Scandinavian Product Podcast

Most startups don’t fail because of their product. They fail because they think too small.Gelato became a Norwegian Unicorn by doing the exact opposite.In this episode, I sit down with Pål Næss (employee #2) to unpack what it really takes to build globally from day one - and why most founders never get there.Pål has seen hundreds of startups and is a well-known voice in the Scandinavian ecosystem - currently advising several CEOs and sitting on various Boards.In our conversation, we go deep into Gelato’s journey, but also explore generally:* Why thinking globally from day one changes everything* The hidden cost of starting “local first”* What separates ambitious founders from the rest* What does hands-on Leadership execution looks like* How to scale across markets without losing focus* Pål’s lessons learned from his journey and from meeting great Founders* Dealing with investors* And moreEnjoy! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit afonsofranco.substack.com

Uri Levine, serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Waze and Moovit, and author of Fall in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution. He talks about falling in love with the problem, validating big problems through real user conversations, and why product-market fit is the single most important milestone. He covers focus, failing fast, launching early, hiring and firing, and fundraising storytelling.

In this engaging discussion, innovation legend Alexander Osterwalder, the mind behind the Business Model Canvas, shares transformative insights from his journey as the Founder & CEO at Strategyzer. He highlights the shift from consulting to a scalable SaaS model and why CEOs must actively engage in innovation. Alex emphasizes the need for evidence-based decision-making and introduces the innovation scorecard. He also explores the importance of managing risk, balancing exploration with execution, and knowing when to kill unpromising ideas for sustained growth.

This is a raw and unfiltered conversation with the legendary Unicorn founder ($2.9B exit with ForgeRock) Lasse Andresen.Every founder in Scandinavia should listen to this.We talked about why Norwegian startups need to stop thinking small, lessons learned from an IPO at Nasdaq and from the painful early days without funding, what Norway’s startup ecosystem needs to do to truly compete on the global stage, what Founders in Scandinavia should consider - and what the typical traps they fall into are.It’s a punchy chat - A La Lasse - with tons of great stories, insights, and advice.We discussed:* Why Lasse only has a Plan A, never a Plan B* What it really takes to go from zero to unicorn* How he validated his idea before building anything* Why ForgeRock went horizontal instead of vertical niche* Hiring and Firing* How boards can slow you down if you’re not careful* Why Norwegian startups need to think global from day one* What Norway’s startup ecosystem need to do* Advice for Founders in Scandinavia* And more!I loved this conversation, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it too :)-----Brought to you by:Gnist - Gnist is a leading boutique consulting company in Norway that helps companies reach their full digital potential. Whether you are a developer, product lead, tech lead, or business leader - Gnist can help you with the tools and practices you may need. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit afonsofranco.substack.com

Morten Rand-Hendriksen, Principal Staff Instructor at LinkedIn Learning and an authority on tech ethics, dives deep into the complexities surrounding AI agents. He discusses the hype versus the harm of AI, revealing the pitfalls startups face. The conversation addresses the risks of outsourcing decision-making to context-challenged machines and critiques current content creation models. Morten emphasizes the need for human oversight in AI, especially as society grapples with the authenticity of AI-generated content and the ethical dilemmas it brings.

My guests today are Martin Spinnangr and Shubham Bhattacharya, CPO at Munu and former CPO at Favrit - two Nordic rivals in the world of hospitality SaaS. We talked about what it takes to build and scale a vertical SaaS product, the challenges of defining your ideal customer profile, why most product validation efforts fail, acquisition vs. retention, the real cost of poor strategic alignment, and more. Shubham is currently a Lead PM at Xeneta and Martin has been a Product leader in Laerdal Medical and Easee before Munu - so this conversation brings different perspectives to the table and it was good to connect with these two again! Enjoy :) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit afonsofranco.substack.com

Ninni Høver, Head of Product at Vipps MobilePay, shares insights on leading the largest mobile wallet in the Nordics. She discusses navigating growth through a significant merger and the importance of customer-centric product development. Ninni emphasizes the power of simplicity in strategy and how understanding diverse market needs shapes their offerings. She also covers balancing user convenience and merchant benefits, the emotional dynamics of team changes, and the critical need for adaptable leadership in tech.

In this engaging discussion, Tor Erik Skårdal, former CPO at Easee, and Stian Øien, CPO at Futurehome and ex-VP at Easee, share their insights from leading product teams during crises. They delve into the stark differences in leadership approaches between hyper growth and severe downsizing. Topics include the necessity of rapid idea evaluation, the complexities of hardware versus software product management, and how cross-functional collaboration can enhance efficiency during extreme challenges. Their experiences offer valuable lessons for current and future product leaders.

Francesca Cortesi, former Chief Product Officer at Hemnet, shares her extensive expertise in product leadership. She discusses Hemnet's shift from features to outcome-focused strategies and the critical role of strategic context in product management. Francesca emphasizes the power of incremental changes and the value of revisiting business models to drive growth. She also touches on the importance of asking for help and how collaboration can enhance leadership and learning in the tech landscape.

My guest today is Cecilie Skjong, Investment Manager at Skyfall Ventures - a Norwegian early-stage venture capital fund.As a founder, nailing your pitch, thinking big and challenging yourself to be more visionary, and quickly testing your ideas to get a sense of the market pull are crucial.And the same applies to a cross-functional team building a new product in a scale-up. The same applies to a product leader leading a new opportunity in a large organization.After being exposed to hundreds of pitches and investing in several early-stage ventures, Cecilie shared with me:* Characteristics of great founding teams* The importance of drive and resilience when testing ideas and building products* Early signs of market pull* Thinking big and the importance of Vision* How to craft a great pitch* The power of Founder-led Sales* The importance of understanding your macro trends (Waves)* The state of the Norwegian startup scene* And moreIf you’re a founder, I recommend pairing this episode with:* Episode 1: Testing Ideas with David Bland, co-author of the book Testing Business Ideas written together with Alex Osterwalder* Episode 9: Understanding Jobs to be Done with Bob Moesta, co-creator of the JTBD framework together with Clayton Christensen* Episode 19: Nailing your Positioning with April Dunford, bestselling author of one of the most well-known marketing books out there This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit afonsofranco.substack.com