Patriots vs. Seahawks: The "Second Chance" Story

This Super Bowl Sunday, two teams will meet on the field who haven't faced each other on this stage in over a decade. For most people, it's just another high-stakes matchup. But for me, it’s personal.

Three Feet From Everything

I’m a Seahawks fan through and through. Seattle is where I raised my kids and where I spent years building my previous startup. If you’ve ever been to a game there, you know it’s the loudest stadium in the world, a surreal, vibrating experience that stays with you.

But I also vividly remember the silence of February 1, 2015.

For those who weren't watching, let me set the scene: Seattle was trailing the Patriots 28–24 with only 26 seconds left on the clock. We were three feet from winning it all. Literally. Three feet and one play. We had the best running back in the league, a guy who’d been bulldozing through defenses all season. The obvious call, the one every fan in the stadium and every person in my living room expected, was to hand him the ball and let him do what he does best.

Instead, we got fancy. We tried something clever, something unexpected. In the span of about two seconds, it was over. Interception. Game lost.Heart-wrenching defeat. I still get that pit in my stomach thinking about it, the pain of watching a decision you just can't take back.

When Simple Wins

The lesson here is an important one for restaurant owners. This Sunday, during what will likely be the busiest night of your year so far, is not the time to get fancy. It's not the time to be testing out a new phone system or hoping your host can juggle everything.

It’s the time to make sure the foundational stuff just works.

The restaurants that thrive on nights like this aren't doing anything revolutionary. They win because they’ve secured the "one-yard line" of their business: the phone gets picked up every time, orders are accurate, and guests aren't left waiting on hold.

Making the Simple Stuff Automatic

One of the biggest lessons I’ve taken from the "heartbreak of 2015" is that sometimes the smartest thing you can do is resist the urge to do it all yourself. You have to trust your best "players" and your best systems.

That’s why we’re building Palona AI. We aren't trying to build something "flashy" or "clever." We're building a tool that handles the fundamentals so you don't have to. Think of it as your most reliable "run play" for the busiest moments of the night:

• It picks up the phone on the first ring, every time.

• It handles complex orders and modifications without getting flustered.

• It lets your team stay present with the guests in the building instead of being tethered to a phone cord.

Don’t Fumble the Goal Line

Sometimes the smartest thing you can do is resist the urge to overcomplicate. Let the reliable thing be reliable.

If this Sunday feels big, you're not overthinking it, it is big. But you don't have to reinvent the wheel at the goal line. We’re here if you want to talk about supporting your team for the rush. 

Either way, I hope your night goes smoothly. And to my fellow Seattle fans, let’s hope we just run the ball this time.