1-on-1 with Casper Arboll from Capdesk: the Serial Rebel
We believe that innovative professionals are the pioneers of the changing world. That’s why every week we go in-depth with one of our favorites and pick up some lessons about what it takes to be a professional rebel. This week we spoke to Casper Arboll, co-founder of Capdesk, Raymio and Heartreacher.
Despite being only 28, Casper has a career most 50-year-olds would consider eventful. He is the co-founder of three companies and his work on equity crowdfunding has branded him an undesirable by the Danish business authority. Chief Reporter Roald Tjon caught up with him in Copenhagen to find out how he’s helping entrepreneurs and small businesses make their dreams come true.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
“I’m a young guy who’s managed to start a few companies with my business partner Christian Gabriel whom I first met while working at FundedbyMe - the largest platform in Scandinavia for equity crowdfunding. We call ourselves the ‘fintech cowboys’.”
At FundedByMe, Casper lost a heated row with the Danish business authority over whether equity crowdfunding was legal or not for small businesses.
“I was told that if I kept throwing rocks at the authority that I risked getting a mountain back at my head. We plan to have a poster of a mountain in our office to remind us where we’re coming from and why we’re doing what we’re doing. We’re still trying to poke the authority with a stick and say, ‘You need to move forward’.”
How did you end up starting your companies?
“Once the business authority stopped our work, we started a company called Hearthreacher which helps entrepreneurs verify business potential through crowdfunding. After that we set up Raymio, a wearable device that measures UV exposure, which Christian came up with while walking around in his swimsuit during summer.”
Casper and Christian are now only board members at their first two businesses freeing up time to spend on their latest company: “Capdesk builds on all of our previous experiences. It’s an investor relations tool that lets you communicate with your investors and build relationships with them.”
Is it hard to give up control of a company you set up?
“The worst mistake we see is when people overrate the value of their business. They tend to care about it too much. They want to do everything in the business instead of just focusing on what they’re good at and sharing the value.’
“Businesses are built by teams and not by single people. That is something that is deeply ingrained in our philosophy — to have super good teams who get to own the business and are motivated to do the best they can because they’re involved. That’s also how we could have three businesses in a couple of years.”
The Lesson: Businesses are built by teams, not individuals.
What motivates you?
“I’m obsessed with the idea of creating a product that is good for society and good for small businesses. The last couple of yours we’ve met so many fantastic individuals with great ideas that could not leverage finance because they didn’t have the right network. I think we can make the world a much better place if we can assist entrepreneurs to get on with their ideas.”
Why did you decide to become an entrepreneur?
“After my Bachelors degree I got a job in India with a software company called Pariksha Labs. I was exposed to a society very different from the Danish welfare state. One where everybody has to take care of themselves. A lot of the developers were working after hours on their own projects, taking clients and doing a lot business. I thought, ‘Ok, there is actually something here about creating your own life and taking charge of your own existence.’ After experiencing that I chose to become an entrepreneur.”
What’s the one thing you know now that you wish you knew six months ago?
“Let me take it to one year ago: I wish I told myself that I should only work on Capdesk, because working on two or three startups at the same time is a killer. That’s some advice for all entrepreneurs. Kill your darlings and focus on working on one company at a time. You’ll be a serial entrepreneur eventually. There are so many good ideas out there, but it doesn’t mean that you should follow them all. ’
“When things got really tough a good friend of mine would tell me, ‘Casper, it’s not how fast you can do it, it’s how long you can keep on going.’ I have to go back and think about that from time to time.”
The Lesson: Focus on longevity — be the tortoise.
Would you consider yourself a professional rebel?
“I think I’m a professional rebel when the business authority tells me that they’re going to throw a mountain at my head!”
CEOs in the financial technology sector are examples of professional rebels to Casper: “What people like Darren Westlake at Crowdcube and Jeff Lynn from Seedrs are doing to disrupt a very well-defined and set business industry is amazing. They’ve been visionaries in how to change and to question what already exists. That’s true entrepreneurship to me — to question the existing society.”
The Lesson: A professional rebel questions the status quo.
Which people have influenced you most?
“My mom, she’s just a rock in my life. I can do everything to fuck up and she’ll still love me.”
Persistence is the greatest lesson Casper got from his mom: “My mom is a short but very persistent lady and she tends to get what she wants even though she does it all her way.”
Any tips to other rebels out there?
“Trust what you’ve seen and dare to disrupt. People did not necessarily see the same thing as you, so that doesn’t mean that you’re mistaken. Then when you get your first customers or the first users to your platform, that’s when you know you’re on to something.”
The Lesson: Dare to disrupt!
Professional Rebel & Casper: We met Casper through another featured rebel — Sebastian, whom he went to university with. After some difficulties finding his office, we got to hear his insightful views in a café overlooking the funky and snowed over Superkilen park.
