What would you do in the event you had a six-figure wage? Maybe you’d by no means cook dinner one other meal once more or bask in a month-to-month Thai therapeutic massage and a Soho Home membership to unwind from the stress that comes with being at your A recreation.
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At the moment Fortune meets Kim Povlsen, president and CEO of the Danish robotic firm Common Robots.
As Silicon Valley billionaires predict that tens of millions of two-legged robots will stroll the earth and take over a lot of our work within the coming a long time, Common Robots is aiming to create a world the place folks work with robots.
Common Robots bought its first robotic arm in 2008.
On the time, Povlsen was simply graduating as a robotics engineer on the College of Southern Denmark.
90,000
The variety of cobots the corporate has bought.
Nonetheless, each he and the trade have come a great distance since: The now 42-year-old quickly scaled the ranks from a fresh-faced engineer straight out of school to VP on the automation producer, Schneider Electrical, in lower than 10 years.
“We’re on a mission to bring automation to anyone, anywhere”.
Kim Povlsen
Now, he’s helming Common Robots, the world’s main supplier of collaborative robots—or cobots, as the corporate calls them.
“If you haven’t seen one in action yet, chances are you will soon,” the millennial chief tells Fortune. “We’re on a mission to bring automation to anyone, anywhere”
Like his profession, automation has actually taken off within the final couple of years: The corporate opened its one centesimal coaching heart, bought round 90,000 cobots worldwide and simply introduced key partnerships with Nvidia and Siemens.
The funds
What’s been one of the best funding you’ve ever purchased?
I’m a bit obsessed with regards to espresso, so I’ve to say my wonderful espresso machine from the model La Marzocco. I purchased it three years in the past for about $8,000. On these early mornings it makes getting up an entire lot simpler.
This goes for me, but in addition for my spouse. She does a lot for the youngsters and me, as I’m usually away, and like me, she values a well-made cup of espresso. It permits me to have this factor I could make for her, serving her an ideal cup of espresso with latte artwork on high.
And the worst?
It is a bit foolish and but one thing I feel lots of people can relate to.
A few years in the past, simply earlier than bitcoin took off, I had gotten a bonus, and I closely thought-about utilizing this further money to speculate on this brand-new factor. However having talked to family and friends, I concluded that it was in all probability too dangerous and a short-lived development, so as an alternative I selected to purchase some big new rims for my automotive on the time, a black Seat Leon. They regarded cool, however they made the automotive fairly uncomfortable to drive and 6 months later I watched as bitcoin skyrocketed.
In case you have kids, what does your childcare preparations appear like?
I’m away from residence lots, however my spouse is self-employed, works as a yoga teacher and drives a enterprise with a pal. This implies she has the liberty to be at residence, which she actually likes, because it permits her to be there for our children aged 10 and 12.
We’ve adopted this mannequin since we moved overseas a couple of decade in the past, and it really works effectively for us.
What are your dwelling preparations like? A swanky residence within the metropolis or a suburban sprawling?
I used to stay in downtown Boston, and I cherished it. These morning walks strolling via the town on my strategy to work grabbing a espresso on the go had been one thing else. My spouse, however, has at all times had a dream of dwelling within the countryside. Which implies neither of us had been dreaming of dwelling within the suburbs, however sarcastically our life is now very basic suburbia, dwelling in a home simply south of Aarhus, Denmark’s second greatest metropolis. It won’t be the place we pictured ourselves years in the past, nevertheless it works very well with youngsters having the college simply down the road and buddies close by. And we stay very near the woods and the ocean as effectively.
How do you commute to work?
I often keep in Odense, the place the Common Robots HQ is, three days per week. That’s if I’m not travelling. It’s an hour and a half drive from my home in Aarhus, and I like the drive. I do telephone calls nevertheless it’s additionally a time after I get to hearken to audiobooks. I most frequently hearken to business-related books, at all times searching for one thing that may encourage or train me one thing new.
I’ve reached an age the place I re-read a few of the similar books annually, as they maintain me on observe with what it’s I wish to accomplish. One in every of them known as “Build” by Tony Fadell, who led the groups that created the iPod, iPhone, and so forth. Then he went on to discovered Nest. So, when my days are filled with milestone evaluations and enterprise updates, I feel it’s wholesome to dig out a ebook like this reminding me of how you can create superior merchandise.
Do you carry a pockets?
What? No. I’ve all the pieces on my telephone. I’m simply actually aggravated that I can’t get my passport on my telephone as effectively.
“Investing in things that allow you to learn and grow as a person, that being education, travel, or something else, would be my best advice. Then the rest will come when you get older.”
What private finance recommendation would you give your 20-year-old self?
To be sincere, I’d inform 20-year-old Kim: Maintain doing what you’re doing.
Again then I knew the smart factor to do was to start out saving and to speculate a few of that cash as effectively. The difficulty was that I didn’t actually have a lot cash after I was 20. And that I had, I spent on having enjoyable and exploring. There’s a saying alongside the strains of “when you’re young, focus on learning. When you’re older, focus on earning”. I like that – though one ought to, after all, by no means cease studying. However investing in issues that mean you can study and develop as an individual, that being schooling, journey, or one thing else, could be my greatest recommendation. Then the remainder will come if you become old.
