In this episode of Drinks & Deals, Assad Quraishi sits down with Maria Amirkhanyan, Head of the Gaming Division at Duamentes, to explore one of the boldest statements in business development today: “Data is overrated if you don’t know the context.”
Maria shares how her background in cognitive science helps her blend empathy, analytics, and player psychology to create better business outcomes. She discusses how Duamentes combines product, research, and data to help studios understand why players act the way they do—and how that insight leads to stronger engagement and smarter decisions.
They also dive into Duamentes’ North American expansion, their AI-powered accelerator for small studios, and how custom AI agents are reshaping community management and player interaction.
Key takeaways:
Why data alone can mislead without context or empathy
How cognitive science enhances sales and player research
The shift from “Will they pay?” to “Will they choose us?”
How AI agents can humanize studio-community relationships
A must-listen for anyone working at the intersection of gaming, data, and business development who wants to connect more deeply with their players and partners.
Gaming, business development, cognitive science, player engagement, AI in games, data strategy, empathy in sales, Duamentes, AI agents, game studios
Where to Connect with Maria Amirkhanyan
LinkedIn: Maria Amirkhanyan on LinkedIn
Contact Info for Assad
LinkedIn: Assad Quraishi on LinkedIn
Websites: QS Consulting & XP Gaming