Why Turum-burum Came to Sweden: Swedish Market Insights

When the Turum-burum team packed their bags for Sweden, the intention and goal were clear. 

It wasn’t a sightseeing trip to admire Stockholm’s architecture (though we didn’t mind that part). It was a strategic visit to deepen existing collaborations, meet partners face-to-face, and better understand one of Europe’s most advanced digital markets from the inside out.

And here is what we learned, who we met, and why the Swedish market feels so close to home for our team.

4 Swedish Market Insights We Got From In-Person Meetings

Remote work has made global collaboration easier than ever, but there is simply no substitute for looking your partners in the eye, shaking their hands, and sharing a coffee. 

So, we planned a packed schedule with 10 meetings. And ultimately held seven in-person meetings across the country, with the remaining three smoothly transitioning to an online format. 

We wanted to understand how Swedish teams approach collaboration, how they build partnerships, and what really matters when working together. And these are the insights we learned.

Strong Partnership Is Built On Shared Values

Our first stop after landing was meeting Christian Rudolf, founder of TopDog, a Swedish SEO agency, and the team.

Christian is an experienced SEO strategist with over 20 years in the field, having successfully guided more than 300 projects. His approach focuses not just on rankings but on the real business impact of search, aligning technical performance with how users perceive and trust a product.

Christian is a longtime Turum-burum partner with joint projects like Fotoklok.se, Zensum.se, and others on our track record. We’ve also collaborated beyond projects, including a joint UX & SEO webinar.

But beyond his expertise, Christian represents something more. He combines deep professionalism with genuine humanity, which we felt throughout our collaboration. 

He is also a true friend of Ukraine, something we value highly too. Since the beginning of the war, he has consistently supported our country, not only in words but also in actions, including personally visiting Ukraine.

From the very beginning, he became our guide to the local ecosystem, introducing us to partners, opening doors, and helping us navigate the Swedish market from the inside.

Working with Christian reflects exactly what we experienced across Sweden: strong partnerships are built not only on shared goals, but on shared values.

In our case, these values go beyond delivering strong performance and business KPIs — they include being transparent with customers, staying reliable, and growing together by supporting each other.

People Behind The Work Matter The Most 

One thing stood out immediately at Swedish business meetings — the warmth.

From the very first conversations, it never felt like we were just discussing projects or deliverables. Swedish teams genuinely take time to get to know the people behind the work — not just what you do, but how you think and communicate.

This became especially clear during our visit to the Zensum office.

We weren’t just meeting “the team.” We were introduced to each person individually. Everyone took the time to connect with us, share what they do, and have a short conversation. 

It felt like the office itself was designed for people, not just for work.

We were also invited to experience fika.

Fika is a traditional Swedish coffee break, but in reality, it’s much more than that. It’s a daily ritual where people pause their work to connect, talk, and reset to maintain productivity and well-being. Usually, it includes coffee and pastries, but its real purpose is building relationships.

And that’s where real connection happens.

We had previously collaborated with Zensum on UX/UI improvements and a full website redesign, so it was especially rewarding to continue the conversation in person.

One of the highlights was seeing the logo we designed not only live on the website but also in their physical office space. It’s always a different feeling when your work moves from screen to real life.

But what made the meeting truly memorable wasn’t just the work. It was the atmosphere. The openness, the warmth, and how naturally conversations moved beyond deliverables toward shared experiences.

Because in the end, partnerships don’t grow from tools or processes — they grow from people.

Sweden is a Powerhouse For Digital Products

Sweden is one of Europe’s most advanced environments for building and scaling digital products.

• Stockholm has one of the highest numbers of unicorn startups per capita in the world (second only to Silicon Valley).
• With a population of just 10 million, Sweden has produced around 48 unicorns (tech companies worth over one billion dollars), making it one of the strongest startup ecosystems globally.
• Stockholm ranks #1 in Europe for venture capital investment per capita, putting it in a league of its own among major European tech hubs.

