Tag: Gustav Soderstrom

Introducing the New Miniseries ‘Spotify: A Product Story’

March 11, 2021

It’s one thing to imagine the future of audio, quite another to actually build it—and yet that’s what Spotify set out to do over the past decade. Along the way, there’s been plenty of previously untold stories filled with colorful characters, product challenges and successes, and many lessons learned. So in our new podcast miniseries, Spotify: A Product Story, our Chief R&D Officer, Gustav Söderström, will bring listeners these insider stories of product strategy and development at Spotify—as told by the people who built it. 

“In this podcast, for the first time, we’ll pull back the curtain on some never-before-heard stories of Spotify’s product journey,” explains Gustav in the series trailer. The miniseries will include “the secrets and strategies behind our biggest product launches and pivots—from the very first desktop app, built in a small apartment in Stockholm, to the brand-new audio formats we’re exploring right now.”

Over the course of the series, Gustav will delve into the art and science of product strategy and development alongside special guests from the music, business, and tech industries—from Lars Ulrich to Mary Meeker to Matthew Ball to Sean Parker. He’ll also interview the current and previous Spotifiers deeply involved in Spotify’s journey, including Daniel Ek, Dawn Ostroff, Sten Garmark and Oskar Stål. These conversations will give an inside glimpse into topics like Spotify’s commitment to problem solving and improving the user experience.

Catch the Spotify: A Product Story trailer and prologue, “The most epic battle in the music history,” available on Spotify today, and look out for the first episode, “How do you steal from a pirate?” premiering soon. 

Spotifiers Channel Innovation and Passion at Our Annual Hack Week

October 23, 2019

From the beloved Discover Weekly playlist to lesser-known innovations, Spotify’s annual Hack Week allows employees to conceive inventive and enduring projects. During the fall event, team members from offices around the world—including Stockholm, New York, Boston, London, and Gothenburg—can participate in a week of hacking dedicated to cracking the code for the passion projects they’ve been dreaming about.

The purpose of Hack Week is to embrace the imagination and see what comes of it. The initiative allots time for employees to set aside their “normal work” and tackle their most ambitious ideas. “Hack Week is the time of year that we take to celebrate innovation and new thinking,” explains Gustav Söderström, Chief R&D Officer at Spotify. This year, over 100 teams of engineers, data scientists, project managers, and graphic designers have signed up for a chance to showcase those very skills.

Hack Week might just be a week long, but its results may very well have lasting impact. The longstanding tradition at Spotify endures so we can set aside time for the entire company to dream, build, and surprise the world—and ourselves—with our creativity.

Watch the video below for a glimpse into the magic that is Hack Week.