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In this episode, Chris sits down with Oscar Höglund—Co-Founder and CEO of Epidemic Sound—for an inside look at the mindset, strategy, and resilience it takes to build a billion-dollar business at the intersection of music, media, and tech.
From cold-starting a music licensing company in Sweden to scaling a global brand used by YouTubers and filmmakers around the world, Oscar shares the real story behind Epidemic’s rise—including the decisions that nearly broke the business, the bets that paid off, and why creativity and data don’t have to be enemies.
If you're a creator, founder, or anyone trying to do big things without burning out, this episode is packed with honest insights on scaling with soul, leading through uncertainty, and staying rooted in purpose while navigating growth.
What You'll Learn:
✅ Why most startups fail—and what Epidemic did differently
✅ The balance between intuition and analytics in creative industries
✅ How to build company culture that actually lasts
✅ Why simplifying your offering is often the boldest move
✅ Lessons from the early days: rejection, resilience, and reinvention
In This Episode:
(00:04) – The Origins of Epidemic Sound
(06:42) – Startup Struggles and the First Big Pivot
(12:15) – Licensing, Creators, and the Market Gap
(19:08) – Building Culture and Protecting Simplicity
(25:36) – Creativity vs. Data: Finding the Right Balance
(33:14) – Leadership Lessons in Hypergrowth
(40:10) – Advice for Founders: Curiosity, Courage & Staying Human
What Oscar Does & How He Does It:
Oscar Höglund is the Co-Founder and CEO of Epidemic Sound, the music licensing company powering creators across YouTube, film, and digital platforms. Since launching in 2009, Oscar has led Epidemic from a bootstrapped startup to a global unicorn—serving storytellers in over 150 countries.
Educated at the Stockholm School of Economics, Oscar also studied at Wharton, L’Institut Catholique de Paris, and more. His background spans media production, executive leadership at Zodiak Television, and co-founding United Screens—the #1 multi-channel network in the Nordics. Today, Oscar is a vocal advocate for making creativity more accessible—and helping creators focus less on rights management and more on what matters: making great work.
? Connect with Oscar Höglund:
Oscar's Website: https://corporate.epidemicsound.com/
Oscar's LinkedIn: https://se.linkedin.com/in/oscarh%C3%B6glund
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Host: Chris Do (Bald Asian Guy Talks About Business)
Produced and Edited by @RichCardona and @UNFLTRTeam
creative entrepreneurship, startup resilience, leadership in scale-ups, founder decision-making, building mission-driven companies, product-market fit, simplifying for growth, company culture strategy, business model reinvention, content creator economy, intuition vs. analytics, leading through uncertainty, scaling without burnout, modern CEO insights, creative business innovation, sustainable growth strategy, storytelling through sound, values-driven leadership, tech-enabled creativity, growing global teams