Overview
- Chen, in coverage published Monday, says his promotions at Google felt “easy” because he ignored formal rules.
- He says he launched the Google Partners program in other languages without HQ approval after a block, then leaders asked for a North America rollout.
- He also says he skipped a two-year wait by asking for a promotion in under a year after citing results.
- He left at 28 despite a high-pay C-suite role and a seven-figure equity package, and says he now earns less as a founder yet has no regrets.
- He founded Tastewise, an AI tool that tracks food and drink trends, which has raised more than $71 million and is used by PepsiCo, Nestlé, Mars, Kraft Heinz, Campbell’s and Givaudan.