{"id":1136,"date":"2024-10-15T09:52:22","date_gmt":"2024-10-15T08:52:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.iese.edu\/entrepreneurship\/?p=1136"},"modified":"2024-10-15T09:54:00","modified_gmt":"2024-10-15T08:54:00","slug":"meet-liinus-hietaniemi-software-entrepreneur-and-assistant-professor-of-entrepreneurship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.iese.edu\/entrepreneurship\/2024\/10\/15\/meet-liinus-hietaniemi-software-entrepreneur-and-assistant-professor-of-entrepreneurship\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet Liinus Hietaniemi: Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship and software entrepreneur"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start at the beginning, can you tell us a little bit about your background and how you got to where you are today?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m originally from Finland, the land of many lakes and forests. And few people. I spent my childhood playing sports and throwing snowballs in the suburbs of Helsinki. I moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, for college. At some point during my senior year, I got bitten by the startup bug and have been involved in startups ever since: first as an early employee, then as a co-founder, and then as an academic researcher.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m grateful for where I am today, but how did I get here? Still figuring that out\u2026<\/p>\n

Who is\/are the most influential figure\/s in your life?<\/strong><\/p>\n

My parents, especially when I was young. My closest friends. Nowadays, my wife keeps me on track.<\/p>\n

At IESE, we aim to develop leaders who will have a deep and lasting impact through their professional excellence and spirit of service. What are your thoughts on the role of entrepreneurship in society?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Entrepreneurs have a critical role in our society. They turn ideas into new products that generate radically more value for people and businesses than old products. This value can be emotional, social and\/or financial.<\/p>\n

What accomplishment (personal or professional) are you most proud of and why?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Accomplishments are team efforts. For example, having three kids while doing a PhD is no joke, but my wife is the real champ.<\/p>\n

What inspires you most about your work in and outside IESE?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Teaching smart, driven students and having the opportunity to research topics I\u2019m passionate about.<\/p>\n

What will be the next big thing or trend in strategy and entrepreneurship in the next 2 years?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It will be exciting to see how AI and blockchain revolutionize how we run and fund startups. For example, a one-person unicorn might not be too far off in the future.<\/p>\n

Finally, what words of advice would you give to your students or future entrepreneurs?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The existing startup paradigm is dying. Barriers are gone. The VC model is broken. How would you design your startup differently for the new order?<\/p>\n

Thank you Liinus! Now, for the speed round<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

What do you do in your free time?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hang out with my family. Code new software. Train Brazilian jiu-jitsu.<\/p>\n

Dog, Cat, Parakeet, Goldfish, Pet Rock?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pet Rock.<\/p>\n

What are you reading, watching, or listening to these days?<\/strong><\/p>\n

We live in a small beach town down the coast from Barcelona. You can see the stars very clearly at night there. Beats Netflix.<\/p>\n

Something that makes you happy<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cDaddy, look. I made this for you!\u201d<\/p>\n

Favorite place?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Home.<\/p>\n

E<\/strong>xplain product-market fit to a 10-year-old.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The moment when people start calling you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Let\u2019s start at the beginning, can you tell us a little bit about your background and how you got to where you are today? I\u2019m originally from Finland, the land of many lakes and forests. And few people. I spent my childhood playing sports and throwing snowballs in the suburbs of Helsinki. I moved to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2424,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[157,240,78196,1],"tags":[],"coauthors":[116158],"class_list":["post-1136","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-entrepreneurship","category-innovation","category-new-ventures","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t