Business

#41 The Feature Race to Nowhere

“Did you see? Our competitor just launched this new feature. We need something similar, and we need it fast!” It happened again. A few weeks ago, I was in a meeting with a client in the health space, and there it was, the same reflex. The feature race. You’d

#38 Stop Admiring Leaders for Listening to Customers

The CEO of one of the companies I work with recently did something that, on paper, really shouldn’t be remarkable. Over the course of three months, he made more than 60 contextual interviews with users across Europe. He observed them in action, listened carefully, asked thoughtful questions, and came

#36 Why I Say Yes to Boards, and Why You Should Too

“Congratulations on your new assignment! I’m curious… A third board? Why? What is it about board work that interests you so much?” I got the question last week after posting about the latest board I decided to join. It’s a fair question. And one I’ve asked myself

#35 When Differentiation Dies: Short-Term Wins, Long-Term Losses

Differentiation in highly commoditised markets is hard enough without throwing away the edge you already have. Others have already written and talked about this, but I'll put it here as a reminder to boards and management teams in my network. Two weeks ago, Southwest Airlines announced that it

#31 Preparing Tomorrow’s Designers:  Reflections from the Malmö University IXD Advisory Board

What does it take to succeed as an interaction/UX designer in the coming years? My answer might sound boring. Even though the industry is evolving faster than ever and development practices have come a long way, the fundamentals of great design work are pretty much the same today as

#30 Need to Cut Costs? Hire a Designer!

“UX? Service Design? No, thanks, we’re not focused on innovation or growth right now. Our priority is cutting costs. Anything that isn’t absolutely essential needs to be kept to a minimum.” This mindset might seem logical, but it’s actually costing companies more than they realize. Many businesses

#29 Have You Ever Regretted Selling inUse?

I’m in Lisbon. My wife is attending a conference, and I’m here as her +1. Knowing I’d have plenty of time on my own, I reached out to Bruno Figueiredo before arriving to see if he was up for a coffee. We had never met before, but

#27 Design Is Your Best Growth Strategy

"Johan… you know I’m not a designer, but after ten years in communication and product development, I’ve seen how much better things go when skilled designers are involved from the start. Yesterday, a new client dismissed my points, and I struggled to find the right words to

#26 The CX Edge: How Boards Can Support Growth and Profitability

I’ve been talking to a lot of boards and leaders lately. Everybody agrees: customer-centricity is essential for long-term growth and profitability. It sounds straightforward—prioritize the customer, align leadership, and empower teams. But even though everyone agrees, it rarely gets done. The gap isn’t in understanding the importance—

#25 From Boardrooms to Buttons: Where Strategy Meets Reality

Did you know acquiring a new customer is five times more expensive than retaining an existing one? Or that customer-centric companies can grow their revenues 4% to 8% faster than their competitors? Or that companies that focus on enhancing the customer experience see, on average, a 15-20% increase in sales

#24 Best of 2024: What You Liked, and My Own Favorites

Just so that you know. This is not a regular issue of Reflections. This is a reflection on Reflections. It’s a look back at the first seven months and 23 articles since the first newsletter on June 4th. When I started this newsletter, I just knew I wanted to

#23 Seven Predictions for 2025

What will the new year hold for tech, business, and UX? Predicting the future is always risky—there's no quicker way to look foolish—but who can resist the challenge? Here's my take on what 2025 might bring. 1. Incremental Progress 2025 isn't likely

#22 Starting Up Your Business? Find your Partners

What’s the biggest enemy of success? It’s not competition, or even bad luck—I think it could be the belief that you can (or should) do it all on your own. This idea of going solo, of proving yourself by taking on the world alone, is so ingrained

#17 That’s where you’re wrong, kiddo

You know the old grump who says, “That will never work?” That’s me. I started my first company in 1994. Like many others who have primarily focused on building businesses, I’ve encountered quite a few grumps. You know, the kind who either imply—or outright say—that what

#15 I Hate People… But I Love Money

“Hey. Look. I hate people, but I love money. And the only way you’re going to make money is by making sure this works really really well for people.” A few months after we started inUse, Ingrid and I met with a CEO for a potential client. This was

#13 User Research as Risk Management: Aligning with Decision-Makers

"You know we would like to do tests and research, but there is no time right now.” Jan Andresen recently followed up on my post about trusting the process. He asked how I handle situations where decision-makers want to skip the research and move straight to implementing a solution.

#11 Health and Taxes: Should Companies Pay for Sick Leave?

– Hello! I’m calling from the National Federation of Small Businesses (Småföretagarnas Riksförbund). Do you have a minute? Usually, I end sales calls quickly, but this one piqued my curiosity. – Sure, go for it. – We advocate for reducing payroll taxes and eliminating the employer’s responsibility to pay for sick

#9 Saying Yes: How One Small Decision Sparked 30 Years of Entrepreneurship

Yes. Such a small word—yet it has the power to change the trajectory of your life completely. This week, I celebrate 30 years as an entrepreneur. One yes led to another and, eventually, to a career I could never have predicted. It all began during a summer job at

#3 Profits, AI-Driven Growth, and the Silver Lining: Thoughts on the Current Job Market in Design

Last week, I visited my friend Martin Thörnkvist at Media Evolution in Malmö. Martin, a creative role model, has been a constant source of inspiration through his work with Media Evolution and The Conference. While we enjoyed our coffee in the Futures Library, Martin pointed to a photo shoot happening

#1 Without purpose, I suck

At the beginning of high school, essay-writing felt anxiety-inducing and laborious. I remember sitting there, reading the assignment, and doing my best to craft a text that would meet the teacher’s expectations. A week later, I received my grade: D. Then something changed. Instead of just trying to complete