PJ Parson, Northzone and Spotify

About this episode

PJ Parson discusses his unconventional journey to venture capital and the impact of diverse experiences on his career.

🎙️ Episode Guide — PJ Parson (Northzone) Welcome to my series on OG NY Tech Celebrating 30 years of the New York tech ecosystem, from 1995 to now. PJ Parson is a partner at Northzone, best known for backing Spotify when it expanded to New York in 2012. But his path to venture capital wasn’t linear—it ran through small-town Sweden, jazz musicianship, tour guiding in Italy, ski resorts in France, McKinsey, fish farming, and eventually private equity. His story is about how unconventional experiences shaped his ability to see opportunity, manage chaos, and eventually help build New York’s second wave of tech. This conversation is about the hidden arcs behind venture capital: not just finance, but music, culture, resilience, and the willingness to reinvent yourself. SECTION I — Origins and Early Adventures 00:00 – Small town Sweden to Dayton, Ohio PJ describes growing up in Sweden, then spending a formative exchange year in Dayton, Ohio. The contrast opened his eyes to the wider world. 00:42 – Three gap years of adventure Instead of rushing to university, PJ spent three years as a tour guide in Italy and ski guide in France. What began as playing music for tourists turned into…

People in this episode

Host: Amol Sarva

Guest: PJ Parson

Topics covered

• venture capital
• New York tech
• unconventional experiences
• music
• culture
• resilience
• reinvention

Keywords

• venture capital
• Spotify
• Northzone
• New York tech
• unconventional career
• music
• culture
• resilience

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Northzone, Spotify, McKinsey

Places: Sweden, Dayton, Ohio, Italy, France