Allebest: We tell every hire that Chess.com will never be their highest-paying job
Erik Allebest · How Chess.com Founder Built A $150 Million ARR Empire With Zero VC Funding | Erik Allebest | Neon · Dec 27, 2024 · at 1:05:32
Erik Allebest is the CEO of Chess.com, discussing the company's compensation philosophy and employee retention culture.
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“One thing we tell people who work at chess.com, every single person who gets hired, They hear the same thing, which is chess.com will never be your highest paying job. We're just economically not set up for it.”
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“I think people are a little bit Naive about the downsides of raising money. Ultimately your investors will want an exit and it may not be at the same time as you. And for a business that's as mission driven as chess.com is, it's, it has at times been irritatin…”
Allebest: Running Chess.com today is much more stressful than his earlier ventures
“I, you know, in, in many ways I was happier than I am today because the stress of chess.com today is so much more than it was back then. So, you know, I don't wish a huge success on anyone. It can be quite a burden at times to be totally honest.”
Allebest: Pure executive leadership makes no sense for startups under 20 people
“There's not really a role for a leader in a startup that's, you know, you got to get your hands dirty. You got to roll up your sleeves. You have to have vision. You have to be directive. You know, and so I think, you know, being a CEO leader at an, you know, a…”
Allebest: Chess.com will have single-digit revenue growth in 2024
“I think a lot of people would look at, you know, single digit growth, like we're going to have this year and say, ah, well, you're not ready to be a public company.”