Our Group is only as strong as the people in the companies that form it. Take a moment to get to know one of our founders, Johann Persson, as he answers some questions about what he finds inspiring and challenging and the art of coming up with new innovations.
1. How did you start off as an entrepreneur and creator?
I have always considered myself as a creative type of person and I believe that this creativity found space to grow and develop into entrepreneurship when we started 42it in 2001.
2. Why did you establish FORTYTWO Group? What is your mission?
My business partnership with Erik goes back as early as ’99. Together, we founded 42it in 2001, which was the initial spur for what is now FORTYTWO Group. 42it was later renamed Fortytwo Telecom and put under the FORTYTWO Group as the first endeavour the group would invest in. Those early days were the foundation for forming this Group, which is made up of different businesses, each feeding off of each other’s merits.
3. Mention one achievement that you are most proud of?
Taking into account the years of hard work that I – along with Erik and our co-workers – have put in, getting Fortytwo Telecom and the Group to where they are today has been an incredibly satisfying reward. The success of the companies in FORTYTWO Group is one of my proudest accomplishments.
4. How do you come up with new ideas? Tell us about your creative process.
I believe that dialogue and informal discussions are the best way to form a new idea. I come up with my best ideas when talking freely about what we need to accomplish. I am very often inspired by the passion and feedback of my co-workers, who are honest, yet encouraging.
5. Who are you most inspired by most and why?
Nikola Tesla is a very inspiring figure to me due to his often outlandish and revolutionary ideas. His avant-garde disposition helps me to curb fears, to be daring and different. On the same note, Leonardo da Vinci is an inspiration because of his extensive polymath knowledge and inventions.
6. What’s the one thing that you need to do every day?
I tend to actively try to get out of routines and try to break recurring habits to avoid getting stuck in a rut.
7. What are you looking forward to most in the next 5 years of FORTYTWO?
I’m looking forward to the sustained development of the Group. Seeing more companies under FORTYTWO Group flourish, much like their predecessors have, gives me great joy and determination to continue working in this field.