The Magic of Spotify

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Gustav: Spotify had a very distinct magic trick. The illusion of actually having all of Para Day downloaded to your hard drive was what sets Spotify apart from the free music that was already available. By analyzing massive amounts of data and by keeping human curation at its core, Spotify created an approach to playlists that users grew to trust. Hardcore music lovers were shocked by how well Spotify predicted their tastes.

Normally, trust = consistency + time. But when you're scaling fast, you have to find shortcuts to trust, with your partners and your users. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek knows a thing or two about this. When he founded Spotify, he did what few disruptors ever do: He worked with the industry he was trying to reinvent. How did Ek build a relationship with a music industry wary of piracy? He found shortcuts to trust. And not just with the music industry, but users to. With cameo appearances from Gustav Söderström (Spotify's Chief Research & Development Officer) and Miles Daisher (Red Bull Air Force).

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