Rick Firnando is the co-founder and CEO of Verihubs, an identity and risk decision platform for Indonesia. They help over 245 banks, fintech companies and the digital sector prevent fraud occurrences. 

Verihubs is backed by Insignia Venture Partners, Central Capital Ventura, and Armand Ventures. Their tech is also used by Commonwealth Bank, Maybank, Bukalapak, and other enterprises. 

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👋🏼 How would you explain your job to someone outside tech?

We offer AI-based verification such as background checks, identity verification, face recognition, and liveness detection to help Indonesian companies prevent fraud. 

I am responsible for leading a team to work with clients to understand their verification needs and develop solutions that meet those needs. 

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🧐 What's something about you or your job that would surprise us?

Before Verihubs, I had experienced five business failures.

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🏆 What has been the biggest highlight of your career so far?

Being accepted into Y Combinator is a significant milestone in my life, as I have limited experience building tech companies and do not come from a privileged background. Despite this, one of the top Silicon Valley accelerators and investors has shown confidence in our idea.

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💼 What advice would you give someone starting out in your industry? 

Launch your product faster to see if the customers need it. If your product addresses its pain points, they will pay even if your product is not fully polished.

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🗣 What's one thing you can keep talking about for hours? 

Life topics/experiences.

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🎥 What's your favorite movie/TV show? 

Interstellar. 

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🍨 What's your go-to ice cream flavor?‍

Chocolate.

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We've edited this interview for length and clarity.