AI to identify patterns across publisher conversations
• Assad's insight: "If I could query all my conversations for 'monetization concerns,' I'd probably find 5-6 common objections I could systematically address."

Implementation Strategy

• Assad interested in starting with top 10 publisher relationships
• Plans to test system during upcoming partnership meetings
• Wants to track decision-making patterns across different publisher stakeholders

Action Items / Takeaways

• Gary to send detailed framework document for AI-powered relationship management
• Assad to test Apple Watch recording in next publisher meeting
• Follow-up in 2 weeks to discuss initial results
• Potential collaboration on gaming-specific relationship intelligence tools

Key Quotes

• Assad: "In gaming partnerships, you're not just selling to a company—you're navigating tribes within tribes. Every studio has its own culture."
• Gary: "The compound effect is real. After six months, you'll have intelligence your competitors can't match."
• Assad: "The publishers who trust us early are the ones who win. But building that trust at scale? That's the challenge."

Strategic Insights

• Gaming industry relationships require tracking both business and creative stakeholders
• Publisher trust is built through consistent follow-through on small commitments
• The rewarded gaming space is still nascent—early relationship investments will pay exponential dividends
• Assad's position provides unique visibility into the future of gaming monetization