Chris Gunawan

founder @ High Five | helping top tech talent land remote jobs with top startups 🚀 | DMs open

[Chris Gunawan @cgun85]

Most engineers hate job hunting.

❌️ Endless applications
❌️ Incompetent recruiters
❌️ Lowball offers
❌️ 10-round interviews
❌️ Ghosting

I built my company High Five to fix that.

Here’s how I help engineers land remote jobs (without the BS) 🧵

[Chris Gunawan @cgun85]

@justnblock Ergo don't die.

[Chris Gunawan @cgun85]

@abigbluebird Only hawker food is cheap because the government treats hawkers as social infrastructure. Eating in any other restaurant is really expensive. Just like their bus system vs private transport.

[Chris Gunawan @cgun85]

@khanifirsyad Actually, they don't have to fail. But the nature of VC investments force them to swing big. When they miss, they die. Success is $100M a year in revenue. Anything less is a failure. If they bootstrapped or raised capital from elsewhere, a nice business could still be built.

[Chris Gunawan @cgun85]

Most job seekers farm. They wait for postings, edit resumes, and apply like everyone else. But the best job seekers hunt. They track funding news, spot headcount spikes, and reach out to decision makers before jobs even exists. Do both and you'll get the job.

[Chris Gunawan @cgun85]

Everyone should practice Buddhism in this world. It would be a much better place.

[Chris Gunawan @cgun85]

Most candidates forget the easiest job search hack: the follow-up. A quick but sincere thank you note after an interview takes 2 minutes and puts you ahead of 95% of applicants. No brainer here. I'm surprised not many more do this.

[Chris Gunawan @cgun85]

Last week, Nadiem Makarim was detained as a suspect in a corruption case.

The headlines are loud. The public is against him.

But I feel compelled to share what I know.

Nadiem is a friend. I’ve known him since before he founded Gojek.

Over the years, I’ve seen him up close - he can be audacious, uncompromising, but with integrity levels off the charts.

That’s why these accusations cut so deep. He isn’t a corruptor.

Quite the opposite: he’s a builder, a servant leader, and a reformer. Unlike many of his peers in government, corruption isn’t his game.

As minister, he wanted to reform education, an institution that so deeply needs it.

Of course, along the way, not every decision was right or popular. But knowing Nadiem, I believe every decision was made in service of his country and for the benefit of it's people.

Change will always ruffle feathers. It angers the old guard who cling tightly to the status quo. This persecution is most likely the result of that.

And now, ironically, the very people he worked so hard to empower are the ones being led to believe otherwise.

I hope justice prevails, and that Nadiem can return home to his loving wife and children - who must be distraught right now.

Because this isn’t just about one man. It’s about what he represents.

Much of government still needs deep reform, and leaders like Nadiem are exactly the people we should be protecting, not imprisoning.

What message does this send to the next politician who dares to pursue reform?

Indonesia has so much potential. The question is simple: will we punish reformers or choose to protect them?

[Tim Wijaya @itsTimWijaya]

Life lesson: learn to filter advice from successful people

A lot of success comes from timing, luck, and privilege you can’t replicate, which is why you shouldn't blindly copy-paste their playbook.

[Chris Gunawan @cgun85]

Just launched The Next Move - a weekly newsletter for founders and operators building in Southeast Asia.

Every week we share:

- Tactical playbooks
- Lessons from early-stage founders
- Insights on fundraising, PMF, and growth

👉 Subscribe here: https://t.co/2toAeQAkkT

[Chris Gunawan @cgun85]

The job market in Indonesia right now is brutal. This surely has to be the bottom right? Talented fresh grads can’t land one interview. Experienced professionals are taking 50% pay cuts. So much pressure. If you’re struggling - you’re not alone. Keep going.

[Chris Gunawan @cgun85]

Indonesia’s talent is world class - engineers, designers, operators, you name it. The 2010s tech boom has already exposed them to massive scale (especially in FinTech and e-commerce). The only problem? Too often, they’re overlooked or underpaid simply because of geography.

[Chris Gunawan @cgun85]

Want to increase your chance of a raise or promotion? Start managing up. It’s simple super simple: keep your manager informed, anticipate needs, and align on priorities (without them asking). Start doing this today, and you’ll stand out fast.

[Chris Gunawan @cgun85]

If something "bad" happens to you or things don't go your way, you can ALWAYS choose a perspective that leads to growth. There is silver lining in everything.

[Chris Gunawan @cgun85]

After interviewing hundreds of candidates, the ones who get hired aren't just qualified, they're amazing storytellers. Connect the dots into a compelling career narrative. Show your purpose, not just your experience.

[Chris Gunawan @cgun85]

So many of the world’s problems come down to misallocation of talent. People in the wrong jobs, potential wasted. If everyone found their true mission, the world would be unrecognizable in the best way - more advanced, more fulfilled, more human.

[Chris Gunawan @cgun85]

Remote vs on-site is the wrong argument. Both work if you make them work. Our company has been remote since day one. It takes rituals, trust, and the right people. It’s about designing work that makes your team thrive.

[Chris Gunawan @cgun85]

Uncomfortable truth - marketing will matter more than product in this AI era. When anyone can build an app in days, cutting through the noise is everything. Product is becoming table stakes. Marketing is the new core competency you need to develop.

[Chris Gunawan @cgun85]

I'm looking for an Indo junior product designer (1-2 YoE) for a Singapore enterprise B2B startup. You'll be employed full-time through a PKWTT contract. English near fluency and strong communication skills are required. DM me with your resume and portfolio.

[Chris Gunawan @cgun85]

Startups don't die from having the wrong team, they die from doing the wrong things. No wins = burnout. Focus on things that really matter. This is usually revenue related. Focus ruthlessly on getting customers to pay you. Everything else will follow.