What’s the one subscription you possibly can’t stay with out
My Audible subscription. They offer you one credit score per thirty days, which suggests you really get round to purchasing new books, versus in the event you had been to purchase them the old-school manner. I feel it’s pacing me in a great way as a result of if I have a look at my account and understand I’ve three credit, it means I’ve to make use of them (proper?) – so in flip, I learn extra!
The place’s your go-to wristwatch from?
I’ve three totally different watches, and it’s necessary to me that they go effectively with my outfit. For example, the colour of the watch ought to match the footwear.
Particularly, I put on a Danish model referred to as About Classic. They’re not costly, about $500, however they give the impression of being good and permit me to alter the straps for various events.
Like many others, I prefer to placed on my Garmin working watch after I’m not working and on the weekends.
The requirements
How do you get your each day espresso repair?
My each day espresso repair is greater than only a routine–it’s a little bit of a ritual. At UR, we’re lucky to have in-house baristas and I make it some extent to cease by the espresso stations usually. Not only for the espresso, however for the conversations. And typically I even get behind the counter and take orders. It’s an effective way to attach with colleagues, share concepts, and keep in contact with what’s taking place throughout the corporate.
At residence, I’ve my La Marzocco and presently, I import my espresso beans instantly from Italy. Some years in the past, my pursuit of the right espresso led me to a small store in Lucca, Tuscany. I’ve been importing their beans for some time now, getting a 5kg cargo on common foundation.
What about consuming on the go?
After I’m within the workplace, I at all times go eat within the canteen, with whoever needs to have lunch with me–it simply permits me to satisfy colleagues from throughout. Breaking bread + dialog = nice outcomes.
I do loads of touring all through the world. Our clients are most frequently industrial firms, that means they’re positioned in all types of neighbourhoods throughout the globe. Therefore I at all times maintain a stack of entire food-like bars with me.
After I’m on the workplace in Odense, we frequently have associate visits, or I eat out with colleagues additionally on the town. Eating out permits me to have longer conversations with my shut colleagues. It may give us about two hours collectively—one thing we’d often by no means have—and it makes it a bit extra casual, permitting you to debate different matters than pure enterprise.
The place do you purchase groceries?
It’s in all probability not very “CEOish” however I actually take pleasure in going to the native grocery retailer. And, in distinction to my regular love for something tech and timesaving, I at all times go to the old-school checkout counter the place there’s a cashier. I identical to the private contact and the small day-to-day interactions you get there.
We even have a subscription to one thing referred to as “Kunde-bonde” (Buyer-farmer). This offers us entry to native farmers’ fields the place, for a month-to-month subscription, we are able to decide all of the fruit and veggies we would like straight from the timber and floor. It’s superb.
How usually in per week do you dine out versus cook dinner at residence?
A traditional week doesn’t actually exist in my world, however I usually exit for dinner with clients about two instances per week.
If I can select, I eat at residence, with selfmade pizza and burgers being my go-tos when I’m in command of the cooking (the youngsters don’t have any complaints).
The place do you store on your work wardrobe?
I’m the type of man who, after I discover a model I like, sticks to it. All my fits are tailor-made from the identical place, and for shirts I’m sticking to those from OLYMP. For all the pieces non-suit associated, particularly with pants, I am going to the Danish firm Shaping New Tomorrow. Just because it’s fashionable whereas being so extremely comfy on the similar time.
The treats
Are you the proud proprietor of any futuristic devices?
My Oura ring. I’ve been carrying it for a number of years, and it tracks your sleep patterns, how a lot you train, and so forth. It has helped me work out what routines go well with me greatest so I will be one of the best model of myself at residence and at work.
How do you unwind from the highest job?
After I’m not working, I prioritize being away, spending time, and being current with household. I was on the Danish racquetball nationwide staff, and though it’s not fairly the identical, I prefer to play padel tennis after I get the possibility.
I additionally go for runs, however I discover that they don’t unwind me, really the alternative. My thoughts begins racing and I get 100 new concepts whereas I accomplish that. I usually must cease working and take notes–so I suppose that defeats the purpose of unwinding.
What’s one of the best bonus deal with you’ve purchased your self?
Touring to Sri Lanka for 3 weeks with my household earlier this 12 months. It was superb. I’m a bit of conservative with regards to touring, I might simply go to Italy over and over. My spouse is way more curious to see new locations, desirous to go to the Himalayas and such. We often find yourself going the place she needs to, and it’s led to some nice adventures.
Many of the journey was spent outdoors the resort, actually in the course of the jungle, with leopards and elephants roaming round at night time. It was a tremendous nature expertise and one thing I’ll always remember.
How do you file your notes in a gathering?
I don’t keep in mind the final time I took notes on precise paper. I exploit ReMarkable notepad.
Take us on vacation with you, what’s subsequent in your trip record?
For a number of years, I lived in Grenoble, France, whereas I used to be at Schneider Electrical, and I turned hooked on mountains. The recent air, the silence, and the crystal-clear lakes you possibly can actually simply soar proper into. And the occasional cowbell within the distance.
So, I feel the following time we journey with the household, we’ll in all probability head in direction of the mountains in Austria or Italy.
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