Solo project 8 months old
Eight months have passed since I started my solo project, and now that the summer is over, I thought it was time for a little update. What a year it has been so far. I cannot underestimate what a good move this has been for me personally. In fact, it almost makes me wonder why I didn’t do it sooner.
Before I go into a bit more detail about the year, I owe a big thank you to a lot of people.
To people I trust within my network and the tech industry who have given me great advice along the way. Morten, Øyvind, Ole and Geir Atle, to name just a few.
To all the new clients who have trusted me with important hires, and to all my existing clients who have continued to use my services.
To everyone in my network who has supported me, recommended me and opened doors.
And last but certainly not least, to all the candidates I have had the pleasure of getting to know through executive search and TA assignments this year.
Thank you. I genuinely appreciate it
My focus
My main focus has been, and will continue to be, executive search and TA for leadership positions.
That can be C level, VP, Director or Manager level, across the different functions where technology companies need strong leadership.
So far this year, I have recruited for positions including CFO, CTO, CPO, Director of Product, Senior Project Manager, Group Product Manager, Senior Product Manager and CCO, as well as several senior technical positions across both hardware and software.
I have had the pleasure of working with companies including Nordic Semiconductor, Biosort, Photoncycle, Mojob, Novanet, Nørs, Syncrolift, Starflow, Circle K eMobility and Squarehead Technologies.
I am also now working actively with a brand new client, DAT, Dimensions Agri Technologies, which recently secured more than NOK 50 million in funding from investors including Nysnø.
Exclusivity
While I expect my clients to work exclusively with me on a retained basis, I also think it is only fair that I offer some exclusivity in return. This is perhaps one of the areas where I differentiate myself from many of my competitors.If I am working on a CPO position with one company, I will not take on another CPO search in the same market at the same time. It also means candidates will never find themselves being presented by me to several clients or positions simultaneously.
One assignment, one client, and my full focus.
Rede Leadership Network
I recently launched the Rede Leadership Network. It is an opportunity for leaders to register their interest in hearing about future opportunities. I simply don`t have time to meet the 20+ leaders contacting me every week, so this is a good alternative. You could call it a leadership database, but that doesn’t really describe what I want it to become. It is primarily for people who are not actively looking for a new job, but who might be open to a conversation if the right opportunity comes along.
I think this will become an increasingly important part of how I connect great leadership talent with the companies I work with.
Offices
I am now officially 100% based at Rebel, although a lot of my time is spent meeting companies, leaders and candidates at coffee shops and offices around Oslo. Thankfully, Oslo and the surrounding areas are pretty easy to get around, which saves a lot of time. And when I am at Rebel, my door is always open, so feel free to come by for a coffee.
Flexibility
There is no doubt that working for myself has given me more flexibility than I have had in a long time. It also means I can be selective about the companies and assignments I take on. I don’t need to say yes to everything, and when I do take on a new position, I can make sure I go all in. That has probably been one of the things I have enjoyed most about this new setup.
Mental health
I have written less about mental health this year, despite it still being a topic very close to my heart. The simple reason is that I haven’t had enough time. Whenever I write about mental health or speak about it in keynotes, I want what I share to be thought through, relevant and hopefully useful to someone. I would rather write less than put something out simply for the sake of being visible. I have still held a few keynotes and written some articles this year, but I hope to contribute more on this topic as the year continues.
Eight months in, I can safely say that going solo was the right decision. Plenty still to learn, plenty I want to build, and hopefully plenty more exciting companies, leaders and candidates to work with.
Looking forward to seeing what the rest of 2026 brings.
Warm Regards
Erik