Lasse Finderup from Good Tape: 2.5 Million Users in 175 Countries – and We're Growing Every Month

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Conversation with Lasse Finderup, Co-founder of Good Tape

In a world where technology and AI are constantly changing the way we work, Good Tape has made the otherwise time-consuming task of transcription faster and more secure.

The Danish brand, born out of Zetland, has quickly gained impressive global reach with over 2.5 million users in 175 countries. Good Tape is a strong example of how innovation and user-friendliness can go hand in hand.

Lasse’s journey as an entrepreneur began as early as high school, where his entrepreneurial spirit was already evident. Today, he stands behind a company that not only solves a problem for journalists but also opens new opportunities for many other industries.

We caught up with Lasse in this week’s edition of “Creator of the Week.”

Lasse Finderup, Co-founder Good Tape.

Has it always been written in the stars that you would become an entrepreneur? Where does your “entrepreneurial drive” and creative spirit come from?

“I think I’ve realized that it has always been written in the stars – without me thinking about it. The first time I became aware of it was at high school parties, where I collected cups to earn 5 kr. each when they were returned. It says something about one’s priorities.

A few years ago, I found an old USB stick at my mom’s house. On it was an assignment from 7th grade, where we had to write about how we saw our lives in 20 years. It said I would be working in my own business. So, it seems like it has always been in the cards.”

But you still chose to travel instead of starting a business right after high school?

“I took a gap year between high school and CBS, during which I traveled quite a lot. It continued into my first semester, where I still felt there was plenty of time. It was mostly about experiences, but along the way, I also collected business cards and began building a network. Not with big ulterior motives – it just came naturally to me.

That time turned out to be the starting point for my first project, the travel company ‘U.’ It was something close to my heart. I built a website, made agreements, and was up and running in just four months. In the first year, we generated a seven-figure revenue with minimal expenses, sending a lot of young people out into the world to gain experiences and self-esteem.”

But you changed course – how did you come on board with Good Tape?

“After running a travel company through the COVID years, I was worn out. Not burned out, but worn out. I decided to do something more physical and less mentally demanding, but first, I took a month off to go to Mexico with Nima, my fiancée (note: Nima Tisdal). The trip gave me inspiration and energy, but I still didn’t know what my next project would be.

One day, I was talking to a friend about my situation, and he suggested I meet with Tav Klitgaard (note: co-founder of Zetland), who was working on a new project – what we now know as Good Tape. Tav was looking for a co-founder who could take on a broad role. I must admit, transcription software didn’t sound particularly exciting. But when I met Tav and heard about his vision, I was sold.

Solving such a tedious task as transcription in a smart and inspiring way really caught my attention. We clicked quickly, and the rest is history.”

And yes, that story is well underway now. Could you describe Good Tape for us so we’re all on the same page?

“We were born out of Zetland and created by one of their developers, who discovered that journalists were spending 10 hours a week transcribing. He built our prototype, and it’s that idea we’ve been working on since 2022. Previously, it was said that it took four hours to transcribe one hour of audio. Now, we can do it in 30 seconds. We’ve trained our software to understand over 100 languages. We win big on data security: Files never leave the EU and are immediately deleted after transcription, unless you save them in your own private, secure vault.”

Even though you’re still a young company, you’ve already come a long way. Where do you stand today?

“We are now 20 months old and have 2.5 million users in 175 countries. Every month, we gain about 150,000 new users. We initially targeted journalists as our primary audience, but we’ve discovered that the need spans across many industries. Researchers, consultants, lawyers, and healthcare professionals are among our users.

We are a team of eight, but I’m in the process of hiring two more and look forward to further expanding over the next few years.”

How do you approach innovation and creativity at Good Tape in a world where trends and technology are constantly evolving?

“It’s extremely exciting and opens up huge opportunities. We’re fortunate to hit a ‘sweet spot.’

My core belief about AI is that all the mundane tasks – the ones that don’t bring you joy but can be automated – should be embraced. There’s no good argument against that. When it comes to potential warning signs, we focus on fostering a culture of active optimism.

AI’s development is happening regardless, so it’s about navigating it with curiosity and responsibility.”

What are Good Tape’s ambitions for the coming years?

“We’re in an incredibly exciting process right now, which I can share more about in April. We’ve got our product roadmap in place. Right now, we’re like ‘WeTransfer’ for transcription, but we have a lot more in the works. Transcription is often just the first step before ‘you need something more,’ and we have some exciting ideas for what that ‘more’ could be—actually, something the world hasn’t seen before.

For now, we’re a tool, but our roadmap is leading us toward becoming much more. At the same time, maintaining simplicity will be a core focus for us.

Additionally, it’s crucial that we continue to grow, of course.

Dare you make a guess where Good Tape will be in three years?

“Three years is really a long time in our world. But we’re working toward being the absolute market leader, making acquisitions, and generating a significant seven-figure revenue. In terms of employees, I think we’ll be around 30 people. It’s no longer a value metric to be 100+.”

Who inspires you?

“Anyone who dares to do something with their brand. It’s an incredibly difficult balancing act for us to try to build a unique brand that stands out, but at the same time, needs to appeal to the 60-year-old Taiwanese journalist as well as the 21-year-old anthropology student from KU. Ryanair’s social media team is insane. So is Surreal from England. I wish I could give individual names, but I can’t off the top of my head—I’ll have to get back to you on that!”

We look forward to following Lasse Finderup and Good Tape’s journey here on dontt.dk.

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