Strategy Isn’t a Game

A Note from the CEO

Lately, I’ve been noticing a pattern on LinkedIn: more and more people are reflecting on how games shaped their understanding of strategy. Just the other day, Duolingo’s CTO and co-founder shared a post about learning strategy from his sister - not through a formal lesson or a textbook, but through hours of playing Catan together. I’ve seen similar reflections about how golf sharpens focus, how poker builds negotiation skills, and how team sports teach leadership.

These reflections resonate because they highlight something important: strategy doesn’t have to come from a boardroom. It often starts at the kitchen table, on the field, or over a casual game night.

But whenever I read these stories, I inevitably get the same question: "So how is chess different?"

Here’s my answer: it’s the why. And more importantly, it’s what chess unlocks.

Unlike other games, chess isn’t just about mastering tactics or outplaying an opponent. It’s about understanding systems, weighing risk and reward, and seeing not just what’s in front of you - but what’s possible five moves ahead. It teaches patience, foresight, and the quiet confidence to act decisively under pressure.

But here’s the bigger truth: chess isn’t just a tool for personal development - it’s a global engine for transformation.

I’ve watched young people use chess to find their voice in rooms that weren’t built for them. I’ve seen it reshape conversations about gender, governance, and leadership. I’ve worked with athletes, artists, entrepreneurs, and policymakers who don’t just play chess - they live its lessons.

Because chess doesn’t just build better decision-makers. It builds people who question the very nature of power - and claim agency within it.

When you learn to move like a queen, you stop asking for permission.

You start asking: What’s my next move?

xx,

Ashley Lynn Priore

Quote of the Week

“Strategy is about making choices, trade-offs; it’s about deliberately choosing to be different.” - Sheryl Sandberg, tech executive, philanthropist, writer and lover of strategy

Coming Up in the Pod

Dr. Anna Steve on Redefining Beauty, Leading with Precision, and Building Confidence Through Care

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Anna Steve—a trailblazing plastic surgeon at Neinstein Plastic Surgery who specializes in breast surgery. From her small-town Canadian roots to her patient-first, minimal-scar approach to cosmetic care, Dr. Steve brings a refreshing, human-centered voice to the field of aesthetic medicine. She opens up about what it means to empower women through surgical care, how she balances motherhood and medicine, and why confidence—not trends—should guide beauty decisions.

Puzzle Solution:

Ba4+ (attack!)

Kb1, Nd2+ (fork!)

Ka1, Nxf3 (bye Queen!)