Last week was about Dinesh and his line that stopped me in my tracks:
“AI is not capable of solving my problems.”

This week I saw what he meant.

AI didn’t fail. It just showed its limits.

We spent most of the week inside Cursor and ChatGPT, connecting systems, refining logic, and setting up automation flows that used to take days. It’s fast, clean, and impressive.

But it also felt like we were living with a quiet co-worker who never really understands the bigger picture.

I have started to see AI as a mirror more than a machine. It reflects what we already know, what we’ve done before, what we’ve written and built.
– It doesn’t imagine.
– It doesn’t dream.
– It predicts.

(And makes me reallllllly lazy haha)

And that’s fine, as long as you know what you want.

Clients are beginning to expect AI to handle everything.
Scope, plan, test, deploy.

The conversation has shifted from “how fast can you build this?” to “can’t AI just do it?”

And that’s where it gets tricky. Because yes, AI can do a lot. But not enough.

The projects that actually work are the ones where people step in, where someone questions an output, where intuition decides what the algorithm can’t.

We’re learning that the future of building products is not human versus AI.
It’s human through AI.

Our job is to shape it, not follow it.

To use AI as an amplifier, not as a replacement.
To be the ones who still ask “why?” when AI just says “here’s how.”

Week 43 taught me something simple.
AI isn’t here to take our jobs. It’s here to test our value.

The real question isn’t what it can do.
It’s what we still choose to do better.

The agency scene is shifting fast, and I’m right in the middle of it.
My name is Pierre Gronberg and I’m the founder of Helsingborg Design LAB, now known as HDL.

My background is in business development. My skill is taking ideas to market, products to revenue, and right now I’m doing that with three distinct products: HDL Commerce, Kepler Cloud and what we today call HubForce.

With this post I’m starting something new. A blog series called The day AI killed agency work. I’ll share my thoughts, actions, and how we’re pivoting in this avalanche era that’s hitting us all.

I mean what I say. The raw and bitter truths of my every day. How AI is changing development. How it’s both an existential threat to my foundation and business. And how, strangely enough, I love it. It intimidates me, but it also drives me. The challenge we’re facing is massive, but so is the opportunity.

It all really started three days ago from writing this post. Yes, only three days ago. You can ask where I’ve been this whole time, but the truth is I’ve been here the entire time, building and watching.

I used Lovable before it became mainstream. Today everyone is vibe coding and let’s be honest, it’s amazing.

I’ve used ChatGPT since the early days when it was crashing every five minutes and people thought their careers were over. Now, every email or message I get from 85% of our customers has been through ChatGPT before it reaches me. I’ll be honest, 50% of my own replies are written with AI. It makes my communication sharper and saves me hours.

But let’s not get derailed.

We all know what Lovable is.
We all know what ChatGPT is.
We all know what it does.

The truth now is that you can almost do everything people used to ask me for a quote for.

Let me put that in context.

I needed to gather all our subscription data into one place to get metrics. We have just over 100 active paying customers, ranging from 99 SEK to 190,000 SEK per month in recurring revenue. Normally this takes hours to pull into a spreadsheet, but I only had four hours before a meeting.

So I opened Lovable, started prompting, and 27 minutes later I had a working subscription dashboard. Two years ago this would have been a 150-200 hour project. We would have scoped it, designed it, built APIs, QA’d it, and written “OUT OF SCOPE” on every little change the client asked for after launch.

Hey, 200 hours are nice. But those requests stopped coming almost overnight.

Why?

Developers keep saying AI can’t do what we can do. But in the last 48 hours, I’ve seen it do it better.

Still, there’s a big but. There are things AI can’t do. Just like there are things humans can’t. It all comes down to a few key things:

– The context behind the prompts
– The quality of the scope
– The ability to understand what’s actually needed

I’ve seen both sides. Wrong context, bad prompts, poor scope. The project fails. The cost? In Lovable, it’s time. In real life, it’s money and reputation.

So back to my week #42 project. I decided to review the apps we pay for and see if I could rebuild them internally as SaaS tools. Same value, better fit.

I started with a feedback tracking tool. Something we use to collect bug reports and feedback. It saves hours and makes it easier for our clients to report issues.

So I made it my challenge to rebuild it in-house.

Goals:

– Build a feedback tracking tool with snippets and scripts
– Add ClickUp integration
– Multitenancy and user management
– Stripe payment integration
– Subscription and credit usage
– Multiple implementation methods for different app types

I started in Lovable. No scaffolding. Needed to pay for a Supabase backend. It got messy fast. So I switched to trysolid.com. That’s where things exploded.

