In a world of infinite gaming and entertainment possibilities, how does a centuries-old game stay so popular? Chess.com co-founder and CEO Erik Allebest joins Sarah Guo to explain how the evolution of technology has kept people coming back to chess, even when machines can beat us at the game. Erik talks about how the desire to build a MySpace-like community for chess led to the purchase of a domain name from a bankruptcy sale back in 2005, and scaled into a community with 10 million daily active users and 250 million total registered members. He also discusses the growth of the cultural relevance of chess, how investments from private equity firms General Atlantic and CVC helped grow and strengthen their platform, and how Chess.com is leveraging AI both within the business itself and to make a better product for its community.
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Chapters:
00:00 – Cold Open Trailer
01:05 – Erik Allebest Introduction
01:48 – Chess.com Today
02:57 – Buying and Scaling Chess.com
06:29 – Competition and Growth
11:52 – Chess and Cultural Relevance
14:32 – Private Equity Investment
19:31 – Playing Games Amid Evolving Tech
25:09 – Tech, Skill Distribution, and Expertise
28:40 – Chess and Cheating
31:20 – What Makes Chess Special
33:17 – Chess.com Future Vision
34:54 – Founder Advice
36:48 – AGI/ASI Predictions
40:02 – AI Investments at Chess.com
42:13 – How AI May Change Product at Chess.com
43:27 – Poker Rating Algorithms
46:07 – Conclusion
