Hello everyone!

Exciting announcement and new Chess Bites dropping (scroll to the end) 😉

We’re coming to San Francisco Tech Week!

We will be cohosting an event with Convivialité Ventures during #SFTW on October 11. If you are from or will be in the area, please RSVP to join us.

We’re also opening up a few spots for sponsorship. If you’re interested in sponsoring the event, please reply to this email for more information.

CHESS BITES #2: An Unarmed Pawn

Our last Chess Bites on the Sicilian Defense opening was heavy on information, so this time I want to lead with a short story. This particular scenario has stayed with me over the years, and now, I often reflect on that while building my company. Perhaps it’s just me spending too much time in my head again…but here we go.

We learn by doing, but even more so by making mistakes. I recall one game in particular where my chess coach played more conservatively than usual, leaving much of the board open. Without other pieces blocking my way, I kept pushing my center pawn higher and higher.

Before I knew it, he seized the pawn, and with no support from my other pieces, I lost it. He had warned me when I made that move, saying: “Pawn rise high, chaos reigns.” The message was clear: when an unprotected pawn ventures too far into enemy territory without proper support, you risk losing it!

If you watch games played by more experienced players, you’ll notice they rarely rush their pawns forward without first developing their other pieces. It’s intention over randomness. Rather than aimless advancement, more experienced players focus on reinforcement in the earlier stages, creating a cohesive and strong structure among their pieces.

It’s not a concrete rule, but you can observe it playing out in many scenarios. Here are some examples-pawn chain and connected rooks:

I want to dedicate this week’s Chess Bite to a close friend, E*****, and to anyone experiencing obstacles along their journey. Finding, connecting, and solidifying the dots to give form to the formless takes time and intention. When we encounter resistance, we don’t just persevere; we “arm the pawn.”