336: Starting a Business During a Crisis with the founder of Alpha and Strata, Thor Ernstsson

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Meet Thor Ernstsson.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The founder of global giants such as Alpha, Strata, and lead architect for Zygna responsible for Farmville, Ernstsson knows business and products. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In this interview, Nathan sits down with Ernstsson to discuss his journey from Zynga game developer, to creating a company that serves half of the Fortune 500. Honest and candid, Ernstsson reveals his decision-making processes behind some of the company's largest pivots, changes, and challenges.  </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While most people would shy away from the idea of launching a business during a global crisis, Ernstsson is perhaps living proof that not only is it a good decision, it’s the best business decision one can make.<br /> <br /> <strong>Key Takeaways</strong><br /> <br /></span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Thor Ernstsson discusses how he first began working at Zygna, and how he felt about the global success of Farmville</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">His next business ventures, including Alpha and Strata</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Why he decided to pivot the company</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The importance of “now”, and why starting a business during a crisis is a good idea</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The decision to launch a business that aimed to connect people, while it was the start of the pandemic </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">How to change the world, and why you should always aim to solve a problem that won’t change</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The importance of customers and why they need to be invested in your business’ success</span></li> </ul>