Episodes
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Petteri Lahtela is the co-founder and former CEO of Oura, the $2.55 billion startup behind the world's most accurate smart ring. We discuss the challenges of the early days, the importance of intention, Prince Harry's endorsement, and more.
Learn more:
https://ouraring.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/plahtela/
https://generogrowth.com/e-commerce-growth-method/
(0:00) Introduction(0:57) Petteri’s career before Oura(6:05) Why they decided to make a ring(11:10) The challenges of the early days(14:00) Oura’s mission and why a genuine intention matters(21:43) How to build a world-class brand(25:55) Meeting entrepreneurs in San Francisco(31:12) Prince Harry(36:42) Kickstarter, influencer marketing, and driving growth in the early days(47:11) Is there a downside to tracking and measuring everything?(53:50) The massive future opportunity for Oura
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Jyri Engeström is a startup expert, having sold his company to Google and invested in numerous unicorns. We discuss opportunities and technologies, lessons learned from Silicon Valley, and how Finland (of all places) could become a leading global startup hub.Learn more:https://yes.vc/
https://generogrowth.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jyriengestrom/
(0:00) Introduction(0:28) Founding Jaiku and its acquisition by Google(4:05) Working at Google and why he quit(8:23) Jyri’s transition from entrepreneur to investor.(11:07) How top VCs find, attract, and evaluate investment opportunities(20:20) Capital and the critical role of networks(31:12) How to turn Finland into a leading startup nation(40:21) Working on big problems(44:38) Immigration and attracting top talent(49:58) Thoughts on the future and advice for young people
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Christoffer Rutgersson co-founded Bambora, and helped lead the startup to a 1.5 billion euro exit. Then he became CEO of public fintech company Qliro, quickly turning it profitable while doubling down on growth.
Learn more:https://www.qliro.com/https://generogrowth.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/christoffer-rutgersson-7ab7a611/
(0:00) Introduction(1:00) Buying 14 companies in 18 months and hiring hundreds of employees(4:49) Lessons learned from 1.5 billion euro exit(9:40) Joining Qliro as CEO(17:35) Getting Qliro to profitability(21:52) Reducing cost and doubling down on growth simultaneously(23:41) How to attract talent quickly(26:18) Being a public company CEO(30:49) Helping e-commerce merchants(36:08) Improvements in conversation rates(39:23) Expanding outside the Nordics(41:34) Future growth
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MAX is a family-owned restaurant chain with more than 170 locations, consistently ranked as the favorite burger chain in Sweden.
We talked with CEO and owner Richard Bergfors about the secret to their success, competing with giants like McDonald's and Burger King, international expansion, failures and challenges, market trends, and a lot more.
Learn more:
https://www.max.se/
https://generogrowth.com/
https://www.instagram.com/burgerspotting/
(0:00) Introduction
(0:55) How MAX got started
(5:05) @Burgerspotting and eating 400+ burgers per year
(10:03) Max’s secret to success
(14:15) The competitive advantage of a family business
(17:40) Will Max become bigger than McDonald’s in Sweden?
(20:38) Expanding to Poland and Egypt
(24:55) What Richard loves most about his job
(26:45) Why MAX is no longer in Dubai
(29:27) The "better burger" trend and market consolidation
(33:40) Betting on plant-based
(38:47) Richard’s go-to MAX order, recent lessons learned, inspiration, thoughts on the future
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Matsmart is an online grocery store that has helped save over 65,000 tons of food from going to waste. We talked with co-founder Karl Andersson about the company's journey to 100 million euros in revenue.
Learn more:
https://generogrowth.com
https://www.motatos.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlan
(0:00) Introduction
(1:04) How a batch of Christmas soda led to Matsmart
(8:10) The problem of food waste
(10:40) Customer behaviors and creating a new category
(17:35) Building the Matsmart brand
(27:38) Expanding outside of Sweden
(33:45) Quick-commerce and the evolving food e-commerce space
(38:13) Getting to profitability
(42:15) Raising 200 million euros in funding
(48:05) What does the future hold for Karl and Matsmart?