This creates a powerful ecosystem where innovation, investment, and product development are deeply interconnected.

That’s precisely where companies like KLAR Partners operate, focusing on building, developing, and scaling businesses. And Turum-burum contributes to this through UX and digital experience optimization. 

During our meeting with their team, we discussed not just projects we collaborated on, but where real growth begins.

We found strong alignment in our approaches. For both teams, it starts with the foundation — the product itself and often the website as its core touchpoint. Before scaling and driving traffic from other channels, every website needs to be clear, trustworthy, user-friendly, and conversion-optimized. 

This shared perspective creates a solid foundation for further collaboration.

It reinforced a clear idea: in Sweden, collaboration is not transactional — it’s something you build step by step, through mutual understanding.

For Swedish Partners, Ukraine Means Speed and Quality

Another important insight from the trip was how Swedish companies perceive Ukrainian teams.

Sweden has historically supported Ukraine. And this support is still strongly felt today, not only politically but also in business and everyday interactions.

There are different organizations, like the Swedish-Ukrainian Business Action (SUBA), that  promotes trade of goods and services from Ukraine, with which we also had an opportunity to meet in person.

What became equally clear, however, is that there is a strong professional reason why Swedish companies value working with Ukrainians.

During multiple meetings, we repeatedly heard the same feedback: Ukrainian teams deliver speed without sacrificing quality. Yes, what is standard for us, like fast execution, deep involvement, and ownership, is seen as a significant advantage.

This advantage is partly shaped by Swedish business culture itself, which emphasizes consensus, balance, and structured decision-making. Once decisions are made, execution becomes critical, and that is where Ukrainian teams complement Swedish ones especially well.

This once again confirmed that what we are building goes beyond individual projects. It’s about long-term relationships between countries, teams, and people.

Other Interesting Facts About Swedish Business Culture 

If there’s one thing that defines Swedish business culture, it’s a deeply people-first mindset. And it is built around balance, trust, and respect.

Several key concepts define it:

• Lagom — meaning “just enough” or the perfect balance. It influences how work is structured. Overworking is not seen as dedication, but rather as a sign of poor time management.
• Folkvett — a shared sense of responsibility and common sense that encourages people to act in ways that benefit the group.
• Family is also a priority. Leaving work to pick up a child or taking parental leave (for both parents) is completely normal and supported.

In an industry that often glorifies "moving fast and breaking things," Swedish companies take a different, highly effective approach. Decision-making is calm, thoughtful, and deeply structured. Fast, chaotic pivots are replaced with clarity, mutual respect, and long-term trust.

We also immediately noticed the openness and lightness in communication. And yes, that’s also because of the legendary Swedish humor.

At one point, they joked that in Sweden you don’t need a weather app — just look out the window… and check again in five minutes.

That made even formal meetings feel relaxed and human.

But what stood out to us most during this trip wasn’t just the strength of the market but how relationships are built within it.

Perhaps our favorite observation was the cultural proximity between Sweden and Ukraine. Both cultures value reliability, long-term partnerships, and thoughtful communication. We share an understanding that asking the right (sometimes difficult) questions early prevents much bigger challenges later.

Partnerships here don’t start with portfolios or sales pitches. They start with people, with conversations, trust, and a genuine interest in who you are as a team.

Partnership Without Borders: What This Trip Means for Turum-burum

Sweden is rapidly becoming a cornerstone market for Turum-burum. 

Our mission is simple: to help Swedish companies build high-quality interfaces that drive real business growth through better digital experiences.

By bringing our expertise in UX, Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), and product design, we aim to be partners who contribute not just to projects but to long-term success.

What started as remote collaboration on LinkedIn and Google Meet is growing into something much deeper.

This trip proved that while digital tools make global work possible, it’s in-person conversations, shared coffee, and genuine human connection that truly build lasting partnerships.

We came back to Ukraine with stronger relationships, a deeper understanding, and a lot of wonderful memories.

And we’re already looking forward to our next fika.