Enterprenuer
Alok Alstrom was born in Uppsala in Sweden. He later attended Stockholm School of Economics to receive his Masters’s in Economics.
His career began as a Boston Consulting Group Management Consultant, where he worked in California and Southeast Asia.
He later worked for Bisnode Group or Uber Sweden.
After becoming the General Manager of Uber Sweden, he felt inspired to start Appjobs.
He realized that services could be delivered at the touch of a button and that jobs and work could also be found.
App jobs, a global gig economy platform with over 2 million members and operates in more than 4,600 cities in 40 countries (with new cities added every day), is available in 12 languages.
Intending to use the data and trends from Appjobs to collaborate with prominent policymakers and researchers, he created the Future of Work Institute.
This institute will help stakeholders make informed decisions about the burgeoning labor markets and the future of work.
He is passionate about ideas that have the potential to impact many lives.
He established the scholarship ” Passions for Results Award to reward and encourage students who excel academically and work hard; he established the scholarship “Passions for Results Award.”
He believes that work-life balance is essential.
This includes flexible hours and a remote policy.
From where did the idea of Appjobs originate?
App jobs were an idea that I had while working as Uber’s General Manager.
As I was immersed in the gig economy each day, I realized this new work method would become more common.
Not only can services be booked instantly, but jobs and work can be found.
I realized that gig workers required not only a platform to navigate the new gig economy landscape but also more resources.
The Future of Work Institute was created from Appjobs data because I recognized the need to use data to promote and influence a smoother transition in this new labor market.
How do you make your day more productive?
50% of my day is spent meeting with managers, employees, and colleagues.
The other half includes meetings with stakeholders.
I spend around 35% of my time following up on tasks and emails.
Finally, around 15% of my time is spent on creative solutions and ideas that will help the business grow.
To stay productive, I have three main strategies.
First, I use my schedule to plan my time and organize it to get the best workflow.
It also includes time for thinking and individual work.
Second, all my work is done through the browser and online tools.
Because I have my browser bookmarks, I don’t need to remember where documents and tools are.
Third, I make sure I understand my role in the meeting and have a clear contribution.
This helps me avoid being redundant with my colleagues.
How can you bring your ideas to life?
The first step is to consider what makes sense to me and what I would use.
I view myself as a stakeholder. Next, I visualize the idea in a conceptual format, often in google slides.
This gives it more depth and makes it more real.
This step will reveal any aspects that render the idea ineffable or inappropriate.
Finally, I review the concept with people I trust. Then I get to work.
Which trend is your favorite?
A trend that I find especially exciting is the ability to stream work from our smartphones.
Like how we stream Netflix and play Pokemon Go on our phones, we can now connect with specific projects or companies that interest us.
Which habit makes you more productive as an entrepreneur than another?
If I had to pick one habit, it would be adopting a grit mentality.
This is often described by me, “how would you solve this yourself if there wasn’t anyone else to ask?” Usually, we take the easy route and don’t ask for help.
Although I don’t believe this is bad in and of itself, it can lead to us missing valuable learning opportunities and the chance to find a solution for ourselves.
I often tell my employees that they can ask questions, but they need to have at least one or two pre-answers to their questions to stimulate thought about whether the answer is correct or not.
What advice would your younger self give you?
As long as I try my best, I should not be afraid to fail. Fear of failure can paralyze.
Failure is part of growth and is expected in entrepreneurial endeavors.
We need to hear something you believe is accurate and that nearly everyone agrees with.
Focusing on more than one thing makes us more productive, I believe.
My experience shows that most people believe it is better to focus on one idea or project at a time.
I’m afraid I have to disagree. If you have 3-to five ideas or projects, you can gain perspective and cross-fertilize your thoughts.
What is one thing that you recommend to everyone as a successful entrepreneur?
It is essential to be involved in every aspect of my business. This keeps me grounded.
Being involved in every aspect of your business allows you to understand how things work, what the company is really like on different levels, and what can be done to improve.
Which strategy has been most successful in growing your business?
I use one strategy to connect smaller goals with larger ones and then measure progress daily or weekly.
Next, I set an example and encouraged others to follow my lead.
It can be very motivating to visualize and pay attention to the progress of different tasks. What gets measured gets done.
How did you overcome that failure as an entrepreneur?
The one failure was losing all my money from two previous ventures.
It wasn’t easy, but it was also a valuable learning experience.
It was a difficult time that I overcame by finding a job, saving more money, and trying again.
Failure can be a learning opportunity and an opportunity to learn.
Which business idea would you be willing to share with our readers?
The transportation sector is one area that holds great potential.
There are still many gaps in the technology.
There is the potential to build a larger and more powerful drone you can ride in.
This could help with traffic problems.
Which was the most expensive $100 you spent recently? Which and why?
Wireless headphones were the best $100 investment that I made recently.
They are great for personal and professional use.
It’s very convenient not to untangle my headphones cord every time I use them.
Which piece of software or web service can you use to help you be more productive?
Tesco is an online resource for office management.
Many people in my organization do not use it, but I use it frequently myself and those who do.
It facilitates spontaneous interaction and creativity and makes it easier to work remotely.
Which book would you recommend to our community? Why?
I highly recommend “HT0_ Reboot – Leadership and the Art of Growing up “.
It offers valuable insight into the anxiety and emotional difficulties of entrepreneurship leadership.
It contains valuable insights into building healthy and successful businesses and relationships.
Which quote is your favorite?
“Our deepest fear does not lie in our inadequacy. Our deepest fear is not that we are insufficient.
Our light and not our darkness is what most scares us.
We wonder, “Who am I to be brilliant, beautiful, talented, and fabulous?” You cannot serve the world if you play small.
It is not wise to shrink, so others don’t feel insecure around you.
As children, we are all created to shine.
Unconsciously, when we shine our light, others can too.
“As we become free from our fear, others are automatically liberated.”
Marianne Williamson
What are the Key Learnings “Alok Alström” could offer to Enterprenuer readers?
Fear not of failure. Being an entrepreneur or leader does not mean that you are at risk for loss.
However, it does allow you to learn from mistakes.
Failing will happen, but it is an opportunity to learn and grow.
Failure shouldn’t be a reflection of you as a person.
Ask a question and try to answer it before asking for help.
Even if you’re wrong, it will encourage innovative thinking and problem-solving skills.
You can set smaller goals that you can track and achieve if you’re having trouble reaching your business goals.
It is possible to measure what can be measured.
Moreover, it is easier to identify any problems along the way in smaller, more trackable steps.
