MIN

Stockholm-based Lamin Sonko’s in the middle of building an AI-powered reference library called KIVE (short for archive) for the modern creative who is light on disc space, but in need of expansive visual storytelling tools. On a wet August afternoon, and discover the simple power of asking questions with Lamin.

What was the most important advice you’ve ever received?

The piece of advice that always sticks with me, that I always go back to professionally and personally, is actually from my mother. I’m three or four years into my career as an ad agency creative, it’s abstract but also basic... I go to the office to type on a computer, I write emails, I present stuff. So one day I was in her living room watching TV, and she came over to me, sat down on the sofa beside me, and put her arms around me. She says: You know, I noticed every time I ask you about your work, you get a bit annoyed, and I get all of that, but I also sense that you have a hard time formulating what it is you do. This is not only about me, but if you want other people to respect what you do, respect the knowledge that you possess. Become the best you can at formulating your knowledge. And that has always stuck with me since: how do I best formulate my knowledge so that other people respect it... in any context?

What expectations did your parents have?

My parents got to where they’ve gotten by working their hardest and taking any opportunity that comes before them. To me they were like: Listen, please just do better than us. Take what we’ve built for you, and build upon that. What was the one skill you’ve worked hardest to acquire? When I was young I was super shy – I didn’t know how to talk to strangers or ask questions from anybody... And my parents were always saying: You have to ask, you have to ask. And that’s something that’s been ingrained in me - If I don’t have the answers to something, I find someone who does. And I’m not afraid of that now, it’s become my way of surviving basically. I reach out to people I know and people I don’t – I’ll do whatever it takes for knowledge.

Can you think of a time where a wrong choice resulted in a good result?

Absolutely! I was studying International Relations at university. My parents were so proud, but after the first semester I thought: Oh shit, this isn’t for me. I didn’t have the heart to tell them that I wasn’t going anymore. So I would just leave the house and go roaming and filling time while they thought I was studying. And one day I went to this local meeting place that every municipality has in Sweden. And saw a bunch of people having a meeting. I didn’t know anyone but I went along with it and sat down at the table and started listening in. The guy next to me started talking about his start-up and a course he’s doing in entrepreneurship – it sounded so interesting so I took his contacts just to see where it might lead. And in less than a week I was on the course. That was all it took to light the spark up in me. I am still close with him today, we have shared network of amazing contacts. I’ve never looked back.

Is there such a thing as a bad or good decision? How do you make decisions?

I like to attain as much knowledge as possible. I think about what is needed, what is the premise, what’s the scope. I like digging as deeply as possible, and you know giving people a bit of a hard time. Then I’ll make my assessment based on that. Most people say instinct, but i think instinct is built on former experience – so it still comes back to knowledge.

How about happiness - how should we measure happiness in the future?

Interesting question! I think that out of the 24 hours that we have each day, that we all have, how much of that can you allocate to what makes you most happy, without compromising your quality of life? That’s the measure of happiness.

Can you talk to me a bit about the last time you were scared? Or a fight or flightmoment? How did you deal with fear?

Hmm... it’s not work related. I think it was when my wife was giving birth. We had everything planned, and things were getting very close so we called in at the hospital. And they were like: There are no beds here, we can’t take you... we can send you to a hospital that’s far away or you can deliver the baby at home and we’ll be on the phone giving instructions. And I was like how the hell am I going to handle this – and I just plugged into the situation as it was - I can’t do anything about it, so I have to handle it. That’s my go to for fear – it is what it is now, let’s just handle it. Nothing I would type into an academic book, it’s that simple.

Is there a mantra you live or work by?

Sure - something that runs through everything which is: talent is universal, opportunity isn’t. I like to level out the playing field especially when I work with younger people - you see that everybody just needs a chance to shine.

If you could sit down with anyone for five minutes, dead or alive?

Toni Morrison. She’s astonishing and incredibly intelligent – but she also has this outlook on life and work that a lot of people would benefit from: don’t compromise your voice and values. Her writing is activism.

Who is your best friend?

Ah… I have a childhood crew of six, but I’ll lift one person up. Her name is Sophia. I can be a bit closed or hard to reach the core of. I think she and my wife are the only people who I feel like it’s okay to have real talk with. Both of them have an emotional intelligence that at times makes me super uncomfortable, but I’ve learned to appreciate it. You always find that it’s your friends and family who give you the best advice.

ANYO.NE/LAMIN