Life is poker, not chess. Are we in an AI bubble? Forced vulnerability.
One “must” for this week: life is poker, not chess.
I got my first big promotion in 2008.
It felt like finally “winning the game” right as the entire board was going to be flipped over by the financial crisis.
For years, I’d approached my career like a game of chess.
I thought if I just played perfectly, I couldn’t lose.
2008 and what followed broke that illusion. I saw brilliant people, who had made all the “right” moves, get wiped out by things beyond their control.
Years ago I realized I’d been approaching it as the wrong game. Life isn’t chess.
It’s a messy, high-stakes game of poker.
In chess, you have all the information. In poker, you’re betting on incomplete information, reading people, and dealing with luck.
You can play a hand perfectly and still lose. That was tough for me to swallow, and it still is sometimes.
This shift in thinking changed everything for me, especially in two ways:
All decisions are imperfect: when I decided to leave Italy and build a life in Spain, I didn’t have 100% of the information. You have to be willing to act on what data you have, or the opportunity will pass you by.
Choosing your table: it’s not about being the best player in the world; it’s about finding the right game for your skills. The game where you have an edge, and where work feels like play.
Now I’m just focused on playing the hand I’m dealt, at the right table, with the best information I have at the time. And learning to live with the results, win or lose.
Are you spending more time trying to find the ‘right’ move, or finding the ‘right’ table?
Personal development
Innovation
Leadership and management
One book
“AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley, and the New World Order” by Kai Fu Lee. It’s interesting how many of the events forecasted in this book are happening now.
See you next Saturday,
Roberto
I’m hosting a virtual communication workshop!
Spending hours in virtual meetings can be exhausting 😩
You know the feeling: wondering if people are paying attention, struggling to sound confident through the screen, or just wishing you could connect better in those tiny Zoom boxes.
I’ve been there too.
Since 2020, I’ve spent over 5,000 hours in virtual meetings. Along the way, I’ve learned that being effective online is about so much more than just having a great microphone or camera (and you know how I LOVE a good tech setup 🤖).
That’s why I’ve spent countless hours researching, practicing, and learning how to communicate in virtual settings: how to engage, connect, and leave a lasting impression.
My guiding question has always been, “how do I want the people in this meeting to remember me?”
Now, I want to share what I’ve learned with you, and in the process, continue learning myself.
I’m hosting a workshop to help you become a better communicator in virtual settings.
Whether you’re leading meetings, pitching ideas, or just trying to avoid “Zoom fatigue,” this 90-minute session is designed to give you practical tools you can use right away.
🎯 What’s in it for you?
Learn how to make a stronger, more memorable impression from the moment you join a call.
Discover how to use your voice, gestures, and presence to keep people engaged.
Avoid common pitfalls that can derail even the best-prepared sessions.
And yes, we’ll talk about the all-important technical setup, too!
It’s going to be interactive, fun, and useful, and I’d love for you to join! 🤩
What people said after the workshop
In each session, the spots are limited for better interaction, so don’t wait!
🗓️ October 14th 16:00 to 17:30 CET
The right table for me :) I learned the same lesson. Your newsletter reminded me a great book - Thinking in Bets by Annie Duke (former poker champion) :) Thank you Roberto!
Are you open to thinking of alternative metaphors that are cooperative? Is comparing life to a win-lose game situation - domination of one player over another the only representation of how we might regard our co-existence with one another? What about, life is a glorious contradance, life is a vibrant collaborative art festival” We are all so armored for protection because we believe our survival depends on fighting one another- when the reality is that humans were able to evolve mostly because of our ability to cooperate and create together.