All posts filed under: Writing Archive

Columns and blog posts, written over the years on a variety of websites.

Polestar’s Losses Keep Growing — When Does the Money Run Out?

September 4, 2022
by Björn Jeffery
SvD Näringsliv

This analysis was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on September 4th, 2022. This piece was translated from Swedish by Claude. Some phrasing may differ from a human translation. Polestar’s losses are ballooning, driven by expensive costs from its SPAC listing. The EV company has been squeezed, and the question now is how quickly its owners will have to step up with fresh capital. An ordinary IPO is usually preceded by a long and […]

If even Linkedin can’t function in China, who can?

September 2, 2022
by Björn Jeffery
The Daily

This column was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on October 15th, 2021. There was only one realistic way into China as a foreign company. Now even that seems to be closed. When Linkedin dismantles its social network in the country, it could mark a new era for tech companies in China. An established truth is that the only way to enter China as a foreign company is through partnerships. The local legislation and relations […]

New phenomenon turns players into investors

September 2, 2022
by Björn Jeffery
The Daily

This column was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on October 11th, 2021. – When I started, I played almost four to five hours a day, says John Ramos, a 22-year-old man from the Philippines. It sounds like a quote you’ve heard many times before from someone caught up in a gaming addiction. But this is something else, and it ends in a different way than they usually do. Ramos has made gaming into a […]

The Number That Should Worry Klarna’s CEO Most

August 31, 2022
by Björn Jeffery
SvD Näringsliv

This analysis was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on August 31st, 2022. This piece was translated from Swedish by Claude. Some phrasing may differ from a human translation. Klarna will shrink its loan amounts to bring down credit losses. But while the company’s focus has been on the US, the Swedish business is now shrinking for the first time. It is every CEO’s job to present and package reality as positively as possible. […]

SoftBank and Masayoshi Son Face the Fight of Their Lives

August 30, 2022
by Björn Jeffery
SvD Näringsliv

This analysis was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on August 30th, 2022. This piece was translated from Swedish by Claude. Some phrasing may differ from a human translation. They lost billions in the scandal-ridden WeWork, handed Klarna a record valuation and allowed Uber to steamroll its competitors. Now Japanese SoftBank and its CEO Masa are fighting the match of their lives. Can they survive the tech chill? Dressed in a black suit and […]

Elon Musk’s New Chance to Walk Away From Twitter

August 24, 2022
by Björn Jeffery
SvD Näringsliv

This analysis was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on August 24th, 2022. This piece was translated from Swedish by Claude. Some phrasing may differ from a human translation. A whistleblower claims Twitter has a bigger spam problem than the company admits — exactly what Elon Musk has been saying. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the billionaire can walk away from the deal to buy the company. There isn’t a Twitter user in the […]

How Sweden Went from Startup Paradise to Tech Black Hole

June 24, 2022
by Björn Jeffery
SvD Näringsliv

This analysis was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on June 24th, 2022. This piece was translated from Swedish by Claude. Some phrasing may differ from a human translation. In a matter of months, Sweden went from one of the world’s hottest countries for startups to dark headlines about layoffs and cutbacks. A deeper look shows that what has crashed, above all, is a particular way of building companies. “AI will affect us all. […]

Just How Bad Things Are at Klarna

June 17, 2022
by Björn Jeffery
SvD Näringsliv

This analysis was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on June 17th, 2022. This piece was translated from Swedish by Claude. Some phrasing may differ from a human translation. Klarna’s valuation is reportedly collapsing in the increasingly tough climate for tech companies. But what does that actually mean for the company? SvD’s tech analyst Björn Jeffery explains. What is going on at Klarna? Klarna is a company that has been saddled with large losses […]

Why Your Instagram Feed Has Changed

June 13, 2022
by Björn Jeffery
SvD Näringsliv

This analysis was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on June 13th, 2022. This piece was translated from Swedish by Claude. Some phrasing may differ from a human translation. Suddenly seeing a lot of ads in your Instagram feed? It’s no coincidence. The photo app has become Mark Zuckerberg’s main weapon to turn the bad times around — and to take the fight to TikTok. “The current plan is for Instagram to exist outside […]

Apple Pay Later — The Last Thing Klarna Needed Right Now

June 7, 2022
by Björn Jeffery
SvD Näringsliv

This analysis was first published in SvD Näringsliv, in Swedish, on June 7th, 2022. This piece was translated from Swedish by Claude. Some phrasing may differ from a human translation. The advantage of being a tech giant is on full display now that Apple, in a single move, risks turning all of Klarna’s business into just one feature among many. Every year in June, Apple holds its conference for software developers. It’s called WWDC — […]