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Learn more:
https://generogrowth.com
https://boxbollen.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacoberiksson/https://www.linkedin.com/in/victor-eriksson-019846a0/
(0:57) Working together as brothers
(6:35) How Boxbollen got started
(13:45) Partnering with A-list celebrities
(20:29) Placing big bets
(23:22) Boxbollen’s growth playbook
(25:59) Growing profitably
(30:20) Building a lean and efficient team
(34:40) Dealing with competitors and scammers
(37:20) New markets, product launches, selling the company? -
Innovation is a term that is as often used as it is misunderstood. To tackle this huge topic, we sat down with professor, speaker, author, advisor, and innovation expert Alf Rehn.
We talked about the role of psychological safety in building an innovative culture, why small improvements may be more important than big ideas, lessons learned from companies like SAS and IKEA, and more.
Learn more:
https://generogrowth.com/
https://alfrehn.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alfrehn/
(0:00 Introduction
(1:15) Taping down cables to the floor
(8:10) Small improvements over big ideas
(12:25) Company culture and psychological safety
(28:20) The processes and incentives that lead to innovation
(40:30) The role of leadership
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HMD Global is the manufacturer behind Nokia phones. We talked with CMO Lars Silberbauer about the "dumbphone" trend, HMD's unique approach to sustainability, how they compete against the likes of Apple and Samsung, and more.
Learn more:
https://generogrowth.com/
https://www.hmdglobal.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/larssilberbauer
(0:00) Introduction
(0:45) Joining HMD
(5:24) Nokia’s brand power and cultural significance
(8:57) Feature phones vs smartphones
(10:33) Turning HMD into a house of brands
(13:15) Why leaders must get their hands dirty with AI
(20:47) Understanding trends and markets around the world
(25:32) Avoiding analysis paralysis
(27:55) HMD’s unique approach to sustainability
(35:12) Manufacturing in Europe
(40:57) Measuring marketing performance
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We sat down with Fredrik Skantze, CEO and co-founder of Funnel, the Swedish SaaS company that’s raised over 120M€ to build the leading marketing data hub. Join us to hear Fredrik talk on building a global company, getting rid of sales commissions, lessons learned from Silicon Valley, and much more!
https://funnel.io/
https://generogrowth.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/fredrikskantze
https://funnel.io/marketing-data-state-2024
(0:00) Introduction
(0:46) The pivot that led to Funnel
(6:23) Finding product-market fit and the early days
(9:57) Figuring out go-to-market
(13:39) How digital marketing has evolved over the last 15 years
(22:40) Getting rid of bonuses and sales commissions
(29:15) Company culture and lessons learned from Silicon Valley
(36:49) How the Nordic ecosystem is changing
(41:39) Key takeaways from Funnel’s survey on AI and marketing
(46:12) What keeps Fredrik motivated and excited?
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Sanna Suvanto-Harsaae has been on the boards of over 20 Nordic companies like Finnair, Clas Ohlson, Posti, and Paulig. We talked about why strategies fail, how to build a high-performance culture, making tough decisions, and much more!
https://generogrowth.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sannasuvantoharsaae/
(0:00) Introduction(0:47) Sanna's transition to board roles(4:08) Deciding which companies to join(5:35) Being an effective board member(12:02) How to run board meetings(15:44) The importance of focus(20:38) Creating a good strategy(23:27) Implementing the strategy(26:55) Communicating to the entire organization(31:43) Company purpose: what it really is and why it matters(38:29) Building a high-performance team and culture(48:05) How to make hard decisions(56:04) Sanna’s surprising book recommendations
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In just eight years, BookBeat grew from zero to 100+ million euros. We spoke with CEO Niclas Sandin about strategy, branding, customer acquisition, competing with big names like Spotify and Amazon, and whether AI will change the industry.
https://generogrowth.com/
https://www.bookbeat.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/niclassandin/
(0:00) Introduction
(1:02) How BookBeat got started
(3:36) Having a 200-year-old family business as the owner
(5:10) BookBeat’s 4 strategic pillars
(13:48) Competing without a unique selling proposition (why differentiation doesn’t matter)
(16:46) Building top-of-mind awareness
(23:00) The tools, insights, and strategies behind BookBeat’s advertising
(26:30) Optimizing the media mix
(34:54) Innovating the business model
(40:10) Competing with Spotify and Amazon
(44:42) Will AI revolutionize audiobooks?
