{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"I by IMD","title":"Katarina Bonde: Are you scaling, or just burning cash?","html":"<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"180\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless src=\"https://share.transistor.fm/e/ff8d9e0e\"></iframe>","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":1260,"description":"Scaling a company is not about chasing headlines. It’s about proving customers care.In this episode of I by IMD, Katarina Bonde shares hard-earned lessons from decades in venture-backed tech, board leadership, and global scale-ups. She challenges founders to validate demand before celebrating growth: “If no one is… spending money to buy it, you actually don't have a product.” Katarina, who served as board chair and CEO in various venture-backed tech firms across the US and Europe, also reframes the AI discussion. The opportunity isn’t in the current bubble, but in the smart use of data – “the real gold here.” For rapid-growth startups, so-called scale-ups, who are tempted to prioritize land grabs over margins, Katarina offers a grounded reminder: “You have to show that you have a business model that can pay for itself.” Our Guest:Katarina Bonde served as Chair of companies including Mentimeter, Stillfront Group, and others in Sweden’s digital ecosystem. She also served as an executive in various venture-backed tech firms in Europe and the US and is an active angel investor.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katarinabonde/ ","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/6JEC9u5m0atnw0EbPG_1zpJcbRls8jffrYuIcMGlApk/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9zaG93/LzI3NDAwLzE2NDE5/MjA3NTAtYXJ0d29y/ay5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}