Simon said…

We are approaching the networking event of the year in Sweden – Almedalen

As always, bigger and better than ever, it is the place to meet and be seen and heard. Due to the Swedish parliamentary election coming up in the Fall, this year will have even more focus on politics and policy than usual.

I believe that a few topics will gain larger momentum this year compared to 2017:

Digital health – the Swedish government has made a vision statement that Sweden should be the best country in the world in utilizing the benefits of digital health by 2025. The debate has been focused on reimbursement (how much new digital health players should be paid – and by whom) and prioritization (whether easier access to care e.g. through digital interfaces increases or decreases inequality for patients, as resources could be ‘diverted’ from other uses).

I believe that the digital health players will all be present (as they were at Vitalis 2018 recently in Gothenburg) and the positioning that they will use will be more on how they add value to the healthcare system and the payors (county councils). A lot of PR to be made, to ensure that the politicians get they message. I also believe that Inera will continue as a central player, similarly as they did at Vitalis – where their roundtable discussions were some of the most well-attended things on the agenda.

Affordable housing – I think no-one has missed the media reports regarding decreasing house prices in Sweden since Q4 2017 and the impact that this has had on the construction industry. Sales volume for primarily high-end real estate has tumbled and share prices for specialised players such as Oscar Properties have dropped significantly. At the same time, new rules have come into effect limiting the availability of credit for house buyers, having a further impact on the property market. All this is putting a wet blanket on the new-build market. At the same time, some 255 municipalities experience a shortage of housing for its residents, up from 183 municipalities in 2015. One of the reasons is due to the focus of developers on high end markets (e.g. Stockholm), another reason is the high cost of construction in Sweden (some 60% above the European average, partly due to more strict building regulations, but in my view also due to the low cost-efficiency and degree of innovation among Swedish developers.

I have seen positive signs recently, among them the initiative by SKL to develop concept houses with negotiated frame agreements and pricing, that can be easily purchased by municipalities. Uptake has so far been slow, though. Some startups are developing interesting modular concepts that should save cost, such as Nyhem Bostad, which will be interesting to follow. The digitalization of the construction industry also should allow for cost savings. One interesting company to follow here is Tikab Strukturmekanik.

I think that there will be interesting discussion on the topic in Almedalen, but that nothing much will happen structurally until after the election if the politicians then put the topic of housing even higher on the agenda (easing building regulations, to lower production cost) and when the market has stabilised – both with regards to price development + the impact of the new regulations limiting credit supply.

If there is no clear majority-backed government after the election, the uncertainty would continue even longer.

More thoughts on Almedalen to come.

#Almedalen

#Almedalen2018

#Digital Health

#Inera

#Affordable Housing

#Simonsaid

I try to get a substantive flow of new ideas from reading books, magazines and blogs. Some of the blogs that I find most useful are these four:

A VC – a blog by venture capitalist Fred Wilson. He posts regularly regarding startups, venture capital financing, entrepreneurship and new technical frontiers (crypto currencies, blockchain, AI). Probably the most influential blog on venture capital.

Fast Company – more of a generalist business blog from the team behind the Fast Company magazine, but geared towards the early adopters of new technologies and ways of working. Gives a good flavour for topics that are high on the agenda, primarily in the US.

Marginal Revolution – a blog by economics professors Tyler Cowen (who also does the Conversations with Tyler-podcast mentioned in an earlier post here) and Alex Tabarrok. Covers how economics concepts are applied in the real world. Good mix of theory and practice, with the intermittent posts about Tyler’s travels, what he and Alex have been reading (they read A LOT!!) and the odd things that Tyler finds online.

HBS Working Knowledge – summarizes key concepts from articles in Harvard Business Review related to business and leadership. Convenient place to keep up to speed with the latest in organizational design and development, even if you do not subscribe to Harvard Business Review.

What blogs do you read?

