Sophia Bendz was previously global marketing manager at Spotify. Today she sits in both Unibet and Norstedts boards. Photo: Therese Jahnson
– There’s a reason that people choose to pay $ 35 for a coffee at Starbucks instead of SEK 5 for a coffee at a gas station, says Sophia Bendz to Breakit.
Sophia Bendz looked at the eight developers who sat in front of her. She was well aware that there were a bunch of smart guys – maybe the smartest thing she had ever met. At the same time she felt that they were probably better at building the technical product Spotify than they were to build the brand.
– We must understand how to communicate Spotify. We must have a clear voice and make people understand what problem we actually solve.
Even though she herself never previously worked as a marketing manager, she was convinced that it took more than a good product to get people to move from the download of music for music streaming. She thought follow your gut feeling.
– You may incidentally be happy to ask questions.
All hand went up.
Sophia Bendz smiles when she thinks back. It soon had time to pass ten years ago, she like 24-year-old newly appointed marketing manager stood on Spotify’s former office Humlegårdsgatan in Stockholm and made his inflammatory speech of her new colleagues and the governors Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon.
Programmers question really is everything.
– It was great fun, but also challenging. Programmers asking so many questions and question really is everything. They do not buy buzzwords and really want to understand properly. They are not satisfied with a sweeping statement, and it’s great, because then it becomes a sterling job, she says.
For Sophia Bendz began startups adventure in 2006 when she ran on Spotify -grundaren Martin Lorentzon at a birthday party. He already knew who she was and that she worked at PR agency Prime, and asked directly if she wanted to meet to talk about his new company Spotify.
The first meeting quickly led to more.
– I had the worst top job now and actually wanted to release it. But the more we met, the more psyched I was. A meeting would only last for an hour was about four in the afternoon until ten at night. After that, I felt that obviously I would do this.
Was it a difficult choice?
– No, not really. When I become the spark of something, then I run.
Sophia Bendz was the role of marketing director at a startup untested ground. She certainly had a year at PR agency in the trunk, but before that she had mainly studied and worked as a consultant at accounting firm Deloitte.
– It was actually instructive. I learned among other things that I really wanted to do the rest of my life.
Instead, it was the adventure Spotify, development of the company today extremely strong brand and responsible for launching the company’s New York office. A trip that lasted eight years.
But now the journey ended. For almost a year ago decided Sophia Bendz to resign from his previous dream job.
One wonders: Why?
– I felt I had had so many fun and great years there. But on some occasions I came upon myself thinking: ‘It was better before’. Then I think you should move on. It seems silly to sit there and get involved with something that is not very inspiring.
To be a marketing manager at Spotify and stay in New York probably sounds like a dream job for many. What had changed?
– Everything is changing all the time. Especially in a company like Spotify, which is growing so fast. For me it’s probably just that I’m a person who really thrives in the startup environment. When I left, we had of course achieved so much of what we wanted to do. And I personally am in my element when I get to roll up our sleeves, build and run.
You followed your gut feeling?
– Yes, a little bit so .
In addition to Sophia Bendz have dropped out of the operational work in Spotify, she has also sold off parts of the shareholdings he has in the company. Thanks to the sharp increase in value of the shares, she has had the opportunity to invest in startups that Tictail, Dogbuddy, DigiExam, Clue and Rodger – just to name a few.
– Tictail was the first company I invested in . I had worked a long time with Calle (Carl Waldekranz, ed. note.) when he had his digital agency and you work with good people, it feels as it engages in a little hike. Then continue to love to work together.
You have invested in the right kinds of startups. Is there a common thread?
– I have ended up in fantastically interesting position where many talented, funny people people contact me and want to meet. I do not know if there is any common thread, but I really like people with good energy. I think it’s a combination of that one interested by the contractor and believe in the idea contractor.
But my quota for musikstreamingstartups is filled.
Do you have time to meet anyone who wants to pitch?
– I try not to delete: a mail and I will certainly try to answer everything. But it is difficult for it will very much different quality. But my quota for musikstreamingstartups is filled by Spotify.
In addition to its role as a business so sitting Sophia Bendz also on the boards of the gaming company Unibet, publisher Norstedts, and then a few weeks back the digital Avanza Bank. Items that she partly managed to land because of a pleasurable private book project she ran alongside Spotify job.
– It was a super fun side project that would become a book and I interviewed a lot of interesting people on what they usually read for anything. In connection with this, I interviewed including Sven Hagströmer, Chairman of Avanza, and Ewa Schwartz, who is board chairman at Norstedts. And now I sit on their boards.
There was no book , but the interview with financier Sven Hagströmer also led to her 2012 co-founded the Foundation Allbright, who works for gender equality in business.
– The attractive employers are good at diversity and even similarity. Those who miss it will not be as relevant and interesting. So I feel most sorry for the companies.
I would point out that Spotify has no women on its board.
– No. And I’ve been on Martin (Lorentzon) on.
Avanza, Unibet and Norstedts represents the three completely different industries. How would you describe your role on the boards?
– I think I represent the new world in some way. I took so much from Spotify journey, while I also can help a lot of questions about marketing, branding and communications perspective.
– What drives me, like when I invest, is that it must feel exciting and I need to be able to help with anything. For me it is also important that we have the journey ahead. Only administration does not interest me.
So now you sit and lobbies for Spotify solution for books on Collins?
– No, she says with a laughter.
– But we should think more modern and in unity with today’s reality. The shift I can probably pretty good.
But you do not believe in the idea: A Spotify for reading?
– So, it’s an interesting situation. At Spotify we had a platform that we went to record companies and negotiated content. Norstedts is the reverse, where we are sitting on a treasure trove of fantastic material. But it is difficult to compare books and music as consumption differs so much. Then there was a threat in the music industry in the form of piracy that does not hit the book industry in the same way.
Is a threat to the existing business model to new will emerge?
– I absolutely believe that a strong sense of urgency. Do not have that threat, I think you get a little too comfortable a little too long. I think you have to make investments in new infrastructure and digital spend any little premature. When it is inconvenient and scary – that’s when you should do it.
Avanza, where you now sit on the board, is already a very digital companies. Why did you accept it?
– I think it’s really interesting about the banks and their future, and Avanza is a company that is well positioned to cope with the interesting times we live in the best way. They are much more agile than the old banks that have large ships that take time to change course in order.
How endangered banks should feel the all new Fintech company that takes all störra place? For example Klarna.
– Future customers will make other demands, if we say so.
It was a very nice quote. You sound almost like a politician.
The big banks have to keep up with developments.
– But I have to think! No, but I think there is much to do. The big banks must of course keep up with developments, and personally I do not believe in closed system and to lock in customers. I believe in transparency and I believe that customers will demand platform.
When Sophia Bendz, who always seems to have laughs, talks about their investments, assignments and career decisions seem gut feeling and joy to be two important factors. She will not say yes to projects that do not seem fun and exciting.
– If there is something that also helped my career, it’s that I took the plunge to move to New York for the launch of Spotify in there. That experience is worth gold when to help other companies to establish themselves in the United States. As I did, I did because it was fun, but it turned out to be a really good thing.
How important is it to follow your gut feeling?
– It’s probably absolutely gut feeling that contributed to it has been great for me. I would do anything that was not fun, then it would not be good.
And what does your gut feeling about the future?
– I’m pretty damn pep about the future! It’s a super exciting time we live in! But I files for no career plan. I am more peppery how I can live a good and healthy life and surround myself with interesting and good people.
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