276: Building GOAT Gaming: Web3 Gaming, Amy the AI Agent & Retention on Telegram

Simon Davis, founder of GOAT Gaming and Mighty Bear Games, joins Sam to unpack how they’re using Telegram, AI agents, and meme culture to scale Web3-native games. He breaks down their AI-powered assistant “Amy,” the technical challenges of building engaging agents, and how GOAT reached 6M+ users with Telegram-first distribution. They also discuss player retention, designing social-first games, and why the future belongs to AI-native studios using crypto as the default payment layer. Whether you're a builder, gamer, or curious founder—this episode is packed with Web3 insights. Key Timestamps [00:00:00] Intro: Simon from GOAT Gaming joins to talk AI, gaming, and Web3. [00:01:00] Simon’s Background: From music to QA to founding Mighty Bear Games. [00:02:00] Early Crypto Journey: Buying BTC in 2015 and going full-time Web3 in 2021. [00:03:00] Why Telegram?: 6M players through native distribution and UX. [00:05:00] Retention vs Airdrop Farming: The difference between community and extractors. [00:06:00] Amy the AI Agent: How she engages players with chat-native games and events. [00:07:00] Launching Grand Theft Pepe: A meme-inspired game with real NFTs. [00:08:00] Native vs Opportunistic Builds: What separates successful Telegram games. [00:10:00] Telegram Gaming 2.0: Shift from airdrop farming to social-first experiences. [00:12:00] Game Habits: Simon shares how he stays current across genres. [00:14:00] Designing Amy: From boring chatbot to a unique personality with narrative depth. [00:16:00] Gaming as Social Glue: Why players show up for people, not just gameplay. [00:17:00] Guardrails & Responsibility: Ethical design for AI agents in public spaces. [00:19:00] Rebuilding Today: How AI would change team size, speed, and funding approach. [00:20:00] Billion-Dollar Studios with 3 People?: Why it’s not just possible—it’s near. [00:21:00] AI x Crypto: Why LLMs and Web3 are natural complements for the agent economy. [00:23:00] Biggest Challenge: Hiring AI-native talent in a fast-changing world. [00:24:00] Final Ask: Try GOAT Gaming on Telegram, give feedback, and connect if you’re building. Connect CEO & Co-Founder: https://x.com/skilllevel7  Telegram Miniapp - https://t.me/goatgamingbot/goatgaming?startapp=src_Gens  Telegram Community: https://t.me/goatgamingtribe Telegram Announcements: https://t.me/playgoatgaming Telegram AlphaGOATs Announcements: https://t.me/alphagoatsai Twitter: https://x.com/playgoatgaming  Website: https://goatgaming.com  Discord: https://discord.gg/goatgaming  YouTube: https://youtube.com/@playgoatgaming Disclaimer Nothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research. Finally, it would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend. Be a guest on the podcast or contact us - https://www.web3pod.xyz/