As part of our 10 year anniversary celebration at Startuplifers, we are sharing inspirational alumni stories from the past decade. In today’s post we get to know Emma Lundin, Startuplifers alumna currently working as a Product Designer at Twitter. Originally from Sweden, Emma studied Media technology at KTH University in Stockholm. After graduating, she got a front-end development job at one of the biggest newspapers in Sweden, AB Kvällstidningen Expressen. However, it wasn’t long after that she heard about Startuplifers. She had always dreamt of working and living in California, so when she heard about the opportunity to work in a startup in San Francisco, she decided to apply. 

Now let’s let Emma to answer our 10 questions about her Startuplifers experience.  

10 Questions with Startuplifers Alumni

What’s your name?

Emma Lundin

How did you first hear about Startuplifers?

Through a friend of mine who had a startup at KTH Innovation in Stockholm.

What motivated you to apply?

It has always been a dream of mine to work and live in California. When I saw this opportunity I was really excited to apply.

Which company did you join through Startuplifers? Which year?

Breaker, the social podcasting app, in 2017.

What is the biggest learning you have gained from working at a startup?

Startups are fast paced environments to work in. Things are always changing and one week can look completely different from the next. My learnings for being successful is to focus on metrics, have short sprints so you can iterate often and try new things. It’s important to always be learning from the industry and competitors, be engaged in communities, networks, conferences, and don’t be afraid to share on social media and blog posts (things don’t have to be perfect from the start). Be bold, loud, and communicate well will your customers – listen to feedback and act on it. Moreover, hire the right people for your team and make all team members feel like home.

Name one cool/crazy/amazing experience while working through Startuplifers?

Breaker got acquired by Twitter in January 2021. This was an amazing experience I am so lucky to be a part of this journey in my career.

How would you describe your Startuplifers experience? 

Welcoming, exciting, helpful, mentoring, connecting.

What would you tell someone who is thinking of applying to Startuplifers?

It’s definitely worth it, and it could be the start of something big 🙂

Did Startuplifers experience help you in your career development? How?

Yes definitely. By connecting me with the right people and helping me feeling welcomed to San Francisco.

What do you do now? What’s next for you?

I am a Product Designer on the Design Systems team at Twitter. I will be working remote from Sweden for three months this summer and I will eventually move back to San Francisco and work from the Twitter HQ a couple of days a week. 

Emma Lundin Startuplifers

Thank you Emma for taking the time to tell us about your experience! 

Are you interested in hearing more about Emma’s journey to San Francisco? Check out this blog post written by Emma from few years back when she joined Breaker in San Francisco.

Stay tuned for the upcoming alumni stories we will be sharing in the coming weeks! 

Are you interested in applying for a startup job? Check out our open positions today or download our free startup job hunting guide covering everything from what a startup is to how to find a job in one. 

Until next time!