2026-10-07
100 Product Managers Who Changed the World · #23: Daniel Ek
In 2002 Napster was shut down and piracy carried on anyway. A 19-year-old Daniel Ek drew a conclusion: piracy cannot be legislated away, so the only answer is a legal service that is easier to use than piracy and still pays the music industry. Six years later Spotify launched. In June 2026 it had 777 million monthly users and 300 million subscribers. #23 of 100 Product Managers Who Changed the World, scores 92/90/88/94/94/90.
