Figuring out the destination while enjoying the entrepreneurial journey
From our blog / Article
Sometimes, great successes are the end result of an enjoyable journey rather than the pursuit of pre-set goals. When Harri Pendolin first made the leap into entrepreneurship, he was all about going with the flow and doing what he loves—developing companies' capabilities in product management. With over a decade of experience in running a business, combined with insights from the Fusion Stellar program, Harri is now equipped with new perspectives to figure out his next entrepreneurial journey.
Exploring and enjoying the entrepreneurial path
Harri is a seasoned product management professional who has gained experience both overseas and in Finland. After working as the Head of Product Management at Nokia Ventures, he founded a company focusing on product management consulting and training—the first of its kind in Finland. After successfully merging his consultancy with another small business, it was sold to a bigger player in the field.
“When I first founded Prodman in 2009, I didn’t have any clearly set goals; I was rather in it for the entrepreneurial lifestyle. When my team started to grow, the destination clarified as well, which was the most fruitful time for me as an entrepreneur. We had joint ambitions as a team with intentions to grow the business. Soon after the acquisition, ambitions naturally changed, and business goals were defined by someone else. I was on an entrepreneurial journey – but it was someone else’s.”
Two years later, in 2021, the entrepreneur in Harri yearned for freedom, signaling it was time to move on. He decided to take full control of his work life and begin a new journey as a solopreneur at Product Coach.
“Maybe it’s a cliché, but for me, the journey is more important than the destination when it comes to running a business. I want to figure out and write down new goals, gather a good team around me, and see where it goes from there.”
Supporting continuous learning with Fusion Stellar
As the continuous learner that Harri is, gaining new knowledge was a strong motivator for him to consider the Stellar program. That, combined with the possibility of expanding his professional network with other like-minded experts, sealed the deal for him to fill in the application form. What he especially enjoyed about the program was the opportunity to learn more about the ecosystem setup.
“I didn’t expect the program to change my thoughts on entrepreneurship—and it didn’t. What it did, though, was open my eyes more to the benefits of ecosystems and how other companies can mutually benefit from each other to grow their businesses. Retrospectively, it gave me lots of ideas on how I could’ve utilized ecosystem thinking in my previous company.”
For Harri, the program sessions provided multiple pieces of new information regarding entrepreneurship, which need time to be fully comprehended.
“Matti Ristimäki’s keynote, ‘Ingredients of the Winning Team,’ about finding the perfectly complementary founding team, made me realize how important it is to build a winning business. But in all honesty, as it gave me clarity on what a good founding team looks like, it also made me wonder how to ever find one. Don’t get me wrong, but before all the new insights had time to sink in, they felt a bit overwhelming.”
A journey full of surprises—in the most pleasant way
The Fusion Stellar program was designed to offer its participants a wide range of topics that span the entire lifespan of a company, from crafting the company’s story to executing a successful exit. The holistic approach resonated with Harri, and each session broadened his perspective.
“Choosing a single key takeaway from the program is impossible. Every keynote provided food for thought and insights to revisit.”
Harri extends his gratitude to the Fusion Ecosystem team for organizing the program precisely as it was—with an ideal number of participants, excellent session locations, and a great variety of topics.
“I particularly enjoyed the changing locations of the sessions and the selection of speakers for the program. It introduced an element of surprise to the journey and something new to look forward to as the sessions progressed. The size of the participant group was just perfect—at each gathering, I was able to catch up with a new top-notch professional and gain insights from fresh perspectives.”
While waiting for the next Stellar Story, read the previously published Stellar Stories on our blog:
