Sophiya Chiang is the co-founder and CTO of Deploy, a VC intelligence management platform that upgrades the quality of dealflow and research in private markets for investors.

Deploy launched its beta in March and they’re always looking for new startups and industry experts to join the platform.

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

I’m building a tool for investors to access Asia’s expansive innovation network and for startup founders to fundraise more efficiently.

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

I’m a gamer (it shouldn’t be shocking, but for some reason this still surprises people).

I studied computer science because I had an obsession with puzzles and games. I had the opportunity to work on so many fun tech projects across different industries as a result of following my passion.

Building Deploy has been a cumulation and reflection of this serendipitous journey. If you look at our code and system, it really is an action roleplaying game in disguise—allowing our “players” (experts) to interact with and contribute to the real innovation economy.

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

Signing on 100 new users in the first 2 months of our platform launch and helping 10% of our portfolio startups fundraise—I’m excited to wake up every morning to keep Deploying, knowing our work is making a difference.

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🔍  What's a startup trend or space you're watching this year?

The biggest gratification of building Deploy is discovering the awesome founders and startups with innovative solutions in different sectors. With so many exciting new tech, business models, and strategies—it’s really hard to pinpoint one!

We’re also in the business of finding outliers, so trends aren’t really our thing.

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

Build and sell with empathy.

Chances are, other people also experience the problems your startup is trying to solve—not only are you improving their lives, but you’re also identifying your target market!

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

Philosophy, the human experience, science, and everything in between.

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🎥  What's your favorite movie/TV show?

TV: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (and most recently, Mythic Quest)

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

Vanilla + Chocolate Chips