Reflecting on Kajsa Lundborg’s successful entrepreneurial journey
My professional journey via Hyper Island
Over the past five years, I’ve spent my career focusing on breaking products and brands into new markets and introducing them to new audiences in the digital space. This passion, together with a genuine interest in technology, has made me fortunate enough to both lead teams, found startups and work for some of the world’s most prominent and innovative companies, such as Spotify, OnePlus, and Froda, to mention a few.
In 2015, I arrived at the crossroads of either furthering my education or jumping into the workforce, I was, at first, all set on studying academic studies, but when I found out about the Digital Business program, I was hooked. It literally combined all my biggest interests: tech, business and creativity. My initial thought was to first enroll in the program and later, turn my attention back to typical university studies. But even before I graduated from the Digital Business program, I had already started my own company and received a job offer from Spotify.
I have many valuable learnings from my time at Hyper Island, but my biggest takeaways would be that nothing is served to you; you have to work for it, and that you need to become the change you want to see in the world. Yes, it sounds so cheesy, but I think that this quality is something that everybody at Hyper Island shares from their time at the school.
Hyper Island has meant everything to my professional journey.
Approaching the world of financial technology
What I like about working within the financial technology (FinTech) sector is that there is so much still left to do. There are so many industries that are already “fixed” and digitized.
I think we’ve just seen the tip of the iceberg of this industry. By adding more perspective to the table and a user-centered mindset, we will be able to change so much more for the better.
For anyone aspiring to enter into the tech scene, I would say to be honest to yourself with regards to your strengths and weaknesses. I tried really hard to be the best at everything in the beginning. This was a really stupid strategy in hindsight because you not only lack focus on something that you can become really good at, but you also will most likely drain your energy by doing things you simply don’t enjoy.
The Forbes 30 under 30 accolade
I’m beyond happy and so honored to receive the recognition from Forbes 30 under 30. It’s surreal to see your own name in a context where everybody else is so talented. It’s truly a dream come true to receive it, but especially to meet and connect with other young, ambitious people across the globe.
The reason I got the recognition?
Well, this is a tricky one for a Swede to answer. But, I guess I stand out as a young female within a male dominated industry.
So, just the fact that I’m somewhat an oddbird in this industry is a reason in itself. However, Forbes has been very clear that the selection process is long and extensive and that each person featured in Forbes 30 under 30 is there because of extraordinary achievements and professional references. So I would say it’s a combination of honoring hard work and the courage of going my own way, even though I may differ from the rest in my industry.
I stay motivated because I really want to continue to try and change things for the better—both in what I do for a living, but also in who I am as a person. I never had a female role model growing up, so that has always been a driving force for me as well: to become what I felt was missing for me.
I’ve got to this point through hard work and dedication, as boring as that might sound. I started my first app company at 17 and I’ve been in the tech industry ever since. That’s almost 10 years now. So even if it may just seem like “an overnight success” for some, since I am quite young, there is so much more time and effort behind everything that no one sees.
Addressing and overcoming challenges
My biggest challenge right now is time. There’s so much I want to do and I’ve always been quite hesitant that I want to do everything right now, or even yesterday! But I also know that great things take time, and that I need to prioritize. This is because I need focus, but also for my physical health, which is the number one priority.
One good tip for others that are like me, who feel like everything’s going too slow, is to write down three things that you are grateful for everyday. It may sound cheesy, but I assure you it actually works. You get happier and feel more at peace about where you are.
When it comes to finding balance for a successful career, I’d say finding somewhere in between going with the flow to seeing where the journey takes you and setting up clear goals to articulate is helpful.
I don’t have a set one-year plan or even a five-year plan all figured out. That’s too… squared. At least for me. I think you need to be open to opportunities and grasp them as they come. However, I’ve always been a firm believer in setting ambitious goals and being proactive about which type of life I want to live, not just when it comes to work. I believe in designing the ‘real’ life, with all its components. I ask myself: what sparks your energy? What stories would you like to tell your grandkids when you’re old? What type of person would you like to be remembered as? When you know the answers to such questions, it’s so much easier to make decisions.
For me, setting a clear direction has been somewhat of a relief. I tend to feel lost if I don’t know where I am going.
That has also been a great way of pushing myself to do things that I wouldn’t dare to do if I didn’t know the end goal.
