Chess.com cofounder says it took a pinch of delusion to bring the traditional game online—and it’s a ‘requirement for every successful entrepreneur’

Entrepreneurs often have to take a leap of faith to get their businesses off the ground—whether it be cashing out their 401(k)s for funding, or dropping out of Ivy League colleges to go all-in. Chess.com cofounder Danny Rensch started his 235 million-player empire when his life was on the brink of collapse. Although he initially believed his vision was unrealistic, he credits a bit of that self-delusion to the platform’s success. 

“The idea that Chess.com could actually be what I thought...