Out­lier in Sound: Chris­tof­fer Nyvold of SOUND­BOKS

The story of SOUNDBOKS begins in the muddy campsites of Denmark’s Roskilde Music Festival, where Christoffer Nyvold and his friends identified a need for durable, high-performance speakers.

"We needed something that could play loud music, last the entire week on a single charge, and withstand the rough conditions of a festival environment," Nyvold recalls.

Despite lacking an engineering background, they embarked on an experimental journey in a family member’s garage and educated themselves through online resources like Reddit.

“We learned everything from scratch, and it was very much a trial-and-error process. We fried more amplifiers than I can count, but we learned a lot from it. It was a practical, hands-on education in speaker design and production.”

This DIY ethos paid off in 2015 when SOUNDBOKS officially launched. The early days were a whirlwind of production challenges, with Nyvold and his friends scrambling to fulfil $300,000 worth of orders in just three months.

“Delivering these was a massive challenge,” Nyvold admits.

“We hired friends, rented a storage space, and worked around the clock. We literally ran a 24-hour production schedule with shifts, often fixing mistakes made during the previous shift. It was a complete mess, but somehow, we managed to get it done and deliver the products on time.”

Initially, they built the products themselves in Copenhagen and later gained global attention though crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo after a successful Y-combinator stint in San Francisco.

"In 2016, I lived and worked in Silicon Valley with my Co-Founders of SOUNDBOKS, where we attended the world-renowned accelerator program Y Combinator, specifically designed to build the best start-ups in the world. During our time there, we established an American entity, SOUNDBOKS Inc., and prepared the company for its first international product launch on Kickstarter, heavily guided by the classes and mentors in Y Combinator. By the end of the program, we raised over $800,000 on Kickstarter in 30 days and secured an additional $2,000,000 from prominent business angels in Silicon Valley."

A strategic turn towards executive education

Despite SOUNDBOKS’s success, Nyvold felt a pull towards structured learning.

“I wanted to gain more structured, academic business knowledge and see how it could complement the practical experience and success that I’ve had with SOUNDBOKS.”

When Nyvold felt that the company had settled well in Denmark, the CBS Executive MBA emerged as the right fit, allowing Nyvold to maintain his duties at SOUNDBOKS concurrently. The structure of the EMBA programme, with its intensive once-a-month sessions, allowed for focused learning without disrupting Nyvold’s business commitments.

“I was able to balance my responsibilities at SOUNDBOKS with the programme which was essential for me. It’s a perk that the campus is local and highly rated via business school rankings.”

When researching programmes, Nyvold also considered the profiles of the class makeup and the global footprint. “I could see that alumni span many countries and 50% hold C-suite or other senior executive roles, so I knew I would be among influential leaders from various industries that I could learn from.”

Nyvold knew that he would be the youngest addition to the cohort, but the admissions team valued his unique perspective as an interesting addition to the class.

“I had a different perspective, coming from a start-up background, compared to others from larger corporations and felt uniquely valued right from the start.”

The programme provided global insights that he found particularly stimulating and could apply directly to his role.

“The international trips add value. I gained perspectives that I might not have been able to have otherwise – both culturally and professionally. The innovation module in India was incredible because we visited businesses in the start-up and innovation space and their insights were intriguing.”

As Nyvold progressed in the programme, he reflected and could see why certain approaches were taken and even identified instances where a different approach could have been better at SOUNDBOKS.

“Overall, the programme bolstered my confidence because I could see that we had made a lot of smart decisions."

Nyvold also developed a deeper comprehension of complex subjects as he wished, particularly in finance.

“When it comes to finance, I have gained a deeper understanding that allows me to engage more effectively with our CFO, investors, and banks. I can discuss and analyse financial and broader economic topics more profoundly, which is essential at the C-Suite level. Currently, at SOUNDBOKS, we’re in a global growth phase, so my EMBA education is coming into play dynamically.”

The future of SOUNDBOKS

“Our goal is to continue pushing the boundaries of what portable speakers can do.”

Innovation and customer engagement are central to their strategy, and he highlights plans to integrate more advanced technologies and expand their product line.

"We aim to not just advance our products, but to continue to engage the community and an experience around high-quality, durable sound equipment. SOUNDBOKS is not just a product, it's a lifestyle brand that resonates with our customers' passion for music and social connection."

He also sees upcoming growth potential in international markets. "Expanding our global footprint is a major focus," Nyvold states. This involves not only entering new markets but also strengthening their presence in existing ones through targeted marketing and strategic partnerships.

Sustainability and social responsibility are also being explored as this reflects a broader industry trend and aligns with Nyvold’s and the company’s values.

“We’re exploring more sustainable practices and want to contribute positively to the communities we operate in. People are as important as profit.”

Nyvold is a proponent of lifelong learning, recognising its importance in maintaining professional relevance and motivation. As a recent graduate, he is currently enjoying a break from formal education but reflects, “I see the importance of continuing to develop both personally and professionally, especially with a rapidly changing world. CBS has reinforced the value of lifelong learning.”