Compared to Lovable, Solid was next level. It actually built backends and databases that felt natural to work with, like chatting with my dev team.

First prompt: “Build me a feedback tracking app.”

Five minutes later it was building. Ten minutes later I had a fully functional SaaS app with database, backend, widget, demo pages. Out of the box.

Then came the refining. Every prompt took 5–10 minutes, but that forced me to think clearly. My prompts got better, my planning improved, and I started doing market research in parallel using ChatGPT.

At the same time I jumped into Framer, built a quick landing page, copied a template, changed colors and logo, and wrote some copy. Within an hour I had a product, a brand, and a domain name: NordBug.

Perspective check:
We’ve charged clients 250–300 hours for similar projects. Here I was doing it in an hour.

But to be fair, those 250 hours result in a stable, production-ready product. Mine was still a prototype. I hadn’t reviewed the code or pushed anything live. But still, the gap was shocking.

I kept going. Added unit testing, wrote automation for functionality checks, then moved to multitenancy and user auth. Originally it was public, so I built login and register. Then I tried OAuth with Google. Twenty-five minutes later, I had a working Google login flow.

03:20 CET, laptop closed. 3 hours and 35 minutes of building.

Next day, laptop open, 2 cans of Celsius, leftover tacos. Mission: ClickUp integration.

This was harder. At first I needed an API key, but I changed it to a full OAuth flow so any user could connect ClickUp directly. I had to think about data isolation and integrity. A few hours later,fully functional, tested, verified.

And that’s where I am now.

So what’s the point?

AI can build faster than I can quote a client. But it still needs vision, logic, and context.
It doesn’t know why to build something,only how.

That’s where the human part comes in.

Maybe this isn’t the end of agency work. Maybe it’s just the rebirth of it.
The agencies that survive won’t be the biggest ones, they’ll be the smartest ones.

This is what we’re exploring at HDL.
Real projects, real tools, real change.

I finally did it, I took my first real step toward something i have wanted for a long time. To becoming a public speaker.

I have so many stories to share, lessons learned, and experiences that shaped me. And deep down, I’ve always believed that I can be an engaging, inspiring speaker, someone who connects with people through honesty, energy, and passion.

It’s a side of me that’s been growing quietly for years, and now I’m ready to let it out.

I have no idea exactly where this journey will lead, but yesterday, I made it real. I reached out to 10 different talent pools and event organisers. That was step one.

The stage, here I come.

It’s been a while since I’ve been here. I guess I’ve been lost in everything that’s been going on, caught up in the constant motion of running, building, and trying to stay ahead. Sometimes, the motivation to keep pushing at a certain level fades, and maybe that’s just part of this never-ending journey I’m on.

Even if I never want it to end, these days have been tough. It doesn’t seem to get easier. I wish I could fully express everything happening around me, but there’s still that lightning bolt inside — the one that sparks, keeps me moving, and reminds me why I started.

It’s been a time of reflection. We’re in a recession, things are slower, and closing new deals feels harder than ever sometimes even threatening my whole existence as an entrepreneur. But that too is part of the journey. I’ve learned that only you can decide how you feel, and you don’t have to take shit from anyone.

There will always be negative people. People who once were driven and full of ideas but now only see what could’ve been done better. They see the problem but not the solution.. or they have the solution but no idea how to implement it.

Everyone has expectations. Everyone expects you to be the driving force. But at the end of the day, why should I keep driving if there’s no energy coming back? Is that really my job?

What’s been both fascinating and frustrating lately is the AI race. Running an agency used to mean being the go-to team for design, development, and simple builds!!!!!! but now, tools like Lovable can do in hours what used to take days. At first glance, it feels like the ground is slipping. But when you look closer, AI has actually opened up an entirely new world for agencies. It’s now my job to pivot, adapt, and figure shit out.

And that “shit” it’s one big load of it that I’m still trying to find my way through. (Excuse my French.)

I don’t really know where I’m going with this post, other than it being my way back to what I love doing writing about my experiences, my days, my ups and downs. Hopefully, one day, someone out there will read this and find something useful in my journey.

Maybe a book one day. Who knows.

Until next time > spread the spark.

Leadership is often portrayed as a position of authority, a seat at the table, or a series of bold decisions. But anyone who has walked the path knows it’s far more intricate. Leadership is a balancing act—a mix of highs and lows, triumphs and lessons, moments of inspiration, and occasional (Not to lie… Its more like every god dman second) self-doubt.

