Finland is crawling in platform and API economy — here is why

Lack of API economy front runners with balls

Finland suffers for various things. One of them is lack of people who really understand what platforms wars and economy is. There’s a lot of book wisdom and besserwissers with a lot of “knowledge”, but those people only talk. They don’t dare to do anything. We need APItalists. We need doers. We need people who understand the new economy, laws that apply in it and are not afraid to fail.

Losing mentality

The other reason is related to the above one. Some of the business people in Finland have already given up. I hear petty excuses like “it’s hard to compete with the existing platforms”. Who claimed it would be easy?! This kind of attitude reminds me of “losing mentality”. It is ok to try and fail. But when you fail, you don’t give up. You get up and try again. The moment when you stop trying, you are in the losing mentality. And yes, alone Finnish companies will mostly fail. We need to act as mini ecosystems and join forces. We can fight for the same buck, but at the same time work together and help each other. Together we succeed — alone we will die.

Stop focusing on tech — it will not save you

A lot of organisations are fiddling with API integration level. In other words they are focusing on tech. I can understand that since Finns are known to love technology and absorb all new gimmicks and devices eagerly. Sadly, focus on tech is not going to help us now. Fiddling with the integration level will give you that 2% productivity boost. It will never give you the hockey stick kind of growth. Take a look at the State of API and think.

Our business culture favours tech educated engineers. Our education system reflects that as well. Engineers normally raise up the ladder and become C-level bosses. That was good approach in the old times. New time and new area requires different kind of approach.