Niklas Hellemann

Niklas Hellemann is the CEO and co-founder of SoSafe, Europe’s largest platform for human risk management and security awareness. After training as a psychologist and consulting large corporates at @BCG, he started the company to bolster global digital self-defence for customers including Frasers Group, Tui and DeepL. Here, Niklas shares SoSafe’s growth story.

In the early days, most founders are very obsessed with solving the right problem and doing it better than anyone else. As we’ve grown I’ve realised that while solving this problem remains crucial, building a strong, adaptable organisation becomes more and more important. Culture and team alignment towards long-term goals are the differentiators between solid companies and market leaders. My focus is on ensuring we can evolve as an organisation and continue to solve problems in more advanced ways in the future.

Getting in front of customers early was the best investment we made. Before we wrote a single line of code, we spoke to security managers, validating and developing our approach. This meant we could build a product that truly addressed the needs of our customers. With that came early revenue – which validated that we were on the right track and freshly solving a relevant problem. Even now, as we’ve scaled and led substantial parts of our markets, we still put the customer first in everything we do.

We are driven by a strong purpose: preventing victims of cybercrime. This resonates with everyone in the company and helps us maintain a core culture. As we scaled from 35 people before COVID to over 500, we have been very intentional about preserving and improving these values. 

We’ve always been a hybrid company, so we invest heavily in communication and intentional togetherness – such as team meetings, off-sites and quarterly strategy weeks. The goal is to maintain that sense of belonging and shared purpose. 

I’d remind myself to trust my gut feeling and stick to my principles, especially when it comes to building the team. In the early days, resources are limited, and there’s a temptation to compromise – whether it’s hiring someone who doesn’t fully meet the bar or making decisions that go against your core principles. I’ve learned that it’s worth extending the recruiting search or holding out for the right person, even if it takes longer. 

One of my key principles is to hire for mindset and attitude. Curiosity, resilience, and a thirst for knowledge are qualities I value in every role. It’s essential to be obsessed with following these principles because they’re ultimately what drives the success of SoSafe.