Convergence.fm

AI Strategy That Actually Works: From Startup to Spotify to Search Fund with Tommy Högström


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AI strategist Tommy Högström, who has guided giants like Spotify, H&M, and McDonald's, reveals the truth about implementing AI, scaling product teams, and the entrepreneurial journey. From founding his own AI consultancy in Sweden to leading financial forecasting at Spotify and now launching a search fund to acquire a software business, Tommy offers a rare look inside the strategic shifts that separate hype from reality. This episode explores the tough transition from services to product, the evolution of Spotify's famous agile culture, and how to build data infrastructure that actually scales.

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In this episode:

The Spotify Model, Unfiltered: Learn how Spotify's culture and priorities shifted dramatically when its focus changed from pure user growth to profitability, and what that means for agile teams at scale.

Services vs. Product: Tommy breaks down the conflicting incentives between short-term consulting revenue and long-term product value, and why he ultimately sold his shares in the company he founded.

AI Isn't Magic, It's Data: Discover why you might need four data engineers for every data scientist and why thinking of AI as just an "IT project" is the biggest mistake companies make.

The Search Fund Path: An inside look at the search fund model, where entrepreneurs raise capital to buy an existing profitable business and scale it as the new CEO.

Mentioned in this episode: Gab AI Xego AI 1Password Tommy's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommyhogstroom

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Convergence.fmBy Ashok Sivanand

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