Our Co-Founder, Catherine Lückhoff, was selected to participate in the #90DayFinn programme, relocating to Finland for 3 months. Running 20fifty in our atypically connected way, while surrounded by the inspiration and guidance provided through the programme, Catherine shares her experience thus far.
The #90DayFinn Programme
The 90 Day Finn programme is developed and coordinated by Helsinki Partners. Helsinki Partners is a city-owned non-profit organisation that supports international businesses towards finding success within Helsinki. The 90 Day Finn is an exclusive, invitation-only programme that invites 15 entrepreneurs, investors and executives from all over the world to savour the experience of living in Helsinki while discovering business opportunities and more, for a 3-month period.
Catherine Lückhoff at #90DayFinn
Our Co-Founder, Catherine Lückhoff, applied online to join this exclusive entrepreneurial programme. After undergoing an interview, Catherine was selected and joined the 2022 cohort of the #90DayFinn programme. Managing the demands of the programme, while remaining at the helm of 20fifty, Catherine has found that the experience of being a #90DayFinn is exhilarating, inspiring, and filled with personal and business growth opportunities.
“It is extremely well organised and the Helsinki Business Partners team go out of their way to make our time here as worthwhile as possible. From ecosystem introductions – think virtual and augmented reality, to next level medical and smart city technology, to EdTech, cloud innovation and even quantum computing plus so much more – the organising team have considered all the relevant industries and have gone above and beyond to arrange presentations and meet-and-greets that add significant value.” –
Catherine Lückhoff
#90DayFinn and 20fifty
The #90DayFinn programme dovetails perfectly with our business growth at 20fifty. 20fifty provides our customers with intelligent, scalable solutions that are recognised as the gold standard of innovation. 20fifty is tethered by three strategic anchors:
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Expertise: the skills we allocate to solving a problem and building what matters, and continuous learning.
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Relationships: with our team, clients and partners.
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Culture: as an atypically connected collective that shares a driven commitment towards ensuring we build what matters.
“This schedule is made even more extraordinary because of the people we get to share it with. Each and every one of the 13 participants, picked from a few thousand, is extraordinary and each excursion feels like the best field trip ever.” – Catherine Lückhoff
Our 20fifty Goals
During our team get-togethers, we set ourselves key goals each year. In 2022, our focus is on enabling diversity across our team and our client base, increasing our revenue (we are a growing business after all!) and recognition – not just of our team and the work we do, but of our role in the industry as thought leaders, fearless innovators and a globally connected company. By joining the #90DayFinn programme, we strengthen our anchors and more readily achieve our goals. Expanding and diversifying our network of clients and partners in the Nordics and Europe; learning from the local industry and applying that knowledge to how we innovate and solve problems across our growing client base; and extending our talent pool and skills set all speak to our vision to build what matters.
“The dedication to ensuring that not only are you introduced to the right people, but that while you are in their care, you will also be given an opportunity to experience the cultural aspects of being Finnish, from enjoying the incredible natural beauty, to sauna experiences and Summer crayfish parties, and of course museums, theatre, music and more. It is a well-rounded, carefully considered and extremely well executed programme that shows what is possible when a vision to attract talented people comes to fruition.” – Catherine Lückhoff
20fifty Continues to Grow
Of course, every business leader would be concerned about leaving their team for 90 days. At 20fifty, however, we’re a connected collective, so having Catherine located in Helsinki feels exactly the same as when she’s roaming the Cape Winelands or adventuring in the US. That’s because we:
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Are a talented, connected and self motivated team. As Catherine says: “This makes all the difference when considering an opportunity like this. There is a deep seated trust that even though I may need to spend a bit more time away from my computer to attend ecosystem introductions and high level networking events, the team has the priorities firmly in hand.”
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Are led by two passionate leaders. Catherine outlines: “I am also very fortunate that I have a co-founder in Johan Jacobs that most entrepreneurs dream of. Not only is he supportive of this adventure in both the personal and professional sense, he is steadfast in his approach and our joint vision to build what matters. To do that, we have to continuously learn and grow and these 90 days are all about expanding our horizons.”
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Continue to build on the business. Catherine speaks about this when she says: “If there is one challenge it would be for me, as an entrepreneur, to recognise and accept that my input and participation is not always required on every aspect of the day-to-day activities, and that my time and energy is now better spent thinking about the growth of the company and the strategic vision.”
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Affirming that we truly are a connected collective. As Catherine says: “If we are truly a connected collective, then I should be able to work from anywhere in the world. And, I can! Being in Finland for three months is testament to that. The bonus is that my networks are expanding, the opportunities are increasing and my appetite to innovate and push the boundaries continues to grow.
The Connected Collective in Finland
As Catherine immerses herself into Finnish life, she’s shared a bunch of insights with us, back at home:
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The Finns really are the happiest people on earth. “For five years straight, starting in 2018, the World Happiness Report has singled out Finland as the happiest country on the planet.” According to Alexandra Pasternak-Jackson, the CEO at Amcham Finland, Finns value self-sufficiency, equality/fairness, modesty and privacy and they all share a love of nature. This is evident in the way people conduct themselves and although they aren’t always the most expressive, they do, for the most part, appear to be very content.
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The second big realisation is the level of trust in the Finnish society. This is as high as 80-90%! As a South African, this is not something that I am accustomed to. Here when someone says they will do something, they do it. People trust each other to be honest and kind and true to their word. The sense of safety, both in the physical sense as well as psychologically that what you see is what you get, is quite overwhelming.
- It is true that 20fifty’s connected collective philosophy allows us to work from anywhere, however one should never discount the emotional and physical strain that comes with being in a completely new environment. When everything is “foreign” and the simple act of grocery shopping is an assault on your senses, it is hard to be as productive as you are used to. Having now experienced this firsthand, it’s a good data point to consider and plan for to allow our team to experience the joys of working from anywhere.
We Can’t Wait to See You Again, Catherine!
After she completes her #90DayFinn experience, she’ll be back to enjoy summer in Cape Town. This is the joy of being bi-hemispheral! Catherine is also looking forward to applying what she has learnt to ensure our team continuously up the ante, and continue to exceed our goals so that we can be recognised as the gold standard of innovation.
