EXPresso

Magnus Grimeland grew up in Holm outside Sande, Norway, in a community he remembers as having around 50 to 70 people.

At 16, he left Norway for UWC Atlantic College in Wales. He later studied at Harvard, served in the Norwegian Special Forces, worked at McKinsey, helped build Zalora and Global Fashion Group in Asia, and eventually founded Antler.

Today, Antler receives around 160,000 founder applications a year and backs hundreds of new companies globally.

In this conversation, we talk about why Magnus believes AI is the biggest platform shift he has experienced, why technology itself is becoming less of a moat, and why distribution increasingly matters.

We also go into what Antler looks for in founders before the numbers exist, the importance of spike, drive and grit, why European founders often sell too early, Norway’s tax debate, Singapore, mental resilience, Janteloven, success and purpose.

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Sondre Kasin started working in restaurants at around 15 years old, washing dishes at a local restaurant in Kongsberg, Norway.

He later studied political science while continuing to work in hospitality on the side. Eventually, what had started as a part-time job became the career.

In 2017, Sondre moved to New York. During the interview process for one of his first major opportunities, he was challenged to create a cocktail menu using Korean ingredients he barely knew. Without a bar to work from, he bought ingredients, picked up basic equipment and started experimenting from his apartment.

Today, Sondre is Director of Bars at Gracious Hospitality Management, working across an organization with concepts in New York, Miami, Singapore and Las Vegas.

We talk about why Sondre left Norway, adapting to New York, taking ownership before anyone asks you to, the difference between confidence and being loud, direct feedback, surrounding yourself with people who compensate for your weaknesses, changing drinking habits and why some people seem to accumulate more trust and opportunity over time.

Sondre also explains why patience matters more than most people think, why being present can become a competitive advantage, and why the people around you may matter as much as talent itself.

A conversation about hospitality, but even more about craft, responsibility, patience and building a career one step at a time.

Music licensed through Soundstripe.

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Andy Hamer first came to the United States as a teenager, spending a year on Long Island and taking the train into New York whenever he could. Years later, he returned and built his life here around investing, capital allocation and working with founders.

Today, Andy is the Founder and Managing Partner of Beira Mar Capital.

This conversation ended up going well beyond investing.

We talk about the difference Andy sees between the American and European attitudes toward risk and failure; why Germany has struggled to translate its industrial and engineering heritage into the next generation of globally dominant companies; and what countries such as Singapore and Israel can teach larger economies about focus, incentives and building around what they can become world-class at.

We also bring the conversation back to the individual investor.

Andy explains why a long time horizon can itself become an advantage, why people should focus on areas they genuinely understand, how everyday experiences can lead to interesting investment ideas, and why finding a great company is not enough if you pay the wrong price.

And as investing, prediction markets, sports betting and speculation increasingly live on the same phone, we get into an important distinction: when are you actually investing - and when are you simply gambling?

We also talk about New York, entrepreneurship, Tesla, building an investment edge and why incentives matter whether you are allocating capital inside a company, a portfolio or an entire country.

You can find Andy on

https://www.andy-hamer.com/

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Kristin Harila is one of the world’s most accomplished high-altitude mountaineers.

In May, she reached the summit of Mount Everest for the fourth time - this time without supplemental oxygen. She has now completed 31 summits above 8,000 metres, and in 2023, together with Tenjen Lama Sherpa, climbed all 14 of the world’s 8,000-metre peaks in just 92 days.

In this episode, we talk about:

• What it actually takes to climb Everest without supplemental oxygen
• Why reaching the summit is only half the challenge
• The preparation, logistics and mindset behind climbing 14 peaks in 92 days
• Breaking overwhelming goals down into one mountain, one camp and one step at a time
• Why Kristin returned and started the entire record attempt again after completing 12 of the 14 peaks in 2022
• Her friendship and partnership with Tenjen Lama Sherpa
• Losing Lama and the impact it has had on her life
• Risk, fear and how she remains calm in life-or-death situations
• Commercial expeditions, overcrowding and the future of Mount Everest
• The responsibility climbers and expedition companies have toward the Sherpa community
• Being a woman in a male-dominated industry and the challenges of securing sponsorship
• Growing up on a farm in northern Norway and learning independence from an early age
• Why she has decided that her long 8,000-metre expeditions are now over
• What comes next after reaching some of the highest places on Earth

This is a conversation about much more than mountains. It is about self-belief, preparation, grief, responsibility and the price of pursuing something most people believe is impossible.