(48:27) The changing media landscape and why books still matter
(53:44) Biggest lessons learned
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In just 3 years Lyvia went from an idea to a group of 40 companies with 2+ billion SEK in total revenue. We talked with CEO and co-founder Sebastian Karlsson about the insights, strategies, and decisions behind their rapid growth.
https://generogrowth.com/
https://lyviagroup.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastian-karlsson-8629193b
(0:00) Introduction
(0:47) 500 million SEK in 5 years and how it all started
(6:22) Lyvia’s business model
(9:09) How to learn both capital allocation and operations as a CEO
(12:00) Organic growth vs acquisitions
(14:28) How Lyvia helps companies with growth and profitability.
(20:54) What successful IT firms have in common
(23:13) Why do companies sell to Lyvia?
(25:22) Going international as a Swedish company
(28:10) Why most acquisitions fail and why Lyvia has succeeded
(34:05) Securing 1.6bn SEK in funding in this economic climate
(38:47) Lessons learned from sales, biggest challenges, decision making, and outcomes
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Polestar is an electric car company known for its minimalistic design and technological innovations. We talked with CMO Åsa Borg about building a global brand, running a Super Bowl ad, the importance of design, her proudest moments & biggest challenges, and more.
Learn more:
https://generogrowth.com
https://www.polestar.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/åsa-borg-4898b038/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4QI0VzbkHk
(0:00) Introduction
(0:43) What is Polestar?
(5:03) Building a global brand
(9:09) How the EV market has changed over the years
(10:39) Polestar’s successful Super Bowl ad
(14:34) Agencies vs in-house
(16:52) Building a funnel and managing complexity
(20:50) Media and channel choices
(22:50) Competition and the future
(26:39) Word of mouth and community
(27:32) How Polestar thinks about design
(31:17) Testing and learning
(34:08) Rapid fire: proudest moment, going public, biggest challenge, and how to hire the best talent
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Supermetrics is one of the most successful software companies to come out of the Nordics, growing profitably and quickly to over 50 million euros in ARR (annual recurring revenue). We sat down with Demand Gen Director Edward Ford to discuss how they did it.Learn more:https://generogrowth.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/fordedward/https://supermetrics.com/(0:00) Introduction(0:50) Joining Supermetrics (4:20) Why Supermetrics has always focused on profitability(5:33) What is demand generation?(14:02) The business case for long-term marketing investments(19:02) Elevating the Supermetrics brand(24:55) Thought leadership making a strategic shift from product to brand(32:50) Why they launched a podcast(39:38) Rapid fire questions: stop launching new campaigns, building hype internally, and why data-driven marketing can go wrong
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MUSH began as a startup with little money and no brand, selling commodities to a tiny segment of the pet food industry. Over almost 20 years they’ve built an international brand while helping grow the entire raw feeding segment. We discuss their journey with Magnus Pettersson, the Business Director at Snellman Pet Food.Learn more:
https://generogrowth.com
https://www.mushbarf.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/magnus-pettersson1979(0:00) Introduction(0:50) How MUSH got started in 2005(4:40) Marketing the product, building the brand, and expanding the category(11:00) Marketing through content, communities, and education(17:11) Launching a new category-defining product(25:53) Unsuccessful global expansion and lessons learned(34:15) Ambassador program, TikTok and other marketing strategies(42:12) Why Magnus loves working with MUSH
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Jesper Åström is a growth expert who's spent over 45,000 hours launching hundreds of tactical campaigns for companies around the world. We discuss all things related to growth marketing, including case studies, common mistakes, and underutilized tactics.
