Talks with Petri

The impossible equation

Ahti Heinla talks about building companies that impact a massive amount of people, how even successful founders struggle and fail at times but also what’s the right approach to build a business case. He also reveals how his company managed to pull off something that a tier-one VC told to be impossible. See the episode notes: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/ahti. Guest bio Ahti Heinla is the co-founder and CTO of Starship Technologies which is the world’s leading company creating local deli...

IKEA—Ingvar Kamprad’s startup from 1943

Hannu Ryopponen talks about working with Ingvar Kamprad, how he was as an entrepreneur and what made IKEA successful. He also reveals what happened when he travelled with Kamprad and met dignitaries. See the episode notes: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/kamprad. Guest bio Hannu Ryöppönen is a private investor and board professional who, since the 1970s, has served as CFO of many international companies in London, New York, Copenhagen, Luxembourg and Stockholm. He worked for over 10 years ...

You can fight gravity but cannot beat it

Micke Paqvalén talks about building award winning companies, rough times, and almost dying while working too hard. He also reveals his first startup at early age, and founding of a flying boat company. See the episode notes: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/micke. Guest bio Lars-Michaël (Micke) Paqvalén, M.Sc. (Econ.), is a company builder who has lived and worked internationally for over 25 years and exited four major software companies. He is the founder & chairman of TRÄ Group and Buildb...

Ukrainian startup ecosystem

Ukrainian investor and entrepreneur Andrew Zinchuk talks about what’s happening in the Ukrainian startup ecosystem, how things have evolved over the years and what’s expected to happen next. He also shares his insights into living and working in Ukraine during the war and where to find the best cocktails in town. See the episode notes: www.talkswithpetri.com/ukrainian-startups. Guest bio Andrew Zinchuk is a VC & an entrepreneur with extensive experience in all stages of a startup ecosyste...

Founder burnout

Mikko Revonniemi talks about the founding and the early years of Four Sigmatic, his burnout and the measures it took to overcome it. He also shares his insights from e-commerce marketing and how to get leads to your DTC startup. See the episode notes: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/mikko. Guest bio Mikko Revonniemi is a purpose-driven entrepreneur passionate about creating solutions for people to optimize their health and well-being on physical, mental, and spiritual levels. He is a co-fo...

Entrepreneurs and inflation

Per Bylund talks about the root cause of inflation, how to deal with it and why founders have some inherent advantages. He also explains the fiat currency scam and explores the wonders of MMT. See the episode notes: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/bylund and the previous episode: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/consumer-is-sovereign. Guest bio Per Bylund is a Swede in Oklahoma, USA, where he works as associate professor of entrepreneurship and Johnny D. Pope Chair in the Spears School of Bu...

Speed and resilience in market downturns

Henry Nilert talks about building startups during market crises and how you survive the volatile times. He also shares his founder stories of building and exiting to large corporates as well as his take on the venture studio business model. See the episode notes: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/nilert. Guest bio Henry Nilert is a Swedish entrepreneur with a background living and working in France, the US, the United Kingdom and Finland. He has extensive experience building successful start...

Wartime CEO

Ukrainian startup founder Alyona Mysko talks about how to prepare and manage during the crisis, the role of individuals in society, and the reality of solopreneurship. She also reveals recruitment tips, and what to do in Moscow. See the episode notes: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/alyona. Guest bio Alyona Mysko is the founder and CEO of Fuelfinance. She has worked in finance for more than 10 years, being an expert in financial planning and risk management. During this period, she was a l...

Growth hacking with gamification

Niels Bosma talks about doing marketing with a technical background, automating your workflows and what happens when friends become co-founders in the same company. See the episode notes: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/niels. Guest bio Niels Bosma is a passionate growth hacker, product developer and angel investor. He builds growth engines. His latest venture is Filestar that is revolutionising how people work with their files. He is also a co-founder of Offerta and Tessin, which is Scan...

Improvise with a total bravery

Multitalented artist Younee talks about her journey of self-discovery and rebellion in building a successful international career with many levels of accomplishments and renewal after prodigious domestic stardom in Korea. She also reveals how to push your limits and be  vulnerable in front of a live audience. See the episode notes: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/younee. Guest bio YOUNEE from South Korea is a virtuoso, prize-winning pianist and an impressively talented and awarded singer/s...

