Altenar is known for making itself visible at major industry events, but Dinos Stranomtis still believes the product has to come before the marketing.

In Episode 91, Surya speaks with Dinos about almost three decades around betting and iGaming, how the industry moved from almost no standards to the much more regulated environment we see today, and why he still believes there is significant room for new companies to grow.

A major part of the conversation focuses on how Altenar itself developed. Dinos says determination mattered, but the bigger factor was getting the right people together. For him, knowledge and motivation are the two qualities that matter most when building a team.

The discussion then turns to startups. If he were starting again today, Dinos says the first priority would be simple: build a product that works, solves a real problem and has enough quality for people to want it. Only then should sales, marketing and large conference investments follow.

He is equally direct about companies arriving at exhibitions with a stand before their product is ready. His view is that customers need something real to see, test and trust before marketing can do its job.

The conversation also covers Altenar's growth, why the company is not currently for sale, what success means personally to Dinos, expansion into Europe, North America, Asia and Africa, and why he believes AI will change jobs rather than simply eliminate them.

LinkedIn can be cringe, repetitive and full of copy-paste content. Eugene Camilleri still believes it is one of the most useful tools available to people working in iGaming B2B.

In Episode 92, Surya speaks with Eugene from Pateplay about the way he approaches LinkedIn, why he refuses to spend hours planning posts and how a personal brand can turn into actual conversations and business.

Eugene says most of his posts take less than 10 minutes. The idea might come while he is in the shower, working or simply thinking about something in the industry. His bigger point is that people often overcomplicate content instead of developing a recognisable voice and saying something they genuinely believe.

The conversation also gets into memes, complaints and controversial posts. Eugene argues that criticism becomes more valuable when it comes with a solution. Memes can build attention and personality, but an audience built only around jokes and complaints is difficult to convert into anything commercially useful.

He also explains his frustration with mass sales outreach, particularly irrelevant messages sent without understanding whether the person receiving them could ever become a customer.

The episode closes with the business impact behind all that activity. Eugene says LinkedIn has improved his response rates, widened his network and directly contributed to business. For someone working commercially, he sees LinkedIn and industry communities as part of the job rather than something separate from it.

SiGMA Rome is set to be the group's biggest event yet, but size is only part of what Chloe Von Brockdorff says the team is trying to improve.

In Episode 90, Surya speaks with the CCO of SiGMA Group about what will be different in Rome this year. The event will bring four verticals together under one ticket, with SiGMA, Affiliate Grand Slam, FX World and AIBC all operating within the same wider event.

Chloe also addresses one of the main complaints from the previous Rome edition: transport. She says the logistics team began working on the issue almost immediately after last year's event, with more shuttle routes, a structured taxi system and additional chauffeur options planned this time.

The conversation then moves to a bigger question for the industry. With SBC Lisbon and SiGMA Rome happening within a relatively short period, does iGaming really need so many large events? Chloe does not claim there is a simple answer, but says the demand is clearly there. She also argues that different shows continue to attract regional audiences, while repeated face-to-face meetings help relationships develop over time.

For her, this is still the main value of events. Business is built through human interaction, knowing clients personally and building trust beyond a single meeting.

The episode closes with SiGMA's expansion beyond traditional iGaming through affiliation, fintech, forex, AI and blockchain, as well as how the company is thinking about future markets while regulatory conditions continue to change.