Menyou

“For me, it is of utmost importance how new technology is used to get closer to fans. What Menyou has created sets a benchmark for how this can be done in the future.” – Steve Angello

“Menyou is the new way to distribute punk rock. Everyone should use them!” – Millencolin

“Finally, all African artists can reach a global market thanks to Menyou.” – Youssou N’Dour

“As a musician and songwriter, it’s important to get your music distributed and ultimately earn some money from it. Menyou is an excellent new tool for today’s artists.” – Anders F Rönnblom

The Menyou Project: A Journey of Innovation and Unexpected Encounters

In 2007, fresh from my return from Japan, I stood at a crossroads: move to Tokyo to work with Asian clients or join a project called Menyou, initiated by my colleague and friend Andreas Lindholm. I chose the latter, driven by an ambitious thought: "If a simple kid from Trollhättan could become one of the best at flash animation, maybe it's possible to change the world as well? How hard can it be?"

The Concept
Our vision for Menyou was revolutionary: a platform where anyone could send money as easily as giving a Facebook like, creating a Digital Fair Trade ecosystem. We aimed to transform the Internet into a space not just for information freedom, but also for economic empowerment through a digital trade market and micro-transactions. In retrospect, if only we had incorporated Bitcoin, which emerged a few years later...

From Animation to Innovation
My role evolved from doing animations to UI design, strategy meetings, and investor presentations. This journey led to encounters that could fill a book or documentary:

• A potentially dangerous mythomaniac investor in a London mental hospital
• A retired marine officer linked to a Russian submarine scandal
• A forest-owning priest who dozed off during my presentation—but still invested
• A call with ABBA's Björn from the phonebook
• A fortune-telling prophetess advising Qatar's business elite
• The widow of a water-powered car inventor

Lessons and Challenges
These experiences taught me that changing the world was far more complex than I had imagined. After five years with Menyou, I needed a break and returned to freelancing in motion graphics. The company eventually folded, though I believe the main founder Johan Ohlsson continues to pursue the vision somewhere...

Reflection
This journey, while challenging and at times overwhelming, provided invaluable insights into the worlds of technology, business, and human nature. It demonstrated that innovation often comes with unexpected twists and turns, and that perseverance is key in the face of adversity.

/Mattias Lindberg