We explore how poker shaped Andrew Macleod's thinking and how those mental models helped him build Emilia’s Crafted Pasta into a debt-free, multi-site brand. From scouting Italy to opening under budget and growing slow, we show how to balance soul with margins. • Poker as a mirror of risk and behaviour • Bootstrapping events and earning trust without capital • Finding the pasta gap and validating with travel and craft • Raising seed from relationships built on delivery and discipline • Secur...