Gustav Söderström

I'm dependent on maybe Anna over there for this, but then Anna is actually there. And then Anna can say, okay, I didn't know that, or I'm going to solve that. So it's real-time resolution.

I'm dependent on maybe Anna over there for this, but then Anna is actually there. And then Anna can say, okay, I didn't know that, or I'm going to solve that. So it's real-time resolution.

very simple in theory but incredibly powerful in practice most companies don't do it so this notion of no taking it offline taking it later real-time resolution that's why it's three hours so that's one thing of this meeting another principle we have in that meeting except nothing goes offline is you actually can't bring your direct reports for good and bad the idea is that if you bring in a lot of direct reports two things are going to happen one is

very simple in theory but incredibly powerful in practice most companies don't do it so this notion of no taking it offline taking it later real-time resolution that's why it's three hours so that's one thing of this meeting another principle we have in that meeting except nothing goes offline is you actually can't bring your direct reports for good and bad the idea is that if you bring in a lot of direct reports two things are going to happen one is

the VP is not going to get forced to know the details as much. So I'm trying to literally force the VPs to solve it themselves because I want them to be in the details. So you're not allowed to bring anyone else in to explain your thing. You have to be on top of it enough to explain it to yourself.

the VP is not going to get forced to know the details as much. So I'm trying to literally force the VPs to solve it themselves because I want them to be in the details. So you're not allowed to bring anyone else in to explain your thing. You have to be on top of it enough to explain it to yourself.

The other benefit of that is over time, these groups get very tight because you don't switch people out all the time. So you build strong rapport. People can be honest. No one is afraid. It's a very strong and high-functioning team. So that's a lot of what we do. The other part is strategy and looking forward.

The other benefit of that is over time, these groups get very tight because you don't switch people out all the time. So you build strong rapport. People can be honest. No one is afraid. It's a very strong and high-functioning team. So that's a lot of what we do. The other part is strategy and looking forward.

So let's say that something we've been working on for some time now that is public, we wanted to introduce music videos. And the team goes off and says, what does that take in terms of licensing product? What is the cost implications for the company, for the P&L? They come and present to the team. This is what we want to do. This is how long we think it should take.

So let's say that something we've been working on for some time now that is public, we wanted to introduce music videos. And the team goes off and says, what does that take in terms of licensing product? What is the cost implications for the company, for the P&L? They come and present to the team. This is what we want to do. This is how long we think it should take.

So it's a combination of keeping the engine running and never stopping and also planning for the future. But we don't really plan in that. It's too big to have detailed planning. That happens in focus rooms with smaller groups, with experts. And then they come and present to that team. We're not the only company that does this. I know Airbnb does something similar.

So it's a combination of keeping the engine running and never stopping and also planning for the future. But we don't really plan in that. It's too big to have detailed planning. That happens in focus rooms with smaller groups, with experts. And then they come and present to that team. We're not the only company that does this. I know Airbnb does something similar.

I spoke a lot to Brian Chesky about it. I think Netflix may have had something similar at the time, but they're now divided into content, the business and product. What I think is important about this is it's both the business and the product side. And we talk a lot of product there. So the business people in Spotify, they know an awful lot about AI, about what a monorepo is.

I spoke a lot to Brian Chesky about it. I think Netflix may have had something similar at the time, but they're now divided into content, the business and product. What I think is important about this is it's both the business and the product side. And we talk a lot of product there. So the business people in Spotify, they know an awful lot about AI, about what a monorepo is.

They're there for the prioritization of technology. But on the flip side, all my product people and engineers, they know exactly what the P&L looks like. They know our goals. They know what gross margin is. They know everything. So that's quite unique.

They're there for the prioritization of technology. But on the flip side, all my product people and engineers, they know exactly what the P&L looks like. They know our goals. They know what gross margin is. They know everything. So that's quite unique.

And that gives them a CEO perspective that I think disappears in many companies because we put on these roles of you're a product person, so you're not supposed to understand finance. That's not true.

And that gives them a CEO perspective that I think disappears in many companies because we put on these roles of you're a product person, so you're not supposed to understand finance. That's not true.

If you're the CEO, you have to understand all of it. If people are listening and are curious about this bets board process where you can submit projects and it seems like a really elegant way to allocate capital, what advice would you give them about the pros and cons of this process?

If you're the CEO, you have to understand all of it. If people are listening and are curious about this bets board process where you can submit projects and it seems like a really elegant way to allocate capital, what advice would you give them about the pros and cons of this process?