# How to spot the wrong customer before they burn your roadmap

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

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

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

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/ "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/ "Guideline's Path to Product-Market Fit — The Early Decisions That Powered Its Acquisition by Gusto")

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

[Build Products That Solve Real Problems With This Lightweight JTBD Framework](https://review.firstround.com/build-products-that-solve-real-problems-with-this-lightweight-jtbd-framework/ "Build Products That Solve Real Problems With This Lightweight JTBD Framework")

Drawing on her experiences building products at Lumosity, Oculus, and Facebook's New Product Experimentation group, Sunita Mohanty shares a...

January 14, 2021

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

[Speed as a Habit](https://review.firstround.com/speed-as-a-habit/ "Speed as a Habit")

All things being equal, speed will determine whether your company succeeds or not. Here's how to make it core to your culture.

July 21, 2015

[Our 6 Must Reads for Onboarding Tactics That Help New Hires Succeed (and Stay)](https://review.firstround.com/our-6-must-reads-for-onboarding-tactics-that-help-new-hires-succeed-and-stay/ "Our 6 Must Reads for Onboarding Tactics That Help New Hires Succeed (and Stay)")

Onboarding is so much more than the standard-issue IT set-up: It's the foundation for how new hires settle into their roles and their future at the...

June 11, 2019