Quote · The iGaming Leader
The Founder Who Got Tired of Gambling's Bullshit. So He Built Something Better.
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Strategic Focus: Saying No to Sportsbook and New Markets
At 14:31 · chapter starts 14:30
MrQ's strategic focus on the UK market and core casino product is, Savvas admits, something he has to actively protect against his own nature. Pressure to add sportsbook comes up constantly, as does the temptation of new markets — and each time, Savvas's challenge is to flip the burden of proof: not 'why aren't we doing it?' but 'give me a compelling reason why we should.' His CFO has been the key guardian of that focus, catching Savvas mid-enthusiasm and gently asking: 'But why would we be doing this?' The point about one-way doors is pointed: sportsbook, international expansion — these are decisions that look reversible from the outside but have hidden exit costs once you're inside. You can find the fire exit, Savvas says, but it's very hard to locate. Steve Jobs' observation — that he's almost as proud of the things Apple didn't do as the things it did — resonates deeply here. The leadership team has, in the past 12 to 18 months, been presented with a couple of real opportunities, and each time the answer has been the same: focus is the thing, and once it's gone, it's gone.
Savvas says assembling the right leadership team was the hardest thing he has done in 8 years of running MrQ, taking roughly 2 years to complete.
MrQ's value framework comprises 6 principles: We Own It, We Challenge Everything, We Win As One, We Care By Design, We Play Smart Long Games, and We Get Shit Done.
