A warm welcome to Nå Mål, a Swedish podcast with focus on discussing goals, hosted by Sophie Hedestad. Leading a company that not only thrives in a competitive market but also fosters the resilient culture of reading is no small feat. Today, we have the privilege of speaking with Niclas Sandin, the CEO of BookBeat, who has been in the journey since the beginning.
Welcome, Niclas Sandin!
Thank you, Sophie! It’s great to be here.
Tell us about your journey. How did you become CEO of BookBeat?
I’ve always had a passion for data, people, technology, and for creating things at the intersection of these areas. My journey began in my teenage years in Kalix, where I would analyze every new store that opened – predicting which would succeed and which would fail. This fascination led me to study economics at university, but I wanted a more hands-on approach, so I switched to management accounting. My first real job was at EY, which was a tough but valuable experience. However, it wasn’t until I joined Bonnier in 2012 that I truly got the opportunity to develop something meaningful. A few years later, in 2015, I was given the task of launching BookBeat. After voicing my opinion about Bonnier needing to invest in audiobooks, I finally got the chance to prove my point.
Did you always aim to become a CEO at BookBeat?
Not at all. I actually envisioned myself in roles like an analytics manager. But as I progressed in my career, I realized how powerful it is to combine data with team building. The CEO role at BookBeat came about organically, I enjoy working with both numbers and people, and I happened to step into a position when Bonnier needed that combination.
The CEO role often involves setting and tracking goals. What challenges come with that?
The reality is always more complex than the plans. You can’t manage a company from a distance; you need to be present, understand what’s happening on the ground, and be ready to adapt. Goals become meaningless if you don’t foster a culture that allows for recalibration based on new data. You can’t run a company by remote control. It doesn’t work to just write down goals and hope for the best. You need to stay close to the business, understand what’s really going on, and be ready to shift direction with the team when circumstances change.
What does a goal mean to you?
I prefer to think in terms of focus rather than just goals. Goals are simply a way to clarify that focus. They force us to make choices; without that, we risk becoming unfocused, and unfocused organizations tend to fail more often. Goals also help us formalize our mandate, since Bonnier has made a significant investment in us, we need to demonstrate that we’re moving in the right direction.
What are BookBeat’s current goals?
We have several clear focus areas. Long-term, we aim to lead the development of the book market by creating the simplest way for people to discover and listen to digital books in BookBeat.
BookBeat’s four strategic pillars are:
- First who, then what – assembling the right team comes first.
- Don’t get stuck in the starting blocks – it’s better to try than to over-plan.
- Data-driven since day one – we build on our own insights.
- Small steps build bigger leaps – we focus on long-term growth, step by step.
Right now, we have a few clear focus goals:
- Grow faster than our competitors in every market we’re active in. We aim to expand the entire market, not just take market share.
- Build a sustainable company – we became profitable last year, and now we want to increase profitability so we can invest for the long term.
- Continue leading the digital book space – we talk internally about “leadership in books”. That keeps us focused, even as big players like Spotify expand into audio content.
How do you break down these goals?
Some goals have a longer lifespan, while others are reassessed annually. For instance, we currently have an OKR aimed at team expertise. We’ve experienced rapid growth, but we want to ensure that everyone has the right conditions to progress, both for the business and for personal development. Team leaders interpret our focus goals in various ways. Some begin their presentations with “Leadership in books” and relate their work to that. Others use the goals as a framework for workshops or projects. What matters most is not the format, but that it provides clarity and direction.
What do you do when you don’t hit your goals?
I try not to overreact. Was it just bad luck? Are we seeing a new trend? Were our goals too ambitious?
The key is quickly figuring out why and then either change what we’re doing or recalibrate the goals. It’s my job to catch those signals and adjust course with the team.
That’s fantastic! Thank you, Niclas. This was packed with inspiration.
Thank you! It’s been a pleasure discussing this. I hope it inspires others to achieve their goals.
