Offline, Later and ...: Spotify executives have banned these words at meetings
Spotify
executives are prohibited from using the phrases "we'll take that offline" or "later" during their weekly three-hour
leadership meetings
, according to co-president
Gustav Söderström
. The ban aims to force real-time problem-solving among the company's top brass rather than postponing difficult conversations.
"You're not allowed to say the word 'offline' or 'later' — because that person is in the room," Söderström revealed on the "Invest Like The Best" podcast released Tuesday. This policy ensures immediate resolution of issues instead of deferring them, which Söderström described as "very simple in theory but incredibly powerful in practice."
'Bets' process drives innovation across leadership levels, says Spotify co-president
The weekly Tuesday sessions are part of Spotify's "bets" process, where vice presidents pitch new ideas every six months in a startup-like environment. Leaders then rank the 30 to 50 proposals and allocate resources based on priority.
Another strict rule prohibits executives from bringing direct reports to these meetings. "I'm trying to literally force the VPs to solve it themselves because I want them to be in the details," Söderström explained. "You have to be on top of it enough to explain it to yourself."
This approach has fostered a tight-knit, high-trust team among Spotify's leadership while encouraging innovation from various organizational layers. Söderström emphasized that people perform better when they propose their own initiatives rather than executing assignments from superiors.
"It's a good mix of bottom-up innovation," he said, highlighting how the company leverages ideas from across its leadership structure rather than relying solely on top executives.
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