Indra Sofian

Indra Sofian

Early-stage founder

Outline

I love First Round’s content on their blog and podcasts. They're always so oddly specific—yet perfectly helpful because of that.

Featured Articles

  1. 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...
    • Published: June 03, 2026

  2. “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.
    • Published: May 14, 2026

  3. 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...
    • Published: May 14, 2026

  4. 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 decisions that led to this success.
    • Published: March 24, 2026

  5. Positioning Your Startup is Vital — Here’s How to Nail It

    • Arielle Jackson has experience crafting marketing campaigns at Google, Facebook and Square. This is her messaging toolbox.
    • Published: January 28, 2015

  6. The Founder Dating Playbook – Here’s the Process I Used to Find My Co-Founder

    • Gloria Lin opens up about her pre-founder journey, from how to find a co-founder and early conversations, to the set of 50 questions she prototyped to...
    • Published: September 30, 2019

  7. A Tactical Guide to Managing Up: 30 Tips from the Smartest People We Know

    • Top startup leaders share their best tips for managing up, including communication tactics, building trust, and goal setting with your manager.
    • Published: January 14, 2021

  8. The Minimum Viable Testing Process for Evaluating Startup Ideas

    • The traditional approach is to do some customer research, throw an MVP out there as fast as possible, and hope it hits. After being early at three...
    • Published: September 14, 2021