Keep provoking happy accidents

Pierre Stanislas talks about finding opportunities in unexpected places, how to become insurtech leader and make waves with side projects. He also shares insights into the future of Clubdeck and web3 audio platforms. See the episode notes: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/pierre.  Guest bio Pierre Stanislas is the CEO & co-founder of Wilow, and a co-founder of Clubdeck. He has worked in finance for 15 years (London & Paris), advising institutional clients on their strategy. In parallel, and...

Efforts create the achievements

Amir Nashat talks about working with stellar people, how curiosity leads you to amazing results, and what is exciting in the biotech field. He also reveals how he met his childhood hero. See the episode notes: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/amir/. Guest bio Amir Nashat is a managing partner in Polaris’ Boston office. He joined Polaris in 2002 and focuses on investments in healthcare. Additionally, Amir has served as a director of Adnexus Therapeutics (Bristol Myers Squibb), Athenix Corpo...

Building leaders with passion and purpose

Hans-Peter “Hape” Siefen talks about building an international brand with a loyal customer base, the role of marketing and sales in organic growth and how Jim Collins has shaped their company. He also reveals some amazing moments with Jack Welch and Arnold Schwarzenegger. See the episode notes: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/hape/. Guest bio Hape is a sales boy who turned into an entrepreneur. He is a family guy who enjoys spending time in nature and on the lakes of Finland. Hape founded ...

Learning together makes things easier

Sami Benchekroun talks about the three phases of startup growth from bootstrapping to scaling and raising over €20m in funding. We discuss the role of mentorship and finding the right type of investors but also some French puns are involved. See the episode notes: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/sami/. Guest bio Sami Benchekroun is the Co-Founder and CEO of Morressier, the virtual conference provider and platform for the scientific community. Sami has over ten years of experience in academ...

Rudeboy makes people feel the beat

Ville Virtanen talks about what happens when you are hit by Sandstorm and how to cope with expectations, success and stay relevant over time. This episode is totally out of control so just feel the vibe and tune in. See the episode notes: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/darude/. Guest bio Famed for the global platinum-selling smash ‘Sandstorm’, Darude is recognised as one of the most influential artists to emerge from the dance scene. With a DJ style that is a mixture of progressive and up...

If it's smart it's vulnerable

Mikko Hypponen talks about how to protect your company against security threats, why ransomware is so common, the future of cyberwars and why you should trust the cloud. He also reveals how he crashed his customer's brand new car. See the episode notes and transcript: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/if-its-smart-its-vulnerable/. Guest bio Mikko Hypponen is a global security expert. He has worked at F-Secure since 1991. Mr. Hypponen has written on his research for the New York Times, Wired...

Founder non grata

Jaakko Villa talks about co-founding a successful growth company Idean and running it for many years but what happens when the co-founders part ways and his legacy is nowhere to be seen anymore. We also cover how to transform from direct sales to digital sales processes and what is an ethical design agency. See the episode notes and transcript: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/founder-non-grata/. Guest bio Jaakko Villa is a Finnish customer experience serial entrepreneur. He is currently ma...

The golden right of first refusal

Erik Byrenius talks about scaling his startup and the intriguing turns with strategic investments that led to an optimal exit situation. He also shares his lessons from +50 angel investments and where to find the best ice-cream in Manhattan. See the episode notes and transcript: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/erik-byrenius. Guest bio Erik Byrenius is a Swedish foodtech entrepreneur who turned investor. He has spent the last few years giving back to the startup ecosystem by doing investmen...

Bootstrapping your way to success

Heikki Väänänen, the co-founder of HappyOrNot, talks about his entrepreneurial journey from bootstrapping to raising over 40m EUR funding and scaling the company to +200 employees, and stepping down from the CEO role after 20 years. He also tells why it's a good idea to wear a company T-shirt. See the episode notes and transcript: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/bootstrapping-your-way-to-success/. Guest bio Heikki Väänänen, 40, has worked most of his life as an entrepreneur. The idea of Ha...