As we approach the end of the year, I wanted to reflect on what leadership has meant for me, both in the easy, fulfilling moments and in the more challenging ones.

One of the most rewarding aspects of leadership is the people. Seeing a team come together, thrive, and achieve remarkable things is an unmatched joy. It’s in the small wins: a team member conquering a challenge, a project going live after months of hard work, or simply seeing a group of individuals truly collaborate and support each other. Leadership in these moments feels effortless—like steering a ship with the wind at your back. These are the times when you feel like you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.

But leadership also means navigating storms. It’s staying steady when the waters are rough, making tough decisions that may not always be popular, and shouldering the responsibility of outcomes. It’s about admitting mistakes, owning up to missteps, and doing the hard work to correct them. There are nights when the weight of decisions feels heavy, where the stakes seem impossibly high, and where doubt can creep in (again). These are the moments that truly test you—not just as a leader, but as a person.

The thing about leadership is that it’s not just about the big decisions or the grand gestures; it’s about consistency. It’s in showing up, day after day, ready to listen, guide, and grow alongside your team. It’s about creating an environment where everyone feels valued, where their voices matter, and where they can see their contributions making a difference.

One of the lessons I’ve learned this year is that leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about creating space for others to bring their ideas, challenge norms, and push boundaries. It’s about trusting your team to take ownership, even when things don’t go perfectly. Growth comes from giving people the freedom to explore, fail, and rise again.

This year, our team has achieved incredible things. We’ve tackled challenges head-on, taken bold steps into new opportunities, and grown stronger as a unit. None of this would have been possible without the resilience, creativity, and dedication of the people I have the privilege of working with every day.

Leadership is hard, but it’s also immensely fulfilling. It’s a journey of constant learning—about your team, your organization, and yourself. As we close out the year, I feel grateful for the lessons learned, the challenges overcome, and the successes we’ve celebrated together.

Here’s to another year of growth, collaboration, and success. May we all continue to lead with courage, empathy, and a relentless drive to create something meaningful.

And here is to my fellow founders. Its okey to say that things are AWESOME all the time. It actually gives you a kick, you feel good about it! Its motives you to be able to write that things next time were AWESOME again! Its releaves stress, presure but it keeps you in the zone and it keeps you pushing!

I held a speech today, and speaking for myself, I inspired myself, as it was a reflection of the journey that I have been on.

I started my company the same year I found out I was going to be a father. The same month, I moved out of my childhood home, the same month I signed my first client retainer.

We went from just me to 5 people within 6 months.

We delivered services to 30 agencies in a white-label fashion.

We lost 80% of them during the pandemic. At that time, we were about 15 people.

We started a hosting company during the pandemic. We built e-commerce platforms during the pandemic.

We scaled our team from 15 to 25 people and moved to our first showroom office.

We landed top brands as clients, restarting and showing our brand to the world.

We ditched useless, time-consuming agency partnerships that were only a one-way show and stayed loyal to our top 3 instead.

But before all that…

Before I started a company, my journey went from graduating Swedish gymnasium to running a nightclub in Helsingborg for 3 years. I started a side project, Helsingborg Studentflak, and a bunch of other cool things. I was actively sailing everything from Lasers to Farr 30 to Volvo Ocean Race 65s, but still, I chose to build a company.

Fun fact: I have only been fully employed for a total of 11 months during my whole 28 years of age.

Jumping back to the business, we signed our biggest contract. We scaled our team further, but adding more people wasn’t sustainable. We were growing too fast.

We started optimising our organisation and implementing change. Change feels. Change hurts. Change is uncomfortable.

But change was needed. Change for the better!

A few weeks ago, I got the question, “Why do you thank your team so much?” I, without any hesitation, answered, “Because I believe in them.” Reflecting a few hours later, I found the question strange, but I was so happy with my answer!

Today, I gave a speech in front of my whole team, and I looked at each and every one of you. When you introduced yourselves again, with your titles “Senior Frontend,” “Software Engineer,” “DevOps Engineer,” “Backend Developer” it sounded so freaking cool!

At that point, it hit me. Who am I? Why am I doing this? Why are all these people, yes, employed, but still following my vision and journey? Do I deserve this?

I don’t know, but one thing is for sure! I’m super proud of what we, everyone involved, past and current team members have achieved.

You all have been a part of the HDL story, and I will never forget!

I put myself in the right mindset, I locked in, and my focus is on you guys!

We are building. We are pushing. And we are changing.

Changing together.

Locked in.

#redcartheory!

