# A playbook for building deep tech startups

I joined Applied Intuition as a new-grad engineer back in early 2019, when it was just a handful of us working above a bar on Murphy Ave in Sunnyvale...

June 03, 2026

## [Firsthand: Seven Years Inside Applied Intuition, the Quietly Dominant Physical AI Company](https://review.firstround.com/firsthand-applied-intuition/)

## [“AI-Powered” Isn’t a Position](https://review.firstround.com/positioning-playbook-for-ai-products/)

A playbook for building a distinctive brand when too many AI products sound the same, look the same and have the same positioning.

May 14, 2026

## [Why founders should bet on first-time executives | Praveer Melwani (CFO, Figma)](https://review.firstround.com/why-founders-should-bet-on-first-time-executives-praveer-melwani-cfo-figma/)

In this latest episode of Executive Function, Brett sits down with Praveer Melwani, CFO at Figma. Praveer joined Figma in 2017 as the company's first...

May 14, 2026

## [Guideline's Path to Product-Market Fit — The Early Decisions That Powered Its Acquisition by Gusto](https://review.firstround.com/guidelines-path-to-product-market-fit/)

Ten years after shaking up the retirement fund industry for SMBs, Guideline has been acquired by Gusto. Here, co-founder Kevin Busque shares the early...

March 24, 2026

## [35 Impactful Questions Managers Should Ask Themselves Regularly](https://review.firstround.com/35-impactful-questions-managers-should-ask-themselves-regularly/)

We asked top startup leaders to share the questions they ask themselves to become better managers and assembled their answers into a can't-miss...

May 16, 2022

## [Radical Candor — The Surprising Secret to Being a Good Boss](https://review.firstround.com/radical-candor-the-surprising-secret-to-being-a-good-boss/)

Kim Scott cut her teeth as a manager at Apple and Google, and now helps create great leaders as an author and coach for companies like Twitter. Here's...

November 24, 2015

## [From 0 to $1B - Slack's Founder Shares Their Epic Launch Strategy](https://review.firstround.com/from-0-to-1b-slacks-founder-shares-their-epic-launch-strategy/)

“HELL YEAH WE'RE USING @SlackHQ AT WORK I. LOVE. SLACK.”

February 27, 2015

## [So You Want to Hire a Forward Deployed Engineer: How to Know If You Need One and How to Get the Role Right](https://review.firstround.com/so-you-want-to-hire-a-forward-deployed-engineer/)

Founders and operators who’ve successfully built forward deployed engineering teams share the nuances that make this idiosyncratic role work, along...

February 24, 2026