Embrace negotiations with a creative mindset without compromises

Joshua Weiss talks about why you should not compromise or plan when negotiating, how to avoid common misconceptions, how to deal with bullies and power moves but also become a better negotiator and embrace the process. He also reveals why he did not become a lawyer. See the episode notes and transcript: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/embrace-negotiations/. Guest bio Dr. Joshua N. Weiss is the co-founder, with William Ury, of the Global Negotiation Initiative at Harvard University and a Se...

Value-based selling with sales cowboys and the dark side of customer relationships

Paul Viio talks about the difficulty of finding good salespeople, why the majority of companies are underperforming in sales and why you should not hire the top salespeople. He also tells about a cheesy meeting in Paris. See the episode notes and transcript: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/value-based-selling. Guest bio Dr. Paul Viio is a leading expert in B2B value-based selling & sales management. He has worked internationally in sales for over 25 years, in addition to which he has a Ph....

Average Joe - the tech genius could be you

Shawn Livermore talks about the great myths surrounding tech founders, how to unleash your creativity, the secrets & magic of growth, and what is a nagging pull. He also shares his views on introverts and ladders. See the episode notes and transcript: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/average-joe-the-tech-genius/. Guest bio Shawn Livermore is a tech startup founder, entrepreneur, and technology consultant for over 20 years. He’s written books on software development and writes software in ma...

Success through failure, innovation and imitation

Johan Norberg talks about the misfits, rebels and innovators that push the reluctant society into progress, the role of entrepreneurs and why this is a scary moment in time. He also reveals why founders are only getting 2.2 per cent of the value they create and who's getting the rest. See the episode notes and transcript: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/success-through-failure-innovation-and-imitation/. Guest bio Johan Norberg is an author, lecturer and documentary filmmaker who specialize...

Building communities with the standard you walk past

Bailey Richardson talks about community building on Instagram's early years, The Social Dilemma phenomenon including her interview in the documentary, and how to find yourself in hedgehog cafes in Tokyo. See the episode notes and transcript: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/building-communities/. Guest bio Bailey started People & Company with Kai and Kevin in 2016. Their mission is to help people bring their people together. They interview extraordinary people organizers on their podcast an...

From products to an experience mindset

Jurgen Appelo talks about failing to find a product/market fit, how you pivot, adapt and move on in turmoil as well as shifting up to an experience mindset. He also warns about dangers in Canada. See the episode notes and transcript: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/from-products-to-an-experience-mindset/. Guest bio Jurgen Appelo calls himself a creative networker. But sometimes he’s a writer, speaker, trainer, entrepreneur, illustrator, manager, blogger, reader, dreamer, leader, freethinke...

Curators are the new creators

Slush CEO Miika Huttunen talks about how to adapt to the new reality and change your business in 4 months, the relevance of esports & gaming and the future of business events. He also explores Second Reality and LAN-parties. See the episode notes and transcript: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/curators-are-the-new-creators/. Guest bio Miika Huttunen is the CEO of Slush, a global movement with a mission to create and help founders. Formerly Miika acted as Chief Operating Officer at Slush. H...

Personalised learning with service design thinking

Entrepreneur Kadri Tuisk explores the future of education with personalised learning, why she loves design thinking and being outside of her comfort zone. She also talks about startup pivoting and hitchhiking to her first career. See the episode notes and transcript: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/personalised-learning/. Guest bio Entrepreneur Kadri Tuisk is the CEO of Clanbeat Education, an ed-tech Saas software that supports accelerating human growth by helping to build human agency thr...

Finder, minder, grinder and a marmot advocate

Preston Byrne talks about how disruption hits education and service careers, the future of decentralised finance, and why you should avoid VC funding. See the episode notes and transcript: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/marmot-advocate/. Guest bio Preston has had a few careers - a lawyer in England, a founder of a blockchain software startup, then a lawyer in America, and throughout, a marmot habitat conservation proponent on Twitter. Presently he's a partner in the New York office of And...

How to succeed in content marketing

Entrepreneur Benji Hyam shares his inside view to successful content marketing, where you should focus and what to expect, and how to get results. He also reveals his life-changing movie experience. See the episode notes and transcript: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/how-to-succeed-in-content-marketing/. Guest bio Entrepreneur Benji Hyam lives in San Diego, California and he is the co-founder of Grow and Convert (a content marketing agency). He also co-founded the SaaS app Wordable.io (wh...

