Music, machines, and a habit of building.
Before marketing, there was music and there were machines. In the mid 2000s Tessar was on stage playing bass and singing, and behind the scenes he was composing, arranging, and conducting full orchestral productions.
He was just as deep in technology, building digital systems used by private companies, state-owned enterprises, ministries, and international organizations. In 2008 he brought both instincts together, structure and systems, and founded Arfadia with five people and no investors.
Helping brands get found, and cited.
Today Tessar leads a 120-plus person agency across Jakarta, Bandung, and Bali, and is a member of the Forbes Agency Council.
In 2023 he made Arfadia Indonesia's first agency to offer Generative Engine Optimization, and built the RoGEO framework to measure how brands get cited by AI. His two books turn that work into playbooks anyone can use.
A career spent on one question: how do people find you?
Music and technology. Performing on bass and vocals, composing and arranging, and building early digital systems.
Immanuel (God With Us). Wrote, arranged, conducted, and produced a full orchestral production at Graha Bakti Budaya, Taman Ismail Marzuki.
Founded Arfadia with five people and no investors. The same year, staged a second orchestral production, The Rapture, at Graha Bakti Budaya.
Public and institutional work. Contributed as a speaker to Bekraf's official business guidebook, led the BPJS Ketenagakerjaan campaign, and began digital roles with Lembaga Alkitab Indonesia.
Speaking and training. Featured speaker at the UBSI Seminar Kemerdekaan Digital, and trainer for the SIDIA education platform across several provinces.
GEO pioneer. Made Arfadia the first agency in Indonesia to offer Generative Engine Optimization, and created the RoGEO framework.
Forbes and books. Joined the Forbes Agency Council and published Found Before They Search and Cited or Silent.
Composer, arranger, conductor.
Tessar is a musician. He wrote, arranged, conducted, and produced two full orchestral productions staged at Graha Bakti Budaya, Taman Ismail Marzuki: Immanuel (God With Us) in December 2006, and The Rapture in December 2008. The same instinct that shapes a score, structure, arrangement, and timing, shows up in how he builds marketing systems.
A long record on stage and in the classroom.
From government guidebooks to university seminars and corporate workshops.
BEKRAF, Creative Economy Agency
2017 · JakartaInvited speaker at the focus group discussion on website design and development, contributing to the government's official Panduan Pendirian Usaha guidebook. Topics: project budgeting, government contracts, UI and UX acceptance testing, and intellectual-property contracts.
Universitas Bina Sarana Informatika (UBSI)
2019 · Karawang and PontianakFeatured speaker at the Seminar Kemerdekaan Digital, addressing principals, teachers, and students from 30 high schools on digital creativity and productive versus consumptive technology. Covered by Republika, Tribun, and Warta Ekonomi.
BPJS Ketenagakerjaan
2017Led the award-winning social media and complaint-handling work, and spoke on social media management and digital marketing for the institution's teams.
Lembaga Alkitab Indonesia
2017 to 2019Served on the Digital System Sub-commission within the Commission for Finance, Asset Development and Management, and delivered speaking and training sessions on digital marketing and SEO.
Regional Education Offices (Dinas Pendidikan)
SIDIA education platformSpeaker and trainer for the SIDIA education platform across multiple provinces, including Central Kalimantan, Maluku, Central Sulawesi, North Sumatra, and Jambi.
GEO Corporate Training Workshops
CurrentIn-house workshops for enterprise marketing teams on Generative Engine Optimization and the RoGEO framework, with professional certification.
Two playbooks for being found in modern search.
Available on Amazon and Google Play Books.
Found Before They Search
Modern search and discoveryA practical guide to being discovered across modern search, from Google to social and video, before a customer even types a query.
View on Amazon
Cited or Silent
The Definitive GEO, AEO & AI Visibility PlaybookHow AI systems decide what to cite across ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, Copilot, and more, and how to become the source they quote. 91 chapters, 27 tables, 148 references.
View on AmazonKeynotes and workshops on AI search and digital growth.
In English or Indonesian. In-person or virtual.
He helps brands get found and cited across every major AI platform:
- Generative Engine Optimization: getting cited by ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Claude
- Search Everywhere Optimization: visibility beyond Google
- Measuring AI visibility with the RoGEO framework
- The end of ten blue links: marketing in the answer-engine era
- From founder to authority: building a durable agency
For press and event use.
Feel free to use the photos below with a credit back to this page.
Awards and credentials
A track record across industry, government, and international work.