Tri Ahmad Irfan: Indonesia Upbringing to USA Tech Inflection Point, YC Founder Experience & CTO Engineering Leadership - E351

Tri Ahmad Irfan, Cofounder & CTO of Lumina, and Jeremy Au discussed three main themes: 

1. Indonesia Upbringing to USA Tech Inflection Point: Irfan described his initial exposure to computers in high school and his passion for web development and problem-solving. He leveraged his skills to secure his first international internship at Twitter, marking several firsts for him – flying, obtaining a passport, and enduring a grueling 2am to 7am interview. He talked about the culture shock he experienced in the US and how he adjusted from his introverted Indonesian upbringing to the more extroverted and outspoken American communication style. He detailed that the experience was a pivotal inflection point, as it opened the door to opportunities beyond local internships in Indonesia and set the trajectory for his career.

2. Engineering Leadership: Irfan emphasized the importance of engineers understanding business impacts and prioritizing user needs in product development. He highlighted his experiences in building products, managing teams, and hiring. He stressed the need for engineering leaders to embrace business knowledge, data analysis, stakeholder management, and direct user communication to effectively contribute to business objectives.

3. Experience with Y Combinator (YC): Irfan recounted the excitement and the intensity of participating in Y Combinator, a dream come true for him. He navigated the pressures of the three-month program, including pandemic remote work, intense late-night sessions and the preparation for the 60-second demo day presentation.

They also talked about risk management, the importance of embracing opportunities, the value of direct communication with product builders, and the nuances of adapting to different market demands and user behaviors.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/tri-ahmad-irfan

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

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