Welcome to Viktor's Weekly! This is where we will explore topics in the intersection of strategy, product and technology. All done through the lens of my experiences from working in, running and investing in startups. Magical 1:1s Every week, leaders across the tech industry sit down for their 1:1s. These meetings should be transformative moments where careers take shape and leaders emerge. Instead, they often devolve into status updates, technical debates, or worse, they become dreaded...
about 2 months ago • 6 min read
Welcome to Viktor's Weekly! This is where we will explore topics in the intersection of strategy, product and technology. All done through the lens of my experiences from working in, running and investing in startups. Push and Pause I’m standing in the squat rack, about to attempt a new personal record. The weight on my back is heavy. Really heavy. I take a deep breath, brace my core, and descend into the squat. As I push back up, my lungs are screaming for air. But I can’t breathe yet. Not...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Welcome to Viktor's Weekly! This is where we will explore topics in the intersection of strategy, product and technology. All done through the lens of my experiences from working in, running and investing in startups. Exceptional Talent Everyone wants exceptional talent. Yet most companies struggle to both find and retain truly exceptional people. After over a decade of building teams and companies, I’ve noticed we keep looking for the wrong signs! To many leaders, the exceptional employee...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Welcome to Viktor's Weekly! This is where we will explore topics in the intersection of strategy, product and technology. All done through the lens of my experiences from working in, running and investing in startups. The Power Law of Focus Imagine two companies starting on the same day with the same amount of funding. Remember Inc decides to focus entirely on making the best medium widgets in the world. Forget Inc, on the other hand, sees multiple market opportunities and choose to make...
3 months ago • 3 min read
Welcome to Viktor's Weekly! This is where we will explore topics in the intersection of strategy, product and technology. All done through the lens of my experiences from working in, running and investing in startups. Shaping Who You Become: Three Decisions That Changed Everything We often talk about career transitions as if they were carefully planned moves on a chess board. Some people might do that, but the reality is often messier. Looking back at my journey from developer to leader to...
3 months ago • 4 min read
Welcome to Viktor's Weekly! This is where we will explore topics in the intersection of strategy, product and technology. All done through the lens of my experiences from working in, running and investing in startups. The Quitting Problem During a conversation with a fellow coach this week, I had a realization that shook me to my core. For the past five years, I’ve been clinging to an identity as “the person who made it,” and with that, reluctant to put myself in situations where that...
3 months ago • 3 min read
Welcome to Viktor's Weekly! This is where we will explore topics in the intersection of strategy, product and technology. All done through the lens of my experiences from working in, running and investing in startups. From Output to Outcome Back in 2018, I joined Doktor.se, one of Sweden’s fastest-growing healthtech companies, as Android Lead. One thing that puzzled me was how rarely I saw our CTO. He spent most of his time in meetings outside of the team rather than looking at code or...
4 months ago • 2 min read
Welcome to Viktor's Weekly! This is where we will explore topics in the intersection of strategy, product and technology. All done through the lens of my experiences from working in, running and investing in startups. The Non-AI Edition AI seems to be everywhere. It doesn’t matter if you’re working with code, people or biology. The message seems to be the same: If you’re not using AI you’re falling behind. For example, my social feeds are filled with people “Vibe Coding” out apps in days,...
4 months ago • 2 min read
Welcome to Viktor's Weekly! This is where we will explore topics in the intersection of strategy, product and leadership. All done through the lens of my experiences from working in, running and investing in startups. Personal Leadership “He was like a brother to me,” he said, tears welling in his eyes as we sat in our weekly 1-on-1. His voice cracked as he described the accident that had taken his family member just days before. In that moment, spreadsheets and project timelines evaporated...
4 months ago • 5 min read