#25: Björn Jeffery on Toca Boca, Casino Capitalism, And Changing Perspectives

<p>Welcome to season 4 of the UX Fika podcast where I sit down with people who have built both the big and the small, for others and themselves.</p><p>Our first guest is no other than Björn Jeffery, former CEO of kids-app studio Toca Boca, now a tech columnist and podcast host at Svenska Dagbladet, and an independent analyst working at the intersection of technology, finance, and society.</p><p>We talk about the early days of Toca Boca and why they didn’t make games, they made digital toys. Björn explains the difference between the two and how that distinction shaped their product philosophy, from designing for open-ended play to deliberately avoiding artificial timers, pressure loops, and mechanics that demand children’s attention.</p><p>We also cover changing perspectives: moving back to Sweden after years abroad, transitioning from being part of — and the CEO of — a fast-growing company to working independently, how parenthood changed his priorities, and about zooming out from building products to analysing the systems around them.</p><p>Björn shares why he believes many parts of today’s tech economy resemble what he calls casino capitalism, a shift from steady, long-term thinking toward higher-risk, more speculative behaviour driven by crypto, prediction markets, and social media narratives. We talk about how risk has become normalised, how knowledge is sometimes devalued in favour of speed and virality, and how a new generation of power brokers – influencers and online personalities – now shape financial decisions and public opinion at a scale few fully grasp.</p><p>We also dive into AI and social media, and why Björn sees authenticity and taste as counter-trends to algorithmic sameness.</p><p>I really loved this conversation. It holds aspect of work but also the other bits around it, the bits that makes us human, and no matter were we’re from, connects us.</p><p>Plus:</p><p>☕️ Why a double cappuccino and a plain croissant is his go to fika</p><p>⭐ Why do what only you can do applies more than ever</p><p><br></p><p><strong>What we cover:</strong></p><p>00:00 Introduction to Björn Jeffery and Toca Boca</p><p>03:32 The Early Days of Toca Boca</p><p>08:09 Understanding Children&#39;s Digital Play</p><p>11:25 Designing for Kids: The Toca Boca Philosophy</p><p>14:29 The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health</p><p>17:14 The Legal Responsibility of Social Media Companies</p><p>24:28 The Future of Social Media and AI</p><p>28:42 The Role of Taste and Authenticity in Content Creation</p><p>32:53 The Importance of Knowledge in the Age of AI</p><p>38:15 Augmented Bodies and Minds</p><p>42:31 Navigating the Tech and Finance Intersection</p><p>46:31 The Influence of Social Media on Financial Decisions</p><p>48:48 The New Power Brokers in Society</p><p>50:32 The Transition From Toca Boca to Advisory Work</p><p>52:04 Moving Back to Sweden</p><p>01:03:30 Final Thoughts and Advice</p><p>01:05:22 Reflection on Career and Entrepreneurship</p><p>01:08:47 Words to Live By and Favourite Fika</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Where you’ll find Björn:</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bjornjeffery" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">LinkedIn</a></li><li><a href="https://bjornjeffery.substack.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Substack</a></li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/bjornjeffery" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Twitter</a></li><li><a href="https://www.bjornjeffery.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Website</a></li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Where you’ll find Anna &amp; UX Fika:</strong></p><ul><li>⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠<a href="https://www.notion.so/%E2%81%A0https://www.linkedin.com/in/annadahlstrom/%E2%81%A0" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Anna on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</li><li><a href="https://www.uxfika.co/%E2%81%A0" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠UX Fika website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></li><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/uxfika%E2%8