#57: Risto Siilasmaa – lessons from dot-com bubble, transforming Nokia, and investing in unicorns

Risto Siilasmaa co-founded F-Secure in 1988 at just 22, and later became Finland’s richest person during the dot-com bubble. As chairman of Nokia, he led the transformation of the company from a struggling handset maker to a global leader in network infrastructure. He has one of the best startup investment track records, with multiple unicorns in this portfolio.

In this episode, Risto shares 30+ years of insights on entrepreneurship, leadership, and tech.

Learn more:

https://generogrowth.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/siilasmaa/

(0:00) Introduction

(0:55) Starting F-Secure: early challenges and IPO

(8:50) The dot-com bubble and how money changes people

(24:50) Tough decisions and building resilience

(34:20) Nokia: crisis, disruption, and transformation

(58:53) Investing in unicorns and how to spot great founders

(1:12:35) Future tech trends: AI, quantum computing and clean energy