Nail it before you scale it

Lars Tvede talks about people and ideas entrepreneurs, navigating business cycles, how to inspire people and have fun while remote working, and what it takes to be a lucky person. See the full episode notes: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/nail-it-before-you-scale-it/. Guest bio Entrepreneur and investor Lars Tvede holds a Master's degree in Engineering and a Bachelor's degree in International Commerce, and he is a certified derivatives trader from National Futures Association in Chicago. ...

The long run is here

Daniel Lacalle talks about bubbles and central bank traps, practical tips for individuals, why we are not learning from history and what's the role of human ingenuity. See the full episode notes: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/long-run-is-here/. Guest bio Daniel Lacalle, PhD, economist and fund manager, is the author of the bestselling books Life in the Financial Markets (Wiley, 2015), The Energy World Is Flat (Wiley, 2015) and Escape from the Central Bank Trap (Business Expert Press, 201...

Consumer is sovereign

Per Bylund talks about the role of entrepreneurship in society, what's wrong with economics, why prices are always rising and how to spend a year in Hawaii. See the full episode notes: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/consumer-is-sovereign/. Guest bio Per Bylund is a Swede in Oklahoma, USA, where he works as assistant professor of entrepreneurship in the Spears School of Business. He had careers in politics and as business consultant and systems developer before moving to the USA and starti...

Mixing startups and VC with French seasoning

Tero Mennander talks about missing the perfect exit window and life as a VC in France and the Nordics. He also reveals his connection to Leningrad. See the full episode notes: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/mixing-startups-and-vc-with-french-seasoning/. Guest bio Tero has been General Partner with Ventech since 2016 and brings operational, entrepreneurial and investment experience in innovation. With an office in Helsinki and Paris, he covers Ventech’s investment activities in the Nordic ...

Context brings content to audio

Tom Mayr talks about audio as the last medium without a big platform, how to approach two-sided markets as a startup and why not all likes are the same. See the full episode notes: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/context-brings-content-to-audio/. Guest bio Tom Mayr is an entrepreneur who has been fascinated by sound all his life. He started with music and later moved on founding companies with his old music band members. Currently, he’s the CEO and co-founder of Voicehub that is disrupting...

Serendipitous journey through geopolitical storms

Razeen Sally talks about the threat of China, the role of Singapore in the new volatile world, what’s ahead of us in geopolitics and what he discovered in Sri Lanka. See the full episode notes: https://www.petrikajander.com/serendipitous-journey/. Guest bio Razeen Sally is a Sri Lankan-British writer. His new book, a travel memoir, is Return to Sri Lanka: Travels in a Paradoxical Island (Juggernaut). He is a visiting associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the N...

Branded water with a square meter of art

Tomi Grönfors talks about challenges in building a consumer brand, how to price your products and wrestle with your personal issues without shame. He also reveals why a road trip may last only a few kilometres with empty bottles. See the full episode notes: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/branded-water-with-a-square-meter-of-art/ Guest bio Tomi Grönfors is the CEO and co-founder of Sniffie, a pricing automation growth company. He has founded several companies such as VEEN, a luxury water b...

Passionate people build products

Venture capitalist Sakari Pihlava talks about the future of the SaaS business model, how to make a career in VC, the dangers of pricing and what to do with YouTube. See the full episode notes: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/passionate-people-build-products/. Guest bio Sakari Pihlava is a General Partner at Vendep Capital that invests in early-stage B2B software companies. Sakari has 20+ years of software business and venture capital experience from startup to IPO in Europe and the East C...

Check your odds while playing games and delivering food

Elias Aalto talks about the early days of Wolt, how to win an Apple Design Award and why startups are overhyped as a career path and what not to do when you have an audience of millions of people. See the full episode notes: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/check-your-odds/ Guest bio Elias Aalto is a co-founder and the original product lead of Wolt – one of the fastest growing food delivery companies in Europe. After its inception in 2014, Wolt has raised over 250M€ in funding and serves 22...