Thank you, guys & girls! 🇳🇵🇸🇪 🇺🇦

Det här kommer kanske sticka i ögonen på många i byggbranschen. Vem är Pierre att yttra sig? Vad vet han egentligen?

Ska jag vara helt ärlig: jag kan inte ett skit om byggbranschen. Men för 14 månader sedan började en resa som förändrade allt. Jag köpte en tomt, impulsivt. Det var ett läge och en möjlighet jag tog – utan att riktigt förstå vad det innebar att köpa en tomt. Jag skrev under köpeavtalet, och så var jag igång.

Jag tänkte: “modulhus, det är najs – klappat och klart.” Vi valde att köpa ett Vårgårda-hus, då det var ett krav för att få köpa tomt i området.

Men så enkelt var det inte.

Första mötet, första misstolkningen

Vi fick bygglov, ritningar och rumsbeskrivning. Vi skulle välja entreprenadform: generalentreprenör, delad entreprenad, eller köra allt själva.

(Vad vet jag om att bygga hus?)

Med hjälp av ChatGPT och över 100 timmar research började jag förstå grunderna. Vad alla termer betyder. Vad som gäller enligt regler och branschpraxis.

Men snart insåg jag ett mönster: en konstant strid – mellan underentreprenör, entreprenör och mig som kund. Att vara tydlig är tydligen en tolkningsfråga. Det verkar som att kunden förväntas anpassa sig till byggarnas sätt att tänka, tala, agera.

Jag skyller inte på någon – men min analytiska hjärna går igång direkt. Jag ser förbättringspotential, och framför allt: digitaliseringens frånvaro.

Förväntningar vs verklighet

Vi valde vår entreprenör. Första mötet kändes tydligt. Vi kör igång! Men… vem gör vad? Vad ingår egentligen?

Vi får en kalkyl, handlingar – men långt ifrån helheten. Utförandespecifikationen är som en à la carte-meny med tillval och referenser till principdokument. Min förväntning på ett modulhus var något standardiserat och dokumenterat – färdigt att köra igång. Det stämde… till viss del.

Entreprenören vill ha bygghandlingar. Men de får vi först efter vi gjort avrop. Borde de inte finnas innan? Jag trodde det. Min agent säger: “sånt löser man på plats.”

Men jag vill lösa det nu.

När detaljerna börjar kosta

Jag ställer frågan: kan jag få ett fast pris? Svaret: “Absolut!”
Men det är ett absolut med ett jättestort men.

Mail från tre olika håll. Man vill ha kostnadskontroll – men i branschen känns det som att man tar för givet att det kan “klämmas till” ytterligare 100 000 kr. Oförutsedda kostnader blir en standard.

Ett avtal skrivs. Grund ska bokas. Platsmöte. Vi kör igång. Men vad sades på mötet för 6 månader sedan? Vem skrev ner det? Var det mitt ansvar?

Leveransen och den svarta pärmen

Husleverans. Jag står där med gips, reglar, isolering och en svart pärm. Checklistor, egenkontroller, materiallistor. Detta hade jag velat ha en månad innan – men nej, “det är inte vår standard.”

Det fortsätter: entreprenörer, underentreprenörer, avtal är skrivna men ingen vet exakt vad som ingår. Så kommer klassikern: ÄTA – ändring och tilläggsarbeten.

Exemplet: Skruvarna som aldrig kom

En byggsats borde ju innehålla allt, även skruvar? Det tyckte både entreprenör och underentreprenör. Men leverantören? Inte deras ansvar. “Det löser entreprenören.”

Men vem betalar i slutändan? Jag som kund.

Det blir ÄTA. Timmar, material, milersättning – påslag.
Men är det rimligt?

Har man satt det i system? Att skicka lite för lite material och sen tjäna på ÄTA? Jag hoppas inte – men känslan infinner sig.

Frustrationen växer

Jag vet inte vad “tätt hus” innebär. Jag vet inte exakt hur el eller rör ska dras. Jag förväntar mig att det är fackmässigt utfört.

Men vad händer om det går lite snabbt innan semestern? Om något monteras fel, men väggen spacklas igen? Då står man där – och undrar.

Elen – och “det där ingår inte”

Jag bad om fast pris på elen. Har erfarenhet av elektriker. Ganska låg verkningsgrad tyvärr. Vi gick rum för rum och ritade – ändå blev det fel. Vems ansvar är det?

Jag kanske var otydlig. Men jag sa ju det på plats? Skulle jag ha dokumenterat och mailat allt?

