If you want to grow your company and attract interest, seek input from everyone
Some of our best achievements have resulted from things we’ve done when we opened up key decisions to the whole group.
For example, the decision to start a studio in New York was 100% not my idea. Launching in New York is super hard, but the group very cleverly showed how it should happen. We decided to go for it, and it was a big success.
We also started an investment company, which is very different to being a design agency. That idea came from a team exploration day.
One thing we’ve always done is have a rotating seat on our executive team that is open to employees. They get as much say and access to information as other members.
A key benefit of this is ambassadorship. You get people who are not seen as the officially appointed leaders being able to explain all the decisions you’ve made.
You also get different perspectives.
Usually, when you have the same management team, you start to become your different roles and positions. You begin to defend the area you’re responsible for. When you have other people in the room, you can’t do that. It breaks patterns in a positive way.
Growth can sometimes result from saying no
Around 2010/11, we decided not to take on all the new clients that wanted to work with us. We held back – and that led to double-digit growth.
It was a very scary thing to do, but we were worried that if we said yes to everyone, we wouldn’t be able to maintain our momentum or deliver the quality of work we were known for.
Saying no enabled us to go deeper with our existing clients. It helped to grow the trust we were given.
Lisa Lindström, Innovation and Experience Design Leader of Doberman EY. Photo: Doberman EY.
With acquisition, timing is everything
When EY approached us, the timing was perfect. We had just turned 20 as a company and were reflecting on what should be the next step on our growth journey.
Equally important was the way we were asked. We felt that we would keep a lot of our integrity and our ways of working, and that made us really interested – even if EY wouldn't have been top of mind.
We discovered that this was a very kind company that was very interested in the competence we were bringing.
Plus, they had experience in every sector. They offered depth in all the areas we couldn’t cover, and we were interested to see what would happen if we were part of a larger offering.
We started asking, “Could this make us even better designers?”
Since we were acquired, we’ve opened a new studio in Norway and also a sustainability studio. These are two great additions that we didn’t have before.
It's a hard thing to marry an independent creative agency with one of the Big Four, but I would say we’ve done it without losing the heart of our craftsmanship and creativity.
Make sure the business acquiring you is a great fit – especially if you plan on staying
The first thing to do is go beyond the numbers and seek cultural understanding. You also need to prototype what the joint offering would look like in the eyes of your customers.
Owners often have theoretical ideas of, “Oh, we have a great match,” but you need to prototype to see what it would sound like when you are selling it to a client.
My third tip is to meet as many different leaders who will be your colleagues as you can. Try to meet the people you will actually work with.
That’s because the people who are buying the company are not going to be the ones that you work with on a daily basis.
“Let's get something clear from the start. Bootstrapping is probably not the best way to grow a business.". Photo: Clear Junction.
By staying on, you’ll get to test your leadership abilities in new ways
It’s super strange to suddenly have a boss, and you’ll learn a lot about yourself. Part of that is attractive, because you start to feel that it’s not just you who’s worrying about the financials, for example.
But I do like to have a lot of responsibility, and while I still have a lot of that – I am the global leader of design and innovation – I’m not sure it’s particularly appealing to no longer have sole responsibility. That’s a hard thing to unlearn.
I found the best way to address this was by closing off one era of my leadership and walking into a new one. I ran Doberman as an independent agency, and now we’re part of something bigger.
I put a wrapper around the 20 years I ran it, and that period was fantastic. Now we’re moving into a new adventure, and it’s been helpful not to try and compare the two.
Accept that whatever happens next, it will be different
If you’re faced with possible acquisition, I think it’s the perfect reflection point for a leader to ask, “OK. Am I really ready for this?”
You need to accept that it’s not going to be the same, and if you don’t feel ready, don’t do it.
Funnily enough, I’ve found that having more people caring where we are heading has affected me emotionally. There have been a lot of reflections on this journey. For me, it’s been a chance to carry on learning.
Rapid fire questions:
What is the most impactful project you've ever worked on?
I think it was the Swedish public television-on-demand service called SVT Play. It's like the BBC iPlayer, and today every Swede is using it. So that's pretty impactful.
One piece of advice you wish you'd had before starting Doberman?
It is better to build resilience by seeking help in others – even if they're juniors that are still learning – than shoulder everything yourself.
How do you think B2B sales will change in the coming 10 years?
I know relationships have always been at the heart of B2B sales, but because so many sales activities will become automated, we need to have people who are even more human doing the relationship building. We're going to have salespeople who broadcast opinions and really put themselves in, rather than just selling the product.
What impact do you think artificial intelligence will have on sales in the coming years?
I think AI will automate all repeatable sales activities. Everything that is more complex or pivotal for companies will be human based. And I think we're going to see a pretty big shift in what can be automated.
Are there any entrepreneurs that you've been inspired by?
I've had hundreds of female entrepreneurs who inspired me on my journey. There is no single name; it's just a community of great entrepreneurs in Sweden. Their qualities include openness, willingness to help, creativity, and finding different ways of solving problems. When you have to fight for things, you come up with different solutions. And I find that super inspirational.
If somebody took over the running of Doberman tomorrow, what would be the first thing they would change?
This already happened. Doberman is now run by a new generation of leaders and I love how they are adding even more creative leadership and focus to the heart of design.
