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Balancing Family, Career, and Community in the Games Industry with Amir Satvat
Episode Summary
How do you break into the games industry later in your career? And once you’re in, how do you build a meaningful life and community without burning out? In this episode, Greg is joined by Amir Satvat, a Business Development leader at Tencent and the winner of the "Game Changers" award. Amir is one of the industry's most important connectors, having built a community that has helped thousands find jobs and opportunities.
Amir shares his incredible journey from finance at Goldman Sachs to gaming in his late 30s, offering a practical playbook for career pivots. He breaks down his disciplined, non-negotiable approach to balancing a high-stakes job with being a present father and husband, and reveals why true networking is a 12-month game of building relationships, not a last-minute job hunt. This conversation is packed with wisdom for anyone looking to build a sustainable and impactful career in games.
Timestamps- (01:55) The Pivot: Amir details his unconventional path from banking and healthcare into the games industry.
- (11:00) The Non-Negotiable Framework: How Amir uses rigorous time-blocking to protect family time and avoid burnout.
- (25:49) Confronting Ageism: Amir discusses the industry's challenge with retaining and valuing older talent.
- (32:25) The #1 Networking Mistake: Why you need to build relationships long before you need them.
- (39:40) The Financial Modeling Trap: How a finance-first mindset can be both a powerful tool and a creativity killer in game development.
Amir Satvat is a leader in Business Development and Strategy at Tencent and the founder of a professional gaming community that has helped thousands of people. Known as one of the industry's most important connectors, his work is driven by a deep passion for helping others succeed.
- LinkedIn: Amir Satvat
- Community Hub: amirsatvat.com
- Breaking into the games industry mid-career
- Effective networking strategies for long-term success
- Balancing a demanding career with fatherhood and family life
- Transferable skills from other industries (finance, tech, healthcare)
- Community building and the power of trust
- Continuing education and staying relevant
- Industry challenges: ageism, the future of consoles, and business models
- Amir's Community Website
- Tencent
View all episodes
By GregEpisode Summary
How do you break into the games industry later in your career? And once you’re in, how do you build a meaningful life and community without burning out? In this episode, Greg is joined by Amir Satvat, a Business Development leader at Tencent and the winner of the "Game Changers" award. Amir is one of the industry's most important connectors, having built a community that has helped thousands find jobs and opportunities.
Amir shares his incredible journey from finance at Goldman Sachs to gaming in his late 30s, offering a practical playbook for career pivots. He breaks down his disciplined, non-negotiable approach to balancing a high-stakes job with being a present father and husband, and reveals why true networking is a 12-month game of building relationships, not a last-minute job hunt. This conversation is packed with wisdom for anyone looking to build a sustainable and impactful career in games.
Timestamps- (01:55) The Pivot: Amir details his unconventional path from banking and healthcare into the games industry.
- (11:00) The Non-Negotiable Framework: How Amir uses rigorous time-blocking to protect family time and avoid burnout.
- (25:49) Confronting Ageism: Amir discusses the industry's challenge with retaining and valuing older talent.
- (32:25) The #1 Networking Mistake: Why you need to build relationships long before you need them.
- (39:40) The Financial Modeling Trap: How a finance-first mindset can be both a powerful tool and a creativity killer in game development.
Amir Satvat is a leader in Business Development and Strategy at Tencent and the founder of a professional gaming community that has helped thousands of people. Known as one of the industry's most important connectors, his work is driven by a deep passion for helping others succeed.
- LinkedIn: Amir Satvat
- Community Hub: amirsatvat.com
- Breaking into the games industry mid-career
- Effective networking strategies for long-term success
- Balancing a demanding career with fatherhood and family life
- Transferable skills from other industries (finance, tech, healthcare)
- Community building and the power of trust
- Continuing education and staying relevant
- Industry challenges: ageism, the future of consoles, and business models
- Amir's Community Website
- Tencent