Karl Liapunov joins EXPresso for a conversation about growing up between the US and Norway, taking a one-way ticket to Oslo, working with Nordic founders through StartupLab, and launching Starting Cold - a new video series focused on Nordic founders, operators, athletes and outliers building at an international level.

Karl Liapunov grew up in the US with a strong Norwegian connection, Norwegian spoken at home, and summers spent in Norway. After starting his career in investment banking in Houston, he decided to leave the safe path behind, buy a one-way ticket to Oslo, and build a new chapter in Norway.

That decision eventually led him to StartupLab, where he spent several years working closely with Norwegian and Nordic founders, particularly around energy, climate tech, internationalization and the bridge between the Nordics and global markets.

Now Karl is based in New York and has launched Starting Cold — a new video series and platform built around Nordic founders, operators, athletes and outliers who are building at an international level.

In this episode, we talk about what it means to grow up between two cultures, the difference between Norway and the US, why Norway is an incredible place to come from but sometimes a difficult place to stand out, and why Nordic companies often become very good at building but not always as good at telling the world what they have built.

We also get into cold outreach, taking risk, moving countries without a perfect plan, StartupLab, energy and climate tech, media, venture, and why storytelling may become one of the most important tools for the next generation of Nordic founders.

Topics we cover:

• ​Growing up between the US and Norway
• ​Norwegian identity, language and culture from the outside
• ​The difference between American and Norwegian ambition
• ​Leaving investment banking and moving to Oslo without a clear plan
• ​Building a network from scratch in a new country
• ​StartupLab and the Norwegian startup ecosystem
• ​Energy, climate tech and Norway’s international advantage
• ​Why Nordic founders need stronger global storytelling
• ​The role of media in venture, fundraising and ecosystem-building
• ​Starting Cold and Karl’s mission to highlight Nordic outliers
• ​Why cold outreach can change the direction of your life
• ​What Norway can learn from the US — and what it should not copy

Song credit via riverside.fm

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Javad Mushtaq is back on EXPresso for the third time.

In our earlier conversations, we spoke about investments, impact, diversity, entrepreneurship and emerging markets. Since then, Javad has continued his journey internationally through MIT, Harvard, AI, technology, investments and work at the intersection of capital, society and impact.

In this episode, we meet in New York for an honest conversation about Norway, the US, ambition and what it takes to build bigger from a small country.

We talk about:

• Why Norway has the talent, but often lacks the ambition and risk tolerance
• The difference between Norway and the US when it comes to capital, networks, scale and belief
• Janteloven, storytelling and why Norwegians need to become better at talking about their wins
• Why Norwegian founders should think globally from day one
• AI as a fundamental technological shift, not just a hype cycle
• What responsible AI means when technology has the potential to impact billions of people
• Outsider energy, imposter syndrome and social mobility
• How Javad went from almost dropping out of high school to MIT and Harvard
• Why failure, learning and resilience need to become a bigger part of Norwegian founder culture
• Norway’s role in the world, Norwegian identity in the US and the excitement around Norway being back in the World Cup for the first time in 28 years

This is a conversation about technology, capital, identity, impact and why Norway needs to think bigger.

You can find Javad on LinkedIn below:

LinkedIn

In this episode, I’m joined by George W. Peters, host of Industry Game.

This became a conversation about much more than podcasting. George and I are both building podcasts while also working full-time careers, and we talk about why a podcast can become one of the most powerful tools for curiosity, learning, relationships, and personal growth.

• Why starting before you feel ready is often the most important step.
• Why the first episodes are always the hardest.
• How consistency compounds over time.
• Why the best conversations happen when you stop trying to “interview” and allow a real conversation to unfold.
• How a podcast can become what George calls “the most selfish networking tool” - because it gives you a real reason to sit down with interesting people, ask better questions, and build relationships you otherwise never would have had.
• The power of reps, including what Joe Rogan’s thousands of episodes can teach us about mastery.
• Why motivation is overrated, and why identity matters more.
• Why successful people often aren’t as different as we think - they just keep showing up.
• Why this episode also marks a new step for EXPresso, as the podcast opens up to more English-speaking and international conversations going forward.

