He mentored me for several years — from my first steps in mobile game creative to growing into a team lead managing 30+ people at the AppQuantum publishing company.
Alexey has a rare talent for clearly and deeply explaining the essence and philosophy behind successful mobile game creatives. That clarity empowers you not just to follow trends, but to start setting them yourself.
He's endlessly patient while you're figuring things out. He draws you into the process, makes you think, and helps you arrive at your own conclusions. Like a great coach — he doesn't solve problems for you, he gives you tools, frameworks, and unwavering support. He always pushes for outcomes, not just motion.
When I was building my own team from scratch, Alexey ran workshops for us — giving junior creatives a solid foundation, while backing my direction with his authority. He left behind artifacts — docs, frameworks, spreadsheets — that are still in active use. The strongest people on our team consistently call out those materials as some of the most valuable in our entire knowledge base.
I've known Alexey for a long time as we worked together at both Nexters and Hooks. Over the years, I've come to know him as a strong leader with extensive experience, creative vision, and a rare ability to bring out the best in the people he works with.
Alexey reshaped the way I see marketing twice, each time from a completely different perspective. Both experiences were invaluable to me, and I'm genuinely grateful to him. I believe that the ability to help people grow and develop is one of the defining qualities of a truly great leader, and Alexey truly embodies that quality. Every time we get the chance to work together again, I rediscover my own skills and reach a new level professionally. I think his ability to create the right environment for that growth is one of his greatest strengths as a leader.
I've also always been impressed by his ability to balance pragmatism with creativity. He knows how to make thoughtful, practical decisions without sacrificing room for experimentation and new ideas. As a result, even the most challenging projects become an engaging creative process that inspires you to keep looking for the best possible solution.
I'm genuinely glad that our professional paths continue to cross, and I hope we'll have many more opportunities to work together in the future.
My professional journey was largely shaped within the company Alexey founded. I joined HOOKS early in my career as a 2D motion designer and grew into a 3D motion designer, then a lead, and eventually an animation director.
From the start, I was struck by how coherent a system he had built, not just the production processes, but the culture itself: accountability for shared results, respect for colleagues' work, and a sense that the team should operate as one. This wasn't a manual for completing tasks; it was a genuine culture shaped by the founder.
Even in early all-hands meetings, Alexey stood out for the depth of his thinking. He sees long-term strategy, senses industry shifts, and understands how decisions will shape the future. Learning more about his track record in game marketing only confirmed what was already apparent in his approach.
What impressed me most was his understanding of human psychology both in building team culture and in crafting creative strategy. His ideas were always grounded in data, behavioral insight, and a clear hypothesis for why something would work.
As a leader, one of his greatest strengths is spotting potential in people. He believed in me, gave me the resources and space to grow, and that trust is a big reason I was able to go from junior designer to a leadership role.
For me, Alexey is a founder who stays ahead of the curve, sensing trends early, translating ideas into strategy, and building strong teams around them. And he does it while remaining a thoughtful, genuinely people-first leader.
Let me break it down into three aspects — to better explain the whole picture.
The Materials Truly valuable resources on mobile game marketing are rare — the field evolves too quickly. But Alexey has them. He developed and structured his own materials from scratch, based on real-world experience and practical cases. And they're not just insightful — they're genuinely impressive. It's clear how much thought and firsthand knowledge went into them.
The Interaction When learning from someone clearly more experienced, I sometimes feel that familiar "fear of asking questions." With Alexey, that never happened. After just a couple of calls, it was obvious — you could ask anything. He responds warmly and without ego, which creates an open, confident learning space. It really makes a difference.
The Creative Process Being a creative producer means constantly balancing calculated analysis with inspiration and joy. Alexey helps fuel both. He knows how to spark new thinking — either leading to great ideas or helping elevate existing ones. Even when working within a structured framework for hypothesis generation, the creative energy doesn't get boxed in — it grows stronger.
I'm genuinely happy with our collaboration. Working with Alexey is not just productive — it's enjoyable. And beyond the direct tasks, it naturally opens up a space for deeper knowledge-sharing, creative exchange, and long-term connection.
My journey in game development started with him. At first, I didn't realize how valuable that was — but the more I spoke with experienced professionals, the clearer it became: his mindset was on a whole other level.
I wasn't learning from a theorist. I was learning from someone whose projects set industry trends — not once, but consistently.
What changed everything for me was how he documented his thinking. Every idea had a trail: where it began, how it grew, when it shifted, and why it worked. It wasn't just about projects — it was about process.
With Alexey, creativity is never random. It's always deliberate, intentional, built on real data and real outcomes.
And the most powerful insight I gained? I learned how thoughts live. How to nurture a tiny spark into something big. How to carry an idea through decline and help it rise again — like a phoenix in a new form.
My first experience working with Alexey marked a major shift in my career, as I moved from film production into game development. His leadership style, particularly his structured approach to work and his encouragement of initiative, gave team members the freedom to make their own mistakes, learn from them, and grow. It was an excellent professional school for me and ultimately became a strong career springboard.
Later, when Alexey invited me to join his own company, I saw another side of him: a responsible leader who is deeply focused on making every part of the business work properly and that everyone on the team has the tools and resources they need. This allows people to concentrate on their own area of expertise and deliver their best work.
