Guest
Jonas Norberg
Jonas Norberg is Head of AI at Tuned Global, as introduced on the show.
Episodes (1)
Jonas Norberg, Head of AI at Tuned Global, shares Pacemaker's 18-year journey from iPod hardware to Spotify integration, AI DJ, and an eventual acquisition.
Questions these episodes answer
Why did Pacemaker's first hardware device fail?
The device launched in March 2008, just as Apple opened the iPhone to third-party apps, which killed the market for a dedicated DJ iPod. The new CEO could not pivot the company to apps.
From: Pacemaker’s 18-Year Journey – Acquired by Tuned Global
How did Pacemaker fix retention?
Jonas realized most people did not want to manually DJ, so they built an AI DJ called Autopilot. The app then let users share and consume mixtapes, which improved retention on iPhone.
From: Pacemaker’s 18-Year Journey – Acquired by Tuned Global
Why did Spotify end its integration with Pacemaker?
Pacemaker could not acquire Spotify Premium users at scale, and most users it did acquire were not Premium, causing huge funnel friction. Spotify wanted growth and decided DJing was less important.
From: Pacemaker’s 18-Year Journey – Acquired by Tuned Global
How did Pacemaker end up being acquired by Tuned Global?
Pacemaker needed $10 million to launch a social radio product, but the Ukraine war changed capital markets. After two years working with Tuned Global, the team agreed on a price and moved over.
From: Pacemaker’s 18-Year Journey – Acquired by Tuned Global