A fun, honest and reflective conversation about curiosity, consistency, relationships, podcasting, and what it means to actually get in the game.

Episode #132 George W. Peters -The Most Selfish Networking Tool Ever Created

I episode #131 er Øystein “Pølsa” Pettersen tilbake på EXPresso.

Mange kjenner Øystein som tidligere langrennsløper og OL-gullvinner, men de siste årene har han også blitt en av Norges tydeligste stemmer rundt utenforskap, tilhørighet og det å se mennesker. Gjennom Team Pølsa har han vært med på å skape noe som har rørt en hel nasjon - ikke fordi det handler om idrett, men fordi det handler om mennesker.

I denne episoden snakker vi om:

• Team Pølsa og hvorfor serien traff så mange
• Utenforskap, ensomhet og psykisk helse
• Hvorfor fellesskap bygger mennesker
• Forskjellen på å være i et fellesskap og med i et fellesskap
• Hvorfor relasjoner krever tid, trygghet og tilstedeværelse
• Forventninger, mestring og det å tro på andre mennesker
• Unge mennesker, sosiale medier og dagens oppvekst
• Hjerneblødningen som endret perspektivet hans på livet
• Hvorfor “det neste store er alt det lille”
• New York Marathon og spørsmålet: “Are you a finisher?”

Dette ble en samtale om å stoppe opp, se hverandre og huske på hva som faktisk betyr noe.

En viktig påminnelse om at de små tingene ofte er de største.

Dette er episode #131 med Øystein Pettersen!

I episode #130 prater jeg med Petter Haga; kjent for blant annet Mango IPA, Finance Daddy og flere humorprosjekter som har truffet bredt i Norge.

Men bak virale videoer, låter og karakterer ligger det også en veldig interessant reise. Petter gikk Indøk på NTNU, var på vei inn i BCG-sporet, startet selskap, lagde musikk på siden - og endte etter hvert med å bygge en hverdag rundt humor, innhold, konferansierjobber, gründerskap og kreative prosjekter.

I episoden snakker vi blant annet om:

• Hvordan Finance Daddy ble til
• Hvorfor Mango IPA ikke var en overnight success
• Janteloven, LinkedIn-kultur og det å tørre å være litt useriøs
• Hvordan Petter tenker rundt sosiale medier, timing, volum og det å skape flaks
• Perioden etter startupen hvor han følte seg lost - og hvordan toastmaster-jobber ble starten på underholdningskarrieren
• Hvordan Visning.ai ble bygget for å gjøre boligkjøp litt mindre kaotisk
• Hvorfor humor, business og distribusjon kan være en ekstremt sterk kombinasjon

Episoden ble spilt inn tidligere i år, før Finance Daddy hadde vokst enda mer, men samtalen føles nesten enda mer relevant nå.

En episode om humor, business, kreativitet - og hvorfor man noen ganger må lage utrolig mye før man plutselig treffer.

Du kan finner mer om Petter og artistnavnet hans, Slamdunk her:

• Spotify
• Instagram
• LinkedIn

Dette er episode #130 med Petter Haga!

I episode #129 prater jeg med Alexander Adams; medgründer av Varsity Headwear - et norsk brand som over de siste ti årene har vokst fra en liten bootstrap-startup i Oslo til et internasjonalt premiumbrand med kunder og retailpartnere over hele verden.

Vi går helt tilbake til starten: hvordan Alexander og broren startet med å brodere capser selv sent på kveldene på et lager på Tveita, hvorfor de mente markedet manglet et premiumprodukt med riktig fit og kvalitet, og hvordan de gradvis bygget Varsity til et globalt brand - uten å følge de klassiske “growth playbooks”.

Men denne samtalen handler om langt mer enn fashion.

Vi snakker om:

• oppvekst mellom Norge, England og Sveits
• kulturforskjeller mellom Skandinavia og USA
• Wall Street og New York-kulturen
• frykten for å feile offentlig
• psykologi, identitet og hvorfor mennesker kjøper brands
• hvorfor smak kanskje er et konkurransefortrinn i seg selv
• hvordan man bygger noe langsiktig fra Norge i en verden preget av tempo og støy

Dette er episode #129 og Alexander Adams.