Så kommer kommentaren:
“Det där ingår inte.”
“Varför inte?”
“Vi räknade inte med det.”
Men… är det mitt fel?

Nu till kärnan

För att vara tydlig, jag har respekt för att alla ska tjäna pengar. Men om en kund är otydlig – frågar man inte då? Ser man inte till att säkerställa vad som ingår?

Jag känner frustrationen byggas upp när jag skriver detta. Så låt mig sammanfatta det jag identifierat, efter att ha haft kontakt med:

– husleverantör
– agent
– projektledare
– leveransansvarig
– lastbilschaufför
– platschef
– vd:ar
– snickare
– rörmokare
– elektriker
– kompisars kompisar

Hela “tunga ledet”.

Vad är problemet?

– Ingen dokumentation
– Uppföljning, Blandat
– Ingen hålls ansvarig
– Tidsplaner spricker
– Estimeringar sker på känsla
– Otydlighet i dokument, versioner, ansvar
– Kontrollansvariga som inte kontrollerar
– Säljare som översäljer
– Felaktiga eller skadade leveranser
– ÄTA är mer standard än undantag

Ändå står huset där

Och det är det som är det sjuka – på något sätt får man ändå ihop ett hus.
Men frågan är till vilket pris – och på bekostnad av vem?

Det här är min resa, mitt perspektiv.
Jag älskar bygg – men branschen behöver digitaliseras, struktureras och framför allt: börja se kunden som en partner, inte en motpart.xq

What am I doing wrong? Why does it feel like everything is tumbling down the very mountains we built?

Is this how scaling should feel? Should it really be this tough?

I can’t quite put my finger on it. And honestly, I’ve probably never written a more brutally honest post. But behind all the successful stories I share on LinkedIn, not every day is an Everest climb without oxygen—some days, it feels more like an avalanche.

Let’s Talk Numbers

We are a team of 50 people.

We have 4,500 hours available each month to work on projects.

Yet, our billable hours barely cross 1,000!?? (you might be wondering how in the living lord of this world are we managing to survive.. yes! You might wonder. And that is a story for another day)

So, where did the other 3,500 hours go?

Now, our business model isn’t solely about selling hours. Over the past few years, we’ve transitioned to a retainer-based/SaaS license model. We still deliver consultancy hours, but our future—our real value—lies in the platforms and applications we build. The agency landscape has changed, and we adapted with it.

But here’s the real question: what has changed?

We are innovators in tech. We push boundaries, build, and disrupt. But the AI revolution has flipped the table.

If you’re running an agency and still think AI won’t impact your business, I hate to break it to you—but it will. If you’re still selling storytelling, basic design, or templated services without evolving, ChatGPT is already doing it better.

Now, AI isn’t replacing everything. But it’s changing how agencies work.

Customers are more informed than ever.

Customers can now do more on their own.

Customers rely on AI to set unrealistic expectations.

We build WordPress projects, and two years ago, customers asked for expert opinions and solutions. Now? They prompt ChatGPT. It tells them, “XYZ needs to be done, and it should take 1-2 hours.” Then they send an RFP, and we estimate 5-6 hours. Cue frustration.

Suddenly, agencies are questioned at every turn.

“I wish you guys were more proactive.”

Well, yes and no. Because two years ago, you were happy with our work. We’ve optimized, streamlined, and pushed harder to stay competitive. But now, AI has made you impatient.

You need to do the things AI can’t do.

If you rely on AI the same way your customers do, what value are you providing?

If your customer gets a solution faster than you can respond, you are slowly making yourself obsolete.

AI can generate code, mockups, and ideas—but it can’t solve real business problems. It can’t understand the nuances of a brand, the intricate logic of a tailored solution, or the depth of a long-term strategy. Customers might think AI is enough, but when things break, they come crawling back.

Is it the agency’s fault that their AI experiment didn’t work? Or that their prompt wasn’t quite right?

At HDL, we embrace AI—but not to mindlessly copy, paste, and prompt. We use it to educate, stay agile, and be proactive. But we never rely on AI to deliver solutions. That’s where our human expertise, creativity, and problem-solving come in.

But Here’s the Catch—You Don’t Want to Pay for That

Because AI can do it for 98% less time, right?

Sure.

AI has made our customers smarter—but it has also made them more impatient, price-driven, and often blind to what real expertise looks like. Some use AI to enhance their business, others to cut corners and push prices down.

Back to My 1,000 Billable Hours

A customer spends 30 hours scoping a project.

We estimate 500+ hours for development.

The customer only considers coding—not meetings, QA, testing, emails, or project management.

