#55: Building Europe’s most loved hospitality brand with Bob W. CEO Niko Karstikko
The Growth Pod14 Nov 2024

#55: Building Europe’s most loved hospitality brand with Bob W. CEO Niko Karstikko

Bob W. is a fast-growing, profitable startup that’s raised €70 million to transform hospitality through technology. What began as an Airbnb side hustle is now Europe’s top-rated hospitality brand, operating in 10 countries. We sat down with CEO and co-founder Niko Karstikko to discuss their incredible growth journey. Learn more: https://bobw.co/ https://generogrowth.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikokarstikko/ (0:00) Introduction (0:30) From corporate life to entrepreneurship (3:15) How an Airbnb side hustle and travels in Asia sparked the idea for Bob W. (7:45) Finding a German co-founder (12:30) Lessons learned from his first startup (16:30) The insight and journey to finding product-market fit (21:30) Building a leaner, tech-powered model for hospitality (25:00) Early challenges: water damage, bad press, and starting up in Estonia (30:00) Navigating the pandemic (33:50) Raising €100 million in funding (40:02) Expansion and customer acquisition (51:40) Growing as a CEO: building a strong team and creating the right work culture

Episoder(70)

#22: Unpacking foodora's growth journey with CEO Hans Skruvfors

#22: Unpacking foodora's growth journey with CEO Hans Skruvfors

What is it like to go from a startup to a household brand in just a few years? Or hire 1,200 people in a single month? We discuss this and more with foodora's CEO Hans Skruvfors. (0:00) Introduction (0:49) How foodora got started (2:59) Experiencing massive growth during the pandemic (9:15) The importance of quick decisions (12:42) Positivity and hiring the right people (16:53) Empowering your team to make decisions and mistakes (20:35) Having fun at work (23:34) Creating a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation (33:24) Trying new things and learning from failures (37:48) What’s next at foodora (42:00) The #1 lesson learned Learn more: https://generogrowth.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/hans-skruvfors-15a88b16/

7 Sep 202345min

#21: Tricia Weener - former CMO at Kone and HSBC

#21: Tricia Weener - former CMO at Kone and HSBC

Tricia Weener has an extraordinary range and depth of marketing expertise. We talk about what it’s like to lead marketing at global companies, lessons learned from managing her own agency, advice on becoming a highly effective marketer, and more. (0:00) Introduction (0:47) How she got started in marketing (7:29) Starting her own business (12:04) How to become a highly effective marketer (19:26) Transitioning to Kone (23:17) Managing marketing at a global company (29:30) Justifying marketing investments and measuring performance (35:29) Thoughts on the future Learn more: https://generogrowth.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/tricia-weener-8369735/

31 Aug 202338min

#20: Tuva Palm - technology, growth and building great products

#20: Tuva Palm - technology, growth and building great products

Tuva Palm is a tech investor, board member, and former CPO/CTO at Nordnet. We talk about building great products and driving growth through technology. (0:00) introduction (0:50) how she got into technology (6:45) product management (10:00) product strategy and investing (18:18) product-led growth and building a great user experience (24:45) recruiting a CTO and navigating tech trends (31:23) how marketing has changed (38:15) thoughts on the future More information: https://generogrowth.com/

24 Aug 202341min

#19: Konrad Bergström - electric boats, headphones and Sweden's fastest growing company

#19: Konrad Bergström - electric boats, headphones and Sweden's fastest growing company

Konrad Bergström co-founded Sweden's fastest-growing company and has now raised over $100 million to build electric boats. We talk about success, failures, and lessons learned. Learn more: https://generogrowth.com/ https://konradbergstrom.com/

14 Jul 202338min

#18 Picnic - reinventing a 30-year old restaurant brand

#18 Picnic - reinventing a 30-year old restaurant brand

Picnic is one of the most well-known restaurant chains in Finland. We sat down with CEO Janina Hallberg to discuss how they were able to get through the lockdowns and breathe new life into a decades-old brand. Learn more: https://picnic.fi https://generogrowth.com

4 Jul 202336min

#17 Wolt - growing to 25 countries and €7 billion exit

#17 Wolt - growing to 25 countries and €7 billion exit

Wolt is one of the most successful startups in Europe, with 25 countries and a 7 billion euro exit. We discuss their growth formula and strategy with VP of Marketing Fredrik Lucander. Learn more: https://generogrowth.com/

29 Jun 202336min

#16: Perlego - raising $65 million to build the 'Netflix of textbooks’

#16: Perlego - raising $65 million to build the 'Netflix of textbooks’

Perlego is a fast-growing education tech company. We discuss their growth story and strategy with CEO and co-founder Gauthier Van Malderen. Learn more: https://www.perlego.com/ https://generogrowth.com/

22 Jun 202332min

#15 Managing hype, growth and iconic brands in the food space

#15 Managing hype, growth and iconic brands in the food space

How did Härkis become a household name in Finland in less than a year? What is it like to manage an iconic brand like Elovena? We discuss this and more with Annika Boström-Kumlin, CMO at Raisio. Learn more: https://www.raisio.com/ https://generogrowth.com/

16 Jun 202332min

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