Hai and thank you says it all

Stefan Björkman explains the investment climate ahead of us, reveals his management secret, talks about a good company board, and what’s the purpose of glue in business.  See the full episode notes: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/hai-and-thank-you-says-it-all/. Guest bio After 30 years of managing growth companies, international industrials and financial institutions Stefan Björkman heads a cultural endowment since two years. Never really adjusting to being neither an engineer nor an expe...

Curious angel seeks happiness by learning

Hampus Jakobsson talks about living in the moment, the biggest challenges for humanity, who are the most interesting people and why hearing is important while cooking.  See the episode notes: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/curious-angel-seeks-happiness-by-learning/. Guest bio Hampus Jakobsson is an investor focused on climate. Earlier he was at Blueyard, and before that he co-founded Brisk (folded) and TAT (acquired by Blackberry). He has angel invested in 100+ companies and blogs at http...

Pragmatic anarchist surfs the waves of impact

Richard Georg Engström talks about how to make films in Scandinavia, navigate unknown and uncultivated opportunities, what is impact and what it means to be happy.  See the full episode notes: https://www.talkswithpetri.com/pragmatic-anarchist. Guest bio Entrepreneur Richard Georg Engström has been building several companies and organisations during the last 20 years as an entrepreneur in technology, media & entertainment, and in the sustainable, political and civil society sectors. He lo...

Make your work visible

Ville Tolvanen talks about finding your audience, how to deal with trolls and why virtual activists are the future leaders.  See the full episode notes: https://www.petrikajander.com/make-your-work-visible/.  Guest bio Ville Tolvanen is a digitalist era active avant-garde, a forerunner that has made a significant difference in how the Finnish leaders, brands and experts grasp the opportunities of digitalisation. He is recognized as the co-founder of Q.P.R. Software, Intervisio, Cor Group...

Watching TV pays off

Taavi Rõivas talks about his experience as the youngest prime minister in the EU, the future of nation states and his latest movie role.  See the full episode notes at https://www.petrikajander.com/watching-tv-pays-off. Guest bio Taavi Rõivas is an Estonian politician, a Member of the Parliament, a former leader of the Reform Party and former Prime Minister of Estonia. In December 2012, Rõivas became the youngest member of the Estonian Government as the Minister of Social Affairs. Rõivas ...

There is no Control-Z

Joey Kilrain talks about tough times, making sure your plan A does not fail, running for wrong reasons, how to mix paints and repair cars while building websites.  See the full episode notes at https://www.talkswithpetri.com/there-is-no-control-z/. Guest bio Born and raised in South Philly, Joey Kilrain’s artistic style evolves as a product of his ongoing life lessons. He integrates traditional media such as acrylic, pen & ink, papier mâché with mobile & web technologies. He cut his teeth...

City-hopping between trail runs

Christopher Lingle talks about his long experience of working around the world without a permanent place of residence. We also cover economics, monetary policy, human liberty, trail running and where to find good coffee. See the full episode notes at https://www.talkswithpetri.com/city-hopping-between-trail-runs/. Guest Bio Christopher Lingle earned a doctorate in economics from the University of Georgia in 1977 and has been employed at universities in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America ...

That is so rude

Designer Sandra Luks talks about finding your true passion and how it may take a few detours before you’re sure what you really want to do with your life. See the full episode notes at https://www.talkswithpetri.com/that-is-so-rude/. -------------- All episode notes and transcripts: http://www.talkswithpetri.com/ Subscribe and listen: Apple iTunes (Podcasts), Google Podcasts, Spotify. Follow on Twitter. Talks with Petri -podcast helps startup founders and entrepreneurs to build their ...

Futurist thinks it is your choice

Christopher Peterka talks with Petri about cyborgs, AI, the role of nation-states and the future of humanity. He also reveals why rosé helps in book writing. See the full episode notes at https://www.talkswithpetri.com/futurist-thinks-it-is-your-choice/. Guest bio Christopher Peterka talks with Petri about cyborgs, AI, the role of nation-states and the future of humanity. He also reveals why rosé helps in book writing.  See the episode notes and transcript: http://www.talkswithpetri.com/f...

Talks with Petri (Trailer)