If we add those hours, they start panicking.

They want our expertise—but they want it squeezed into a fixed price, AI-generated expectation.

And when we mention 100+ hours, it’s suddenly a backward hallelujah moment.

Honestly, I don’t know. I just needed to get this out of my head.

But if you’re running an agency, scaling, and feeling like you’re in an uphill battle with customer expectations………. you’re not alone.

Adapt. Innovate. Stay ahead of AI. And never undervalue the real expertise that only humans can bring to the table.

AND NO – I did not ask chatgpt to write this for me, it my own words, my own structure. But i did user the AI function in grammerly to help me with my spelling and grammer as a i personally have a touch of Dyslexia!

HEY, look! I said it


Enjoy!

In less than a week, I get to meet some truly fantastic people. But as exciting as travel is, it’s also tough—especially when I have to leave behind my two kids, who, if they could, would glue themselves to me 24/7 (which I absolutely love to the core).

But as they say, the show must go on.

One day, I hope my kids will look back and say, “Remember when Dad did X & Y?” and see the bigger picture—how every late night, every decision, and every step forward wasn’t just for me, but also for them. Every parent wants the best for their kids, but there are only two people in this world I truly want to see surpass me in every way possible.

Still, life at home doesn’t completely pause. It just shifts. Because just as my kids need love, attention, and guidance, so does the incredible team I work with every day. Leadership, in many ways, mirrors parenthood—it’s about showing up, making tough calls, and investing in people so they can grow into the best version of themselves.

Looking back, 2024 was the year of deep reflection—about the people I work with and the people who work for us. And so far, 2025 has proven that the decisions we made were the right ones, positioning us exactly where we need to be.

But let’s be real—running a business in Sweden? Hands down, one of the toughest things I’ve ever done. And that’s without even trying to do it anywhere else. BUT I F€hashtag#IN& LOVE IT

Heres to Moving forward. Taking on new challenges. And making it all count.

🤝

In just under three weeks, my intensive 1.5-month tour kicks off!

This is the most exciting time of the year for me—a chance to meet every single member of our rockstar team. It’s a time to look each person in the eyes, thank them for their hard work, build stronger bonds, let off some steam, and find renewed motivation together.

Being a CEO is just a title. Behind the scenes, a CEO wears many hats. I’m the mechanic, the carpenter, the painter, the cleaner—but also the one trusted to lead our ventures, drive new client acquisitions, shape product development, refine pricing models, and set the business plan.

But at the core of it all, I do this for my team. There’s so much trust in these roles, and I know the weight of every decision I make. Each one can either take us soaring to new heights or lead us into a dark hole. It’s a big responsibility, but it’s what makes this journey so fulfilling.

These 1.5 months of travel, events, meetings, and innovation fuel me for the entire year!

The itinerary is jam-packed:

– First stop: Nepal, where it all begins.

– Then back to Sweden to gear up for D-Congress, where we’ll have a strong presence.

– Four members of our Nepal team will join us in Sweden, and one team member will fly in from Spain to Gothenburg, where we’ll connect with clients, customers, and partners.

– Afterward, it’s back to Helsingborg to wrap up the trip, align our goals, and set our compass for the next three quarters.

But the momentum doesn’t stop there!

In May, we have more events lined up, including a special one in Helsingborg just before summer.
And in November, team members from Nepal and Sweden will head to Portugal for Web Summit, where we’ll host our first international HDL event—a special gathering for our Nordic partners and friends.

Our strategy is simple: transparency and connection.

We want the world to see what’s happening behind the scenes, to showcase the culture and the incredible people driving everything we do.

Together, we move mountains. And we’re committed to making a lasting impact.

Here’s to an exciting few months ahead!

I have this (probably terrible) habit of working until 2-3 AM, cracking a Celsius at 8 PM like it’s my lifeline, waking up at 6:30 AM to get the kids ready and shipped off to school—and then racing to my local McDonald’s for a Mighty McMuffin and a juice box.

Now here’s the thing. No matter how hard I try, my McDonald’s drive-thru order is never correct. I ask for six chicken nuggets with spicy chili dip. I repeat it. They repeat it back. Somewhere between the speaker, the kitchen, and the bag they hand me, my order gets lost. I end up with curry dip, no dip, or fries I didn’t even order.

At this point, I’m questioning my life choices:

Am I that bad at explaining myself?

Or are basic orders just too complicated for the system?

This gets me thinking about what I do every day—working with people, managing projects, and delivering results.

Here’s how my world works:

A Swedish-speaking client sends us feedback.

