Gustav Söderström

And then they commit to those things and we start executing. And it's a good mix of bottoms up innovation where you leverage not just Daniel, not just me and Alex, but all the VPs and the layers below to come up with good ideas because they're closest to the user. But then there is global synchronization. We stack rank them, make sure that they fit a single strategy.

And then they commit to those things and we start executing. And it's a good mix of bottoms up innovation where you leverage not just Daniel, not just me and Alex, but all the VPs and the layers below to come up with good ideas because they're closest to the user. But then there is global synchronization. We stack rank them, make sure that they fit a single strategy.

Then it's back to the org and they commit. As I think you know, you're going to be much better at delivering something if you were the one who said, I can do this. If your boss said, you can do this. So that's the process. But leading up to that, we have something called a prototyping phase. So the previous six months, we prototype everything.

Then it's back to the org and they commit. As I think you know, you're going to be much better at delivering something if you were the one who said, I can do this. If your boss said, you can do this. So that's the process. But leading up to that, we have something called a prototyping phase. So the previous six months, we prototype everything.

in the combination of Figma and increasingly Gen AI tools, what Spotify should look like after the next six months or could look like. And this prototype also helps synchronize the entire company. What I found previously was that when people submitted these bets, everyone had in their mind what their great feature would be.

in the combination of Figma and increasingly Gen AI tools, what Spotify should look like after the next six months or could look like. And this prototype also helps synchronize the entire company. What I found previously was that when people submitted these bets, everyone had in their mind what their great feature would be.

You start building and then down the line, you realize that you are not actually aligned. And then you get a lot of fighting towards the end of the cycle. where this thing doesn't work with that thing, and things don't work out so well. What I've tried to do now, together with Alex Nordstrom, we synchronize the entire company. Alex and I don't have our direct reports team.

You start building and then down the line, you realize that you are not actually aligned. And then you get a lot of fighting towards the end of the cycle. where this thing doesn't work with that thing, and things don't work out so well. What I've tried to do now, together with Alex Nordstrom, we synchronize the entire company. Alex and I don't have our direct reports team.

We meet as a single team three hours every Tuesday. And we try to use the fact that we're small as an advantage instead of as a disadvantage versus our competitors, who are very, very large companies. And so we prototype everything upfront. So all the so-called, quote unquote, fighting

We meet as a single team three hours every Tuesday. And we try to use the fact that we're small as an advantage instead of as a disadvantage versus our competitors, who are very, very large companies. And so we prototype everything upfront. So all the so-called, quote unquote, fighting

happens before you actually commit to doing something and you have something you can hold in your hand say this is what spotify would look like if we pull this off so that's a combination of cultural input and then a very structured process for actually making it work

happens before you actually commit to doing something and you have something you can hold in your hand say this is what spotify would look like if we pull this off so that's a combination of cultural input and then a very structured process for actually making it work

I have so many questions about process. The first is how that three-hour meeting on Tuesday works. What is the structure of that meeting?

I have so many questions about process. The first is how that three-hour meeting on Tuesday works. What is the structure of that meeting?

It's called the E-team, execution team. So it's very focused on execution of the company. And the idea is that if you have five-day working weeks, there's never on average more than two and a half days before you, if you're blocked on something, can escalate to me, Alex, and all the other VPs. So the idea is you should never be blocked more than max two and a half days.

It's called the E-team, execution team. So it's very focused on execution of the company. And the idea is that if you have five-day working weeks, there's never on average more than two and a half days before you, if you're blocked on something, can escalate to me, Alex, and all the other VPs. So the idea is you should never be blocked more than max two and a half days.

Because we run this synchronized ship, If you're blocked, it gets very expensive because everyone else is downstream of you. So if you're running a synchronized operation the way we're doing, escalation processes are very important and resolution is very important. So a big part of that meeting is people say, we're off track here.

Because we run this synchronized ship, If you're blocked, it gets very expensive because everyone else is downstream of you. So if you're running a synchronized operation the way we're doing, escalation processes are very important and resolution is very important. So a big part of that meeting is people say, we're off track here.

I'm dependent on this man or woman over there who hasn't done what they said. And the beautiful thing about being able to have all the VPs in the same room is So many meetings that I'm sure you've been in, people say, okay, we'll take that offline. I'll talk later. And what we said is you're not allowed to say the word offline or later because that person is in the room.

I'm dependent on this man or woman over there who hasn't done what they said. And the beautiful thing about being able to have all the VPs in the same room is So many meetings that I'm sure you've been in, people say, okay, we'll take that offline. I'll talk later. And what we said is you're not allowed to say the word offline or later because that person is in the room.