We are more than excited to welcome Rickard Elmqvist as Chief Product Officer at Strawbay! We hit the mezzanine office in Strawbay’s main building, pour ourselves a steady cup of black oil, and get ready to talk history, business, and the future of integrations.
Described as a jack of all trades and specialist in some
He’s often described as a jack of all trades; curious enough to try anything and ambitious enough to push through with the most bizarre projects.
I’m passionate about a broad range of topics: all sorts of games, from tabletop RPGs to ‘Souls-like’ video games. I just picked up recreational diving after spending way too much time on remote mountains all around the world. I even wrote a book about my mountaineering.
When not gaming, cooking (he’s also a former chef), or admiring the view from mountain tops, he loves to nerd out on computational programming, physics, and statistics. This makes sense, since he holds an MSc in Engineering Physics from Lund University.
Having an MSc in Engineering Physics but having to accept that you’re not the next Stephen Hawking was a tough blow. Luckily, physics is closely related to mathematics and computational programming, which led me into the beautiful world of software development and my first job.
Early in his career, he realized he needed an outlet for his extroverted personality alongside the nerdy programming part. He soon set his sights on productification, commercialization, and management, moving into more managerial – but still technical – roles at various companies, including Ubisoft and its subsidiary Massive Entertainment.
Why Strawbay, and what does the role as CPO actually involve?
After getting the pleasantries out of the way, we lean in toward Rickard and throw out the tough questions. How did he hear about Strawbay, and why did yhe apply for the CPO position? What’s so special about us?
One of my best friends works at Strawbay’s sister company, Quiddly, and he was super excited about the Blingdale Group. He hinted that I’d probably like it too. After meeting key members of the board and getting a feel for Strawbay and its codeless integration engine, I was equally excited!
Rickard explains that, formally, a CPO is responsible for product vision and strategy. It’s critical to have an agile mindset that bridges customer needs and translates them into development and roadmaps, all while juggling new opportunities.
When joining a company in the early stages of expansion, roles tend to be a bit fuzzy. You need to be ready to roll up your sleeves and pitch in wherever needed. That’s exactly why I wanted to be part of Strawbay.
Rickard talks about the tremendous potential and momentum within the organization, with a focus on maintaining that energy and ensuring a strong customer-centric approach. It’s all about delivering consistently across the board – from live support all the way to product operations and innovation.
The future Elmqvist legacy?
There’s no shortage of opportunities at Strawbay. Rickard sees great potential in the platform and the codeless engine. The focus needs to be on a development roadmap rooted in customer needs, with processes driven by iterative customer validation.
But let’s zoom out. Far out. Like, 25 years into the future. What would the Elmqvist legacy at Strawbay look like when future tech historians examine our early days?
If we look in the rearview mirror 25 years from now, I dream of a Strawbay just as innovative as it is today — one that has maintained its strong customer focus while achieving exceptional growth and becoming a well-managed organization.
Rickard adds that Strawbay’s ambitious growth plan means we’re likely to be in constant change mode for the foreseeable future. He hopes to contribute with his background in large international organizations to help avoid some of the usual pitfalls along the way, while preserving the innovation and drive that define Strawbay today.
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