Our Project Manager translates it to English.

It’s passed on to our Local/Nepali counterpart, who discusses it in Nepali with our developers.

The developers, working in Nepali and English with a splash of Swedish, get it done.

And somehow, it works. Most of the time, anyway.

But then I compare this process—managing multilingual teams across time zones—to the simple task of ordering nuggets!!!!

Why does picking the correct dip sometimes feel more challenging than managing developers? Why does one require so much effort to get the dip right, while the other usually works?

The truth is, communication is tough—whether you’re in a McDonald’s drive-thru or managing a complex project.

But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: Whether you’re flipping burgers or coding software, success depends on understanding, clarity, and (probably) some patience.

Now, what do you think? Is it me, or does everyone have a McDonald’s moment where communication just falls apart?

Getting back home from Web Summit was both a relief and a harsh reality check. I landed in Copenhagen with a mountain of motivation, but during the flight, I found myself reflecting while listening to a “Persuasive Sales” masterclass. It struck me that success—what we all chase so fiercely—has another side, one we don’t often talk about.

Like many entrepreneurs, I’ve always shared the positive side: growth milestones, new achievements, and the shiny moments. Rarely do I let people into the harder parts of my journey—what the bottom of the bungee jump looks like before you’re slingshotted back up.

One of the most impactful moments at Web Summit wasn’t the headline speakers but a small startup roundtable.

A founder opened up about being stuck—99 rejections, no funding, no path forward. He used his last money to attend Web Summit, looking for advice and ways to pivot. It was raw, honest, and deeply relatable. That openness—acknowledging the struggle—was a reminder of how often entrepreneurship feels like you’re hitting rock bottom before finding a way up. (Its not just hitting its going trough with the full force of gravity).

For me, Web Summit is a testing ground—not just for businesses, but for entrepreneurs themselves. It’s where you’re forced to look inward, to question your decisions, and to confront both your strengths and your weaknesses.

My last blog talked about my Web Summit journey from 2019 to 2024, highlighting the wins and growth. But let me pull back the curtain: running a business is a never-ending series of bungee jumps. The leap is exhilarating, but the fall can be terrifying. And just when you think you’re about to hit rock bottom, the slingshot of success propels you upward—only for it to happen again and again, magnified over years.

Entrepreneurs often hear about mental health, work-life balance, and taking time for yourself. It’s a lovely theory, but for most of us, it’s just that—a theory. The reality? You eat, sleep, and breathe your business. You are your business. Work-life balance? Forget it. Mental health? It’s a constant fight. And yet, it’s this relentless focus that drives innovation and success.

At Web Summit, I noticed a pattern: day one was highly motivating, but by day two, I felt disoriented. Session after session, speaker after speaker, I kept wondering why their stories felt familiar. Was I ahead of the curve? Or was I behind? Why wasn’t I on stage sharing my journey? Despite our success, that nagging voice questioning every decision I’ve ever made was louder than ever.

Yes, I’ve made decisions that make me shake my head in hindsight. But I’ve also had moments of clarity where everything falls into place, like divine intervention.

Returning from Web Summit felt like hitting a wall. Motivation aside, reality came crashing down: client demands, production challenges, internal projects, finances, legal, HR—you name it. My first week (or, to be honest, 2 days in) was a jampacked marathon of catching up, a sharp contrast to the inspiration of the Summit.

This is the reality of being a tech CEO. One moment, you’re at the forefront of innovation, energised and visionary. The next, you’re knee-deep in the grind, battling the endless to-do list. It’s exhausting, but it’s also the price of building something meaningful.

Web Summit reminded me of two truths. First, success is built not just on motivation but on the willingness to face the lows with resilience. Second, every leap—no matter how terrifying the fall—brings lessons that propel you higher the next time.

For anyone navigating their own bungee-jump journey, remember: the slingshot moment is coming. It’s the grind in between that makes it all worthwhile.

Stay bold. Keep innovating. And as I learnt at Web Summit, never be afraid to share the other side of the story. It’s where the real growth happens.

What a day at Web Summit! It’s thrilling to be back since 2019.

Let me give you a quick history of everything that’s happened since then.

Back in 2019, I got invited to a blockchain project, packed my bags, and flew to Web Summit—an absolute novice in “tech to investor relations.” I thought, Hey, I’ve got a great idea. Let’s find people who want to invest. I poured hours, endless nights, into pitch decks, shaping what was, at that time, just a concept on a whiteboard. I arrived at Web Summit, hustling hard to secure meetings, connect with people, but all I heard was, “Cool idea, but we only invest in 10 million currency deals.” Cue frustration. So, I switched focus, trying to leverage a 16-stage event with over 70,000 people—it was overwhelming.