I had a very interesting discussion yesterday with a very focused individual that wanted to have maximum impact on global sustainability. Topics we discussed included:

• Whether it is smarter to work for a ‘bad’ (less sustainable) company or a ‘good’ (sustainable) company?
• To work as a ‘Sustainability Expert’ in a staff function or to work more broadly with sustainability in a line position?
• To work inside the domain of policy/politics, NGOs, research or in the private sector?

My take is that you need to find the tools/resources you need within the organization and also get enough ‘space’ to have an impact:

• I think that it is probably better to work for a ‘bad’ (less sustainable) company, as you can have a greater impact there – provided that there is a clear commitment for change from senior leadership.
• If that commitment is there and is genuine, then it does not matter much whether you work in staff/HQ functions or in a line position.
• Which field you go into (policy/politics, NGOs, research or the private sector) probably depend a lot on how much patience you have and how quickly you get bored or in need of new challenges.
• The pace in politics is by default slower, but the impact can be huge in the end (think Paris climate agreement), while the private sector is probably giving you quicker feedback, but less impact due to size. But is does not have to be an ‘either/or’ type of decision – many people get involved in policy/politics part-time – as they feel committed to this specific cause.

Regardless, it was very inspiring to have the discussion yesterday and I feel hope for the future, as the younger generation have such a strong feeling for sustainability and the circular economy and a vision that they will make an impact.

Whenever I travel or walk, I try to listen to podcasts or radio. I have found a couple of podcasts that I particularly enjoy:

Conversations with Tyler

In this podcast, Tyler Cowen, Professor of Economics at George Mason University, interviews a very well-curated list of very, very interesting people – from economists, politicians, startup leaders and philosophers. Very thoughtful questions, which create a very special atmosphere in the interviews. Highly recommended!

The James Altucher Show

James Altucher has been called ‘The most interesting man in the world”. He is an entrepreneur, investor, stand-up comedian, chess master, prolific writer and podcaster. Wide range of subjects and people being interviewed, more than 300 episodes available. James is highly engaged, well-researched and interactive – you are guaranteed to learn something from each episode.

Masters of Scale

This podcast is hosted by Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and investor at Greylock. He interviews key startup icons (founders of AirBnB, Facebook…) on how they have grown their startups from the garage to unicorn status. Inspiring for those of us that are aspiring for growth in our businesses.

 

What podcasts do you listen to? Please comment below!

 

”Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” (quoted from Margaret Mead)

I strive to find ways to have maximum impact, and I still – perhaps naively – believe that I will find ‘a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, by which I can change the world’, to paraphrase Archimedes.

Right now, I am investing parts of my time (and some money) with a few startups and mid-sized businesses, where I work with other entrepreneurs with very ambitious plans to build that lever and fulcrum. Also, I’m looking into ways to scale this enterprise – to reach more people and have greater impact.

Have you thought about how you want to change the world?

Have you started?

If you haven’t decided on your mission, I can recommend that you start by checking out the following blog/website:

80.000 Hours

So far this week, I’ve observed the following topics in my network – if you have comments, leads or questions relating to these, please feel free to contact me:

• B2B software company which recently closed a round of fundraising seeks developers
• Fully furnished office room for rent, suitable for 2-3 persons, incl access to conference room, printer, reception, kitchen etc. 30 seconds from Stureplan, Stockholm. Available now.

 

 

In the fifth inning of the third game of the 1932 World Series in baseball, famous batter Babe Ruth ‘called the shot’ – pointing towards center-field before batting his famous home-run. The audacity of this move really shook the opponents (Chicago Cubs) – and a true legend was born.

Today, I am calling my shot – to start blogging about some of my key interests in life apart from my family. (My family is no. 1 – and they will stay private for now.) On this blog, you will get my take on finance, healthcare, startups, tech, entrepreneurship and leadership.

I will share key takeaways from books and blogs that I read and podcasts that I listen to.

I will also share something I call ‘Network Effects’ – where you could benefit from knowing what is going on in my network of contacts – or where you have the opportunity to add value to the network, through your unique contribution.

To broaden my perspective and enable some creative destruction / discussion – I want to hear your views – don’t be a stranger!

If you want to stay tuned, please subscribe/follow the blog!