Learn more:
https://generogrowth.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesperastrom
https://www.youtube.com/@JesperAstrom/videos
(0:00) Introduction
(1:07) What is growth marketing?
(4:45) Jesper’s framework for why and how companies grow
(15:03) Types of entrepreneurs and the different marketing mistakes they make
(17:55) Is branding just about reach and frequency?
(23:52) Budgeting, meetings, and other things companies need to change if they want growth
(33:01) What companies like Voi and Spotify get right about growth
(38:35) How to grow in the physical world
(43:30) How Jesper comes up with new experiments and tactics
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Riikka Söderlund is a SaaS marketing expert and the CMO of Katana, a Tallinn-based startup that has raised over 50m€ in funding. We discuss all things SaaS marketing, from KPIs and attribution to selecting business-appropriate strategies and hiring world-class talent.
Learn more:
https://generogrowth.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/riikkasoderlund
https://katanamrp.com
(0:00) Introduction
(0:51) How Riikka got started with SaaS marketing
(2:56) Why do Finnish companies underinvest in marketing?
(4:43) Attribution, how it works, and how to use it
(9:49) Why marketers must focus on revenue
(12:57) SaaS metrics that matter
(17:35) The criteria that led her to Katana
(20:45) The first things she did as CMO
(22:16) Creating internal alignment
(28:24) Picking the right strategies
(31:45) Budgeting
(34:12) Visualizations and managing complexity
(36:48) Why you must hire the best talent
(41:33) Education and constant learning
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Anssi Mäkelä is the CMO of Polar, a leading global player in sports watches, fitness trackers, and heart rate monitors. We sat down with him to discuss their approach to creative and messaging, marketing tactics, and why the traditional agency model is dead.
Learn more:
https://generogrowth.com
https://www.polar.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anssimakela
(0:00) Introduction
(0:53) The traditional agency model is dead
(4:03) Building in-house competency and why awards don’t matter
(8:54) How they produce creatives
(14:12) Polar’s messaging and how it’s changed
(17:43) Speaking to different audiences
(19:36) Building a competitive brand on a worldwide stage
(21:33) Brand ambassadors and influencers
(24:30) Leveraging their Finnish heritage
(26:44) The power of narratives
(31:20) Tactics for grabbing attention in a noisy world
(37:10) Why buy Polar?
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Camillo Eriksson, co-founder and CEO of Twistshake, joins us to talk about building the world's biggest baby brand. We cover topics like expanding to 70 markets, launching a dozen or so innovative products each year, and doing influencer marketing on a massive scale.
Learn more:
https://generogrowth.com/
https://www.instagram.com/twistshakebaby/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/camillo-eriksson-770480b8/
(0:00) Introduction
(0:52) The baby bottle that started it all
(5:14) The early days
(9:33) Meaning, hard work and avoiding burnout
(13:31) The process for consistently launching innovative new products
(20:16) How they succeeded with influencer marketing
(25:16) Twistshake’s 3 pillars for growth
(28:32) The uncomplicated way to expand internationally
(34:00) Focusing on profitability and doubling AOV
(38:23) Company culture and focusing on what matters
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Björn Thorngren is the CEO and founder of MEDS. We talk about how they became the fastest-growing company in Sweden, the strategies they used to acquire 800,000 customers and raise 50M€ in funding, what the pharmacy markets in Sweden and North Korea have in common, and much more!
Learn more:
https://generogrowth.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bjornthorngren/
https://www.meds.se/
(0:00) Introduction
(0:50) The insights that led to MEDS
(3:14) The unique online pharmacy market in Sweden
(6:49) How to win in a competitive market
(10:07) Providing the best customer experience
(16:05) The strategies MEDS used to get 800,000 active customers
(21:35) Finding, acquiring, and activating the right customers
(24:32) Growth and failure during the pandemic
(27:44) Geopolitical risks and the pharmacy value chain
(30:35) Does it always make sense to grow?
(33:22) Raising 50 million euro
(37:31) Biggest lessons learned
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