We even built a VR experience to explain our insanely complex product, thinking it could change the world (and I still believe it could, but that’s a story for another day). A year later, I finally secured an investor. Ironically, it was during one of my worst pitches ever—but that pitch took us public, so maybe it wasn’t so bad.

Fast forward: we secured pre-seed funding, got to Pre-Beta, then went through more funding rounds, a merger, and eventually, we were public on the Spotlight stock market. Proud moment? Absolutely. But taking an early-stage company public? That’s 99 ways to kill yourself and your company. Yet, through all that, I came away with a deeper understanding of what we call “business.”

Business is nuanced. It’s a mix of crucial ingredients and a margin for error that I like to call my Happy Spot. This is where I push my company, my team, and myself. We either crash into bankruptcy or we flourish in a golden shower of cash. I’ve experienced both. And let me tell you, the cash flow lasts about half a second—then it’s back to being five minutes from the edge. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Moving from CTO to board member, then largest investor, CEO, and finally selling all my shares and stepping away from public CEO roles. People asked why I’d walk away from being a public CEO. The truth is, the board didn’t align with my vision; climbing that mountain again and again was exhausting. They couldn’t see what I was building, and it drained me. So, I said goodbye and doubled down on my private companies.

Side by side with my public role, i have been innovating in my other businesses, focusing heavily on building our SaaS applications. Leaving the public sector was the best decision for me and my teams.

Fast forward to 2023—one of the hardest yet most rewarding years. We broke the 10+ million revenue barrier and aimed for the sky. We transformed Kepler from a basic WordPress host with a cool dashboard into a powerhouse in the Nordic cloud hosting market, launching our own Kepler Cloud. Our e-commerce platform now handles over 900+ million SEK in transactions. We’ve launched multiple micro-SaaS products slated for market in Q1 2025. We’re building a SaaS powerhouse, and it’s just the beginning.

In 2024, our focus is all about scaling up, commercialising our products, and pushing them to the next level—which brings me to Web Summit.

Now that you’re up to speed (with a small fraction of the story), here’s the highlight reel from Day 1 at Web Summit 2024.

I dove into sessions designed to challenge perspectives and ignite growth. I’m in a phase where I’m devouring business books, taking masterclasses, and talking to top leaders. Day 1 at Web Summit was my testing ground.

“Move fast, break things”—a classic mantra, but one that doesn’t always fit. For structured, well-oiled machines, maybe not. But for chaotic, high-speed startups like mine? It’s our fuel. Innovating at this pace means reverse-engineering competitors, rebuilding broken processes, and moving fast, even if it puts us in the line of fire. Our clients know our approach, and those who join us believe in our tech-first culture. That’s what sets us apart.

Is content still king? Time to rethink what’s driving real engagement and loyalty. Content is crucial, but I’m not just talking written words. We’re creating for algorithms, for people, and for our clients. Internally and externally, we’re ramping up not just written content but video and imagery. While top leaders talked about this at the Summit, I realised we’ve been doing it all along, and that reaffirmed: I’m on the frontlines of tech. Maybe not big and mighty—yet—but hopefully, I’ll be speaking on the 2030 Web Summit stage!

Decoding the Unicorn Code—this session spoke to me. I’ve always dreamt of building a unicorn, and with our SaaS powerhouse and the complexity of our business model, I see a clear path to 100 million SEK in the next three years. It’s bold, it’s ambitious, and it’s achievable (but hey, don’t hold me to Elon Musk standards).

Building the social commerce engine was all about leveraging community-driven growth. It validated our approach and gave me insights for the future. We’re building an e-commerce platform that needs to be storm-ready—whether that storm hits in one year or ten.

The Growth Startup CEOs Meetup was inspiring. I had the chance to talk to 10+ CEOs, asking them what they’d do differently to 10X their growth. Few had a clear answer—it was eye-opening. Most don’t fully know how they got where they are, let alone how to scale it, and that was a huge takeaway for me.

Each session sparked new ideas to evolve our operations, tackle challenges, and bring fresh, innovative thinking to my team. 💡

So here we are: Web Summit 2019 took me to being a public CEO/Board Member; Web Summit 2024 is setting me up to hit 100 million KR in three years. Can it really be this good?

@WebSummit—let me share this journey. I believe I can inspire people with my story. Can I be a speaker for the 2025 Edition? #MakeMyDream

Stay tuned!