1.0
14 Feb 2025
Former employee, more than 3 years
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook
Pros
You can play chess while at work...
Cons
Although the leadership was reluctant to admit it, Chess.com was preparing for a public IPO. The company struggled to meet IPO requirements, leading to intense micromanagement of the entire engineering department. The situation was dire—made worse by the fact that power was concentrated in the hands of a single individual: the Chess.com CTO, who exercised control over the entire company. Poor communication, a confusing culture, and a toxic environment of backstabbing. There were a dozen of YES man always trying to make the CTO happy. To me, the company was more about ChessCTO.com.