Tommi Huovinen’s Post

Very excited to share our Squiggle & Stay Playbook (please 👍 so as many people as possible can learn from it!) 18 months in the making, the Playbook shares ideas and insights from our work with 15 organisations and over 7000 employees who all collaborated with Amazing If to experiment with progression. Our headline findings were published last month in Harvard Business Review and now we're able to share the experiments and evidence in more detail. We hope it will spark conversations in companies and communities about how to redress ladder-like development and create more opportunities for people to progress. Huge thanks to the leaders who put their hands up to be involved and made the experiments possible (all tagged in the comments and referenced in the last page of the Playbook) and to matthew cook for project managing Squiggle & Stay. 𝗠𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘀 '𝗦𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗹𝘆 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘀'. We tested the impact of adding a statement to job adverts that said that the role was open to people who wanted a career change. It looked like this: “𝘈𝘵 𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘨𝘨𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘳. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘸𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦 (𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘹𝘦𝘴!). 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘱𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦’𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴.” When Specsavers tested this, they saw a 𝟯𝟱% 𝘂𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 >> 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝘀𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁! Also loved seeing the impact of Squiggly Stories, Squiggly Safaris and Move Mentoring. Of course, not everything worked and we've been open about those things too. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗲 & 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆: - Many of the companies we worked with are continuing with their experiments - Sarah Ellis and I are happy to talk to leaders about what this could look like for your organisation and to discuss the insights in more depth - Phase 2... we're currently looking at whether Squiggly Secondments could be a new experiment (we had a discovery call last night on this - if you'd like the recoding of the call to learn more, let me know) Thank you for reading this far (!) and for supporting our work to make careers better for everyone.

Last month, I celebrated five incredible years at UpSlide—a milestone that had me reflecting on the journey so far and dreaming about the road ahead. 🎉 When I joined, I was inspired by UpSlide's bold mission: not just to improve the way professionals work, but to redefine it. Over the years, I’ve seen us not only build powerful tools, but also create a space where bold ideas, teamwork, and a focus on excellence thrive. From helping clients achieve true productivity to creating solutions that go beyond expectations, it’s been a privilege to be part of something transformative. 🚀 Looking back, here are a few lessons I’ve taken to heart: 🔮 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Innovation is a mindset and it doesn’t come from doing what’s already been done. The goal is to find those unique problems worth solving and tackle them head-on. 🤝 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆: Whether it’s our clients or my amazing colleagues, the relationships we build are the foundation of everything. 🎯 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁: Seeing how UpSlide empowers teams across the globe reminds me why we do what we do. It’s not only about incremental gains—it’s about creating real, lasting positive change—and that will always guide my work. 📈 𝗔𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗗𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗕𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿: Looking ahead, I’m thinking not just about what’s next for me, but also how UpSlide can continue to push boundaries and redefine what’s possible in our industry. To everyone who’s been part of this ride—thank you. 🙌 Here’s to dreaming bigger, building better, and always striving for more. What lessons have shaped your career milestones? I’d love to hear them. 👇

it feels like we're re-entering another #technology cycle of "Wow"! - if you can imagine it, it seems #Founders can build it. Founders are using words like "momentum is #skyrocketing", and #Board members are saying "that was a #groundreaking demo" - customers are sending emails noting, "they were blown away" - across different companies. The next 3-5 years could be one of the greatest #technology #shifts in history - is a very exciting time to invest. Is this the "Wow era"- what is the best name for it? I love #investing in #extraordinary #founders!

A lot of employees feel that when they are tired of their role they need to leave the company. Sometimes this is true - they may have outgrown their role, team, or the organization in general. But not always. Sometimes they just need a new challenge within the company to reinvigorate them and let them bring a new version of themselves to the table. As someone who has worked with many clients that quit their job and started a business - or checked out because they realized the company no longer helped them get where they wanted to be, this playbook is a game changer! How can you squiggle and stay - while still feeling fulfilled and appreciated?

🗺️Career paths are often less straight forward than the traditional ladder 🪜approach suggests. More and more people decide to take breaks, change industries and functions in their professional lifetime. A “one size fits all” perspective is outdated. I personal live promoting internal horizontal transfers. They know the business, broaden our/their knowledge, often bring innovative ideas, and can become brilliant bridge builders to other parts of the business. Check out this playbook from Helen Tupper on experiments they ran with different companies on “squiggly careers”. Super inspiring. 👇🏽

