Insights from Slush 2023

30 April 2024

Guest Column: Melina Jacovou, Founder and CEO, Propel London

Slush 2023 was my fifth visit, and quite simply I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. It is a date that goes in my diary as soon as it’s announced and has done ever since the Department for Business and Trade first recommended it as the place to meet the region’s tech founders and leaders back in 2018.

On returning each year, I’m always struck anew by the contrast between the snowy Helsinki winter and the warm welcome you receive as you walk through the door. It really is the people that make it so special, not just because anyone who’s anyone is there, but that everyone is so open and energetic, it’s impossible not to be swept along by their enthusiasm. If you’re in the tech space and want to speak to the current and future movers and shakers in the Nordics and beyond, it’s the only place to be - and I promise Slush hasn’t paid me to write this.

As the event has gone from strength to strength it has become renowned for its amazing speaker line-up and I think 2023 ranks with the very best. It almost feels unfair to highlight a few, but there is one name that stands out, and I’m not ashamed to admit being a little star-struck by the amazing Sanna Marin. 

For someone who led her country through the Covid-19 Pandemic and the Russian attack on Ukraine, it is perhaps surprising how little of her story is known. Or rather given the way she was treated by the media perhaps it isn’t. Her genuine commitment to making lives better, insight into the burdens of leadership and her still unfulfilled potential to work on the global stage were truly inspiring. I loved her message to female leaders, saying “Trust yourself”. It really struck a chord with me when she said that women perhaps question themselves too much, and aren’t supported or encouraged enough to take risks and take on the top jobs. 

Sanna’s optimism about the tech sector in the Nordics also came with a point that almost made me jump up in a one-woman standing ovation, that the most important thing for a thriving tech industry is to invest in people.

No less inspiring was Clare Hughes-Johnson, best known for her roles at Google and more recently, Stripe. Clare talked about “scaling talent”, also the title of her recent book. Her experience at the heart of Silicon Valley led her to realise that developing talent is perhaps the most important element in rapidly scaling a tech business. Her insights into hiring also hit home. I loved her point that there is more science than art to recruitment, and you should, as with other areas of business, build a good data set by comparing lots of candidates before making a decision.

I also found the conversation between TS Anil of Monzo and Accel’s Sonali de Rycker fascinating. I think a lot of people find Venture Capital a little intimidating and even mysterious, but seeing the brilliant relationship between Sonali and TS, whilst hearing their story of scaling Monzo with the backdrop of the pandemic, was both a great business and human story. I’ve been lucky enough to have some brilliant and truly invested investors in my own business life, and it was good to see this represented on stage.

There are so many more I could mention, but I did pick up on a few general themes from the two days. Of course AI dominated much of the content from speakers and conversations around the venue, and I was heartened to hear optimism mixed in with some great advice on how to manage implementing its usage into businesses. 

There was also a general recognition that times have been tough, and we’ve been through a tech downturn, but here too there was optimism. I met so many leaders who spoke of being focused on making their companies ready to come out and scale rapidly when conditions allow. Again, the message was that having talent on board would be a key element in future growth.

Away from the conference hall, I was honoured to attend a reception at the UK Ambassador’s residence, hosted by the Department for Business and Trade. I spoke to innovative Finnish tech founders who want to expand into the UK and build their go to market teams. I’ve found this is something we’re doing more and more across the Nordics and Scandinavia, which in itself is perhaps a sign of some really exciting times ahead. 

I’ll definitely be back at Slush this year, and with so many exciting businesses with their eyes firmly set on expansion, I don’t think that will be my only trip to the region.

 

 

 

 

Melina Jacovou, Founder and CEO, Propel London