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Interview with Dinara Pogodina – CEO of Notix.Games
AffPapa had the opportunity to speak with Dinara Pogodina, the CEO of Notix.Games, a leading iGaming software provider, as she shared the vision behind the company, explained the services that Notix.Games provides, as well as offered insights into common mistakes and current trends in the iGaming industry.
Yeva: You’ve built Notix.Games in a very competitive space. Looking back, what were the early challenges that really shaped the company into what it is today?
Launching a product in a highly competitive space is always challenging, especially in iGaming. It is a fast-moving, high-risk, and tightly regulated industry, so from the beginning I had to be very deliberate about both the product and the team behind it.
I believe my intuition and persistence played a big role there. I started with a vision, then turned it into a business idea and a clear implementation plan. Rather than just doing what everyone else does, I chose an MVP approach: starting with a proof of concept while always keeping the bigger picture in mind.
One of the biggest early challenges was building an international team that could move quickly, think independently, and be aligned with the same vision.
These early challenges taught me that for growth, you need to have the right people, the right mindset, and the discipline to build step by step without losing sight of the long-term goal. Since then, the structure of Notix.Games has changed. With the strong professionals, we have become scalable, and C-level executives are now capable of building teams behind them. I can trust them with both the execution and the creation of the company strategy. I am still very involved in day-to-day operations, but we are coming to the point of having a board in the company.
Yeva: Notix.Games works with aggregation and iGaming software. For someone outside the industry, what would you say is the real value you bring to operators?
The value of iGaming aggregators to operators is very tangible; it’s not just “more games”, but speed, efficiency, and scalable growth. It also comes down to operational effectiveness: faster launches, lower operational costs, and content diversification. In other words, scalability without complexity.
The platform we are launching is the next logical step in our product development strategy. With an aggregator, we are offering our partners the ability to manage games efficiently; with the platform, the scalability across all their casino operations.
Yeva: You’ve managed to grow in markets like Brazil and Spain, which aren’t easy to break into. What helped you gain traction there?
Even when the product was at an early stage, I already had the bigger picture in mind. Regulatory compliance, scalability, and agility were embedded in its DNA. I translated this vision across all levels of the company. I knew the system we were building had to be sustainable, and that investing in strong foundations was critical. That’s why we were able to gain traction in challenging markets like Spain and Brazil; we always treated the strictest requirements as a priority.
Yeva: As a female CEO in the industry, have you felt that your leadership style differs from the “typical” approach people expect in this space?
Oh yes, of course. The expected approach is often very assertive, acting from a position of power. But this isn’t always typical for women, so why suppress femininity? Women are naturally good at attention to detail, listening, diplomacy, and soft persuasion. These are real strengths, and we should use what we’re naturally gifted with. There’s no need to compete with men or copy their management style; collaboration and building partnerships are how I see it.
Yeva: When building a company from scratch, there’s always pressure to move fast. How did you approach leadership and decision-making in those early stages?
It was very challenging. The competition is intense. I had to think about several workstreams simultaneously: contributing to product development, building brand awareness, setting up processes, and handling daily operational tasks. Decision-making was always under time pressure, so I had to stay focused at all times.
This environment teaches you very quickly that leadership is not just about making fast decisions. It is about helping people stay aligned while things are moving fast. From the very beginning, I worked closely with managers, explaining the “why” behind decisions and leading by example. I consistently emphasized the importance of the human approach. When you are building a new company, you cannot afford confusion or unnecessary distance between leadership and the team. For me, that shaped a very hands-on and transparent leadership style. I learned that people make better decisions when they understand the wider context and feel trusted.
When people understand the “why”, it becomes easier to stay engaged and avoid burnout, even in a demanding environment. When work has meaning, and there’s a connection between actions and results, people grow and achieve results without exhaustion.
Yeva: Internally, what kind of culture are you focused on building at Notix.Games? What matters most to you when it comes to your team?
We are building a culture where human potential can be fully unleashed. Everyone on the team is encouraged to speak up and share their ideas, while also taking responsibility for their implementation. I always say that attitude is everything. We support growth and encourage continuous improvement, because when people grow, the company grows with them, and that’s where real, sustainable success begins.
The brightest example is the development of our turnkey solution. I was overthinking and trying to weigh the pros and cons, while my team quickly embraced the idea and proposed an MVP approach. It turned out to be a win-win: we didn’t increase headcount, yet through strong self-organisation, the team delivered results that exceeded expectations.
Yeva: What’s one trend in the iGaming space that has been catching your attention the most lately?
One of the trends I’m most positive about is the stronger focus on product discovery and management, UI/UX design, and the influence of more advanced industries from a design perspective. All of this is driven by a broader trend: a shift toward expertise and quality over quantity, where fast-moving products are being replaced by more sustainable, long-term solutions.
Behind this trend is a broader industry shift: iGaming is maturing. The market is becoming more complex: regulation is getting stricter, competition is becoming more intense, and product standards are rising. That naturally changes the way operators and suppliers need to think and act. In this environment, it is no longer enough to move fast or compete on volume alone. Companies have to think more carefully about product quality, user experience, compliance, and sustainability.
Yeva: When you look at people trying to launch or grow an iGaming product today, where do they usually go wrong? And if someone’s just starting out, what would you tell them first?
I would say the most common mistake I see is companies trying to replicate a successful product without doing proper business and product analysis. The assumption is simple: “Let’s do what these guys are doing, and we’ll be profitable.” But in reality, success is rarely transferable without understanding the underlying strategy, market fit, and execution logic behind it. Another frequent mistake is misallocating investment budgets toward operational expenses. This often comes from trying to imitate visible signals of success, such as large expo booths or heavy marketing presence, without a clear market penetration strategy or a well-defined business plan. In both cases, the core issue is the same: decisions driven by imitation rather than understanding. Sustainable growth doesn’t come from copying outcomes; it comes from building strong fundamentals, making data-driven decisions, and aligning product, market, and operations into a coherent strategy.
Yeva: If you think a few years ahead, say five, where do you hope both you and Notix.Games end up? And what do you think the “future you” would say to you now?
Looking five years ahead, I see both myself and Notix.Games in a much more mature, structured, and influential position within the industry. For Notix.Games, the goal is to be recognized not just as another aggregator, but as a product-driven company known for quality, strong infrastructure, and smart, scalable solutions. A platform that operators trust not only for content, but for operational efficiency, compliance, and long-term partnership value. I want us to be present in key regulated markets, with a system that is adaptable, stable, and genuinely ahead in terms of product thinking and user experience. For myself, I see a shift from being deeply involved in everything to operating more at a strategic level, building leaders, shaping direction, and focusing on long-term vision rather than day-to-day execution. Still very connected to the product and the people, but with a stronger emphasis on influence, decision-making, and creating an environment where others can grow and perform at their best.
Company: Notix.Games
Interviewee: Dinara Pogodina
Date: 15.04.2026
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