I had a great time yesterday speaking at the Sifted Summit alongside insightful panellists Tim Sadler (f. Cofounder and CEO at Tessian) and Céline Daley (Chief Revenue Officer at VEED.IO). A year ago, I started writing the 'Ask Zoe' advice column for Sifted, tackling readers' questions on career growth and navigating startup hiring. It was fun to bring those conversations live to the stage, where we dug into some key career topics with the audience: 🔑 Experience vs. Potential in New Hires: It really depends on your company's stage. In the early days, you’re looking for high-slope, adaptable individuals with standout achievements, even going back to their teenage years. In later stages, when things are more structured, experienced hands become crucial to managing growth. 🧗 Taking the Leap into Leadership: In the early stages of your career, volunteer for more responsibility, and tie your work to critical growth metrics (because, in reality, everyone’s doing sales). For founders transitioning to CEOs, learning the art of empathy is a game-changer. 🌱 Finding and Leveraging Mentors: Be intentional and specific when asking for mentorship. Think about building a personal advisory board that evolves as you grow. Different stages of your career may require different mentors. 💼 Building Career Capital: Relationships are one of the best forms of career capital you can cultivate early on. Take a long-term view in making connections and develop skills that matter most to startups as they search for product-market fit. Thanks to Amy Lewin and team for having us!

This morning I woke up and asked myself, “Why the f*ck would someone want to start a company?” You're just signing up to get punched in the face. Over and over again. Sometimes I miss being able to shut off my laptop at 5pm and go hang out with my friends… But then, I remember why the f*ck I started my company: The challenges. I love the adversity that comes with it—everyday is a new day filled with new challenges. I’ve had a new hire tell me 30 days in that it’s not a good fit. I’ve lost one our largest prospective customers. And one of the biggest investors I wanted to get involved wasn’t investing. Just to name a few. Starting a company is a volatile path not many are cut out for. You have to be able to turn your emotions off and face challenges head on. The most experienced founders I've ever met all say the same thing: You have to be able to keep your energy and reactions between a 4 and 6 at all times. Inexperienced founders on the other hand, fall into this trap... ➝ Something great happens. You close a huge deal, let's say. You're riding the high. ➝ Something bad happens. Maybe you didn't hit your Q3 numbers. You're feeling like garbage. That's a mentally exhausting roller coaster. And not just for you, but for your team, because they can feel that, too. Successful founders, the ones with real battle scars, they stay even keel no matter what happens. Because they know starting a company is like a game—things WILL go wrong. It’s how you approach it that determines if you’ll be a success or not.

After spending almost 4 years building Socialboat with my Co Founder Swapnil Vats, I would like to inform that we are merging with Noise. This is a great home for our team’s talent - Swapnil Vats, Puneet Singh Mahey to continue what they love doing! Glad to share rest of the team - Saurav Thapliyal Arsh Goyal Nidhi Khandelwal have also found great opportunities. For me, I have decided to continue on an entrepreneurial path and would be launching something very soon. In the meantime, working with some very smart founders like Sahil Bansal to build exciting products. My decision to 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗡𝗼𝗶𝘀𝗲 and work on Luna Ring was quite tricky. Honestly, I think after all these years, I finally understand what goes in building a great company and I want to give another shot at it. Some things that I have leant are - 1. Techies should have their 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘁 on - We like to build great products and we forget about business viability. This should never happen. 2. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 from early days. Performance usually gets early results, but they don’t last. 3. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 - We built a lot of features early on and only started adding depth later. Now, I feel that the old YC saying of narrowly defining your customer segment is so important to build something exceptional. Will share more details soon on a new exciting venture. In the meantime, looking forward to talking & collaborating with other Founders who are building exciting products. Inc42 Media SocialBoat - Women Health (acquired by Noise) #acquisition #ai #generative

✨ I’m beyond excited to finally share what I’ve been working on this summer—two months ago, Viktoria Wang and I launched COMPANYMEN, a new growth strategy firm! ✨ Starting my own business has been a personal goal for years—it’s exciting and nerve-wracking, but incredibly rewarding to see it come to life. So grateful for all the support I got from Very Good Ventures, which inspired me to just... "go for it!" So, let me tell you a little bit about the COMPANYMEN. It’s ironically named for our non-traditional approach to growth. We leverage cutting-edge tools and methodologies to uncover deeper insights and deliver adaptable solutions to our clients’ growth challenges. Viktoria and I bring a blend of research, strategy, and enablement experience, and we’re ready to partner with organizations looking for fresh perspectives on how to grow. Help us get this thing off the ground by checking out our website (www.companymen.co) and following COMPANYMEN on LinkedIn. #growth #strategy #product #research #productmarketfit

Hey #founders ! Unicorns Club wants to hear from you. We’re launching our magazine for founders, and we’re on the lookout for founders to interview 🎙 ⭐️ What is this for you? This is more than just an interview; it's your chance to share your unique ideas, challenges, and wins with potential clients, partners, and investors. 🎙️ How to get started To get started, fill out our interview form https://lnkd.in/dFSyKSia We believe every startup founder is a future star 🌟 and we want to be the first to share your journey with the world. No need to wait for Forbes or TechCrunch — let us help you tell your story, showcase your vision, and reach potential users, partners, and investors.