Spotify’s Early Investor Shares His Blueprint for Outlier Founders | PJ Pärson (Northzone)

Welcome to BIG IDEAS by NEW ECONOMIES — a show where we learn how the most iconic founders have turned crucible moments into global companies. Throughout these episodes, we also discover the trends our guests are most excited about, and the types of businesses those trends could go on to create.

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In this week’s episode, we chat with Pär-Jörgen Pärson, who has been a Partner at Northzone since 2004 — now one of the largest and most respected venture firms, and one many founders aspire to have on their cap table. At Northzone, PJ’s primary focus areas are disruptive businesses in energy transition, health, consumer, and AI.

Throughout our conversation, we explore the current tech cycle and what excites PJ most about AI. We discuss how VCs compete today, what defines a great founder, and how the founder mindset has evolved over the past five years. We also cover U.S. vs. European talent dynamics, why Sweden has become a startup hotspot, and the legendary meeting that led Northzone to invest in Spotify.

Throughout the episode, you will learn:

* What Cycle Are We In: As AI startups flood the market — and as OpenAI continues to upend entire categories overnight — where do the real opportunities lie? What can founders do to protect themselves and build defensible companies in a space moving this fast?

* The Talent Opportunity: With the U.S. imposing steep new visa costs, is Europe now uniquely positioned to attract top global talent? Which cities will emerge as the next major tech hubs — and what should governments be doing to seize this moment?

* Investing in Daniel Ek, Founder of Spotify: The legendary meeting that led Northzone to back Spotify — and reflections on leadership: when is the right time for a founder to step aside? Plus, the most valuable lesson PJ has learned from Daniel Ek’s journey.

Plus so much more. Grab a notebook and enjoy the episode!

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Chapters:

(0:00) Intro

(3:00) What Cycle Are We In?

(9:10) How Do VCs Now Compete?

(11:28) What Makes A Great VC Fund Today?

(13:04) What Makes A Great Founder Today?

(19:50) Stale Industries Are Being Reinvented

(22:19) Meeting Daniel Ek & Founding Spotify

(26:14) Daniel’s Greatest Lesson

(28:18) When Is The Right Time To Step Aside As The CEO?

(33:20) U.S. Talent: Huge Opportunity For Europe?

(39:29) Sweden Is On Fire

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