Ocean11 2026

It started on a long walk in St. Moritz with Hampus, at Winterfest Europe. Hampus is the reason this trip is happening at all, so thank him when you see him.

For those who know me well: I like to convene people. The best learning happens when we debate, disagree, and challenge each other. And over the past few years I have come to believe the best conversations happen outside, in nature, not in closed boardrooms. It is the balance of philosophy and a sharp mind, the first-principles thinking that being outdoors unleashes. A walk, a run, a ride: that is what triggers the deep bond, the real conversation, the moment an idea becomes obvious or the missing piece of the puzzle appears in front of you.

Life is about exploring. About the journey. But most of all it is about the group you take that journey with, and how you show up, not only for others, but for your older self. Because that is the only thing that truly matters. You will only remember the moments that made you stop, turn around, or sprint. Not the ones you walked past without noticing the surroundings had already changed.

Ocean11 has two meanings. Like the movie, it is about gathering an A team.

In the film there were eleven people. It aired in 2001, the year we crossed into the 21st century. And here in 2026, a quarter of that century has slipped past in plain sight. We are speeding into the future, already closer to what we thought would wait for us in the next one. The world has no shortage of problems, but the opportunities look far bigger. Oh boy, what a time to be alive.

A word on the group. The whole idea of Ocean11 is the team. Each person brings something the others do not have, and the group compounds it: a win made of many wins. Different views, different upbringings. That is what builds character, perspective, resilience, and real respect for an opposing opinion even when you disagree with it. Think of the great company diasporas: PayPal, then Palantir, Google, Meta, Anduril. Each seeded a network, but the origin is always the same: very smart people gathered around one cause. Our cause this weekend is the quality of the conversation.

I count each of you in that company. High on openness and directness, no patience for BS, high urgency, high agency. Driven, ambitious, and always giving back to the people around you. And each of you reads the world differently, which is exactly what makes Ocean11 the right name, like the movie itself.

We are not here to make friends. We are here for the love of a good discussion. But I will bet you my house: you will make friends anyway. :)

I love water and forests. They bring peace and joy, and frankly, peace is what we need more of right now, not less. So water is not a nice-to-have here. It is a hard condition.

And eleven carries one last meaning. The boat to Saturday dinner seats exactly eleven, and it is the largest one we can hire here. That is the real bottleneck. Note to self: next year, find a place with bigger boats. :)

Time away from family should never be a trade. My wife and our little one will be in Palanga from Friday to Sunday. You are welcome to bring yours; they can spend the weekend in Palanga, the seaside resort you fly out from on Sunday. If you would like that, DM me and I will sort the details.

I will see you all in a few weeks. If your flights are not booked yet, please close them out. And if anything has changed, tell me as soon as you can: I have a long list of people who would take an open seat, and the boat slots have to be full.

The survey is in, so I am locking the final logistics now. We are near the finish line.

See you on the water.