On our quest to highlight inspiring leaders embracing the digital world, we continue to share our next interview of another curious and brave leader. Many leaders feel less knowledgeable or involved in digital transformation and social media, why we believe it is important to take inspiration from some of the more digital leaders, to understand more of their personal journey and get access to some of their insights.
Our next leader is Gustaf Alstromer at Airbnb, one of the companies that is currently changing an industry and changing the world. Gustaf is Product Manager and Head of Growth at Airbnb. Gustaf is passionate about products that change the world.
Gustaf’s journey to become a #rebornDigital Leader
So how did Gustaf come into the leadership position he currently holds? Listen to his inspiring response (if the video does not open, you may watch it here);
There are many routes that take you into leadership positions in the digital world, again it is proven that a core drive will be for leaders to be curious and embrace risk, and be led by a bigger purpose to move forward in this new world. Head of Growth is a title, which is common in newer digital businesses. If you lead a company that needs to be #rebornDigital, you might want to consider to appoint a Head of Growth. The term growth hacking was created year 2010 by entrepreneur and investor Sean Ellis and means that you combine marketing, sales and advanced data analytics.
Which #Digital Trends, Businesses and Leaders to monitor?
Which trends and examples of businesses and leaders does Gustaf believe we should keep our eyes on going forward? Listen to his insights here (if the video does not open, you may watch it here):
Gustaf points us at companies like Lyft and Uber which are very notable. They are not only transportation and payment services, not just another taxi service, they are expanding the market, they make people go to new places, they change people’s lives.
Gustaf shares that many people starting companies in San Fransisco are not primarily driven by money, they create companies because they want to change something, they truly want to make a difference in the world, like the founders of Airbnb.
Gustaf also lets us know that what he finds most inspiring in working for Airbnb is that they are changing the world. They are changing the lives for travellers and for hosts alike. He also finds the learning and the people he works with here very inspiring.
Give and get inspiration and value through networks
What networks does Gustaf believe are most valuable to him? Don’t miss out on Gustaf’s response to our final question – which furniture he would be (if the video does not open, you may watch it here)…
It is very valuable for Gustaf to be in San Fransisco, there are so many people that work with things similar to him. They are close by and they are very helpful in sharing.
Finally, as a furniture, Gustaf would be ……… a very comfortable chair! Gustaf chose the chair because it is what he dreams of himself!
How to become more #digitallyInvolved
To get more insight of what Gustaf knows and shares, we highly recommend you follow him on Twitter as @gustaf
To further expand your own network of inspiring digital leaders – this time we recommend you to follow the founders of some industry and world changing ventures. So follow the founders of Airbnb on Twitter as @bchesky , @jgabbia and @nathanblec . And if you haven’t tried Airbnb yet, the opportunities are tremendous, check them out at www.airbnb.com .
Also follow the founders of Lyft @johnzimmer and @logangreen as well as the founders of Uber @travisk and @gmc . Finally, why not follow the man behind the term growth hacking, @seanellis
We believe it is important to share insights from inspiring #digitalfirst thought leaders, if you are one of them or know someone we should talk to, please send us a hint via https://digoshen.com/contact/ or via twitter @digoshen .
These interviews are shared both on my own blog www.liselotteengstam.com as well as on the blog of Digoshen www.digoshen.com, where I am Chairman of the Board.
At Digoshen we believe that Companies, Boards and Business Leadership Teams need to understand more of the digital world to fully leverage the potential when bringing their business into the digital age.
We provide inspiration and support to help transition business leaders into more insightful digital positions for themselves and their companies.
Follow us on twitter: @digoshen , our CEO @katycaroan and Chairman @liseeng