About Per Håkansson
Per Håkansson is the Swedish-American writer — former tech and media executive — behind the philosophy of fewer better things which he began developing in the mid-naughts when still employed in the tech industry.
The idea is very simple:
Only buy the things that you frequently use, love, and that last, and focus your precious time, attention, and creative energy on what really matters to you in your life. But in a society that is driven by more, that’s easier said than done – thus this practical newsletter to inspire and guide.
He loves anything water-related, from swimming to surfing, snowboarding, and sailing. He also reads a lot, close to hundred books — fiction and non-fiction — every year. His favorite genres are spy thrillers, literary novels, and books about physical and mental peak performance and human behavior.
Born in Sweden, “grew up” in California
He was born and raised in Sweden but moved to Los Angeles for the last year of high school. In Southern California he studied journalism, learned how to make photos, use personal computers, swim and play water polo competitively, and get himself into trouble, something he still does very well to this day.
He has been an avid traveler since childhood, first covering most of Europe via road trips, then spending extensive time traveling in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas for both business and pleasure. In total he has lived in a half dozen countries and visited seventy plus with more to come.
At university he studied economics, literature, journalism, and languages at well-known educational institutions across Europe – including Sweden, Spain, and Switzerland – and the US. After school he was recruited to a media startup, followed by several tech startups in Stockholm, London, and San Francisco.
Digital transformation pioneer
In 2010 he became an independent lecturer and advisor to Fortune 500 companies on digital transformation and travelled extensively across the whole world for a decade. Today he’s more focused on how to live life well with fewer better things in one timezone, including daily swim practice, reading, and writing.
A few of my lifestyle experiments:
Training for the US Nationals in swimming 2026/27 to see how far I can push myself physically and mentally in middle age.
Reading 100+ books per year instead of engaging in social media with the hypothesis that the practice is mentally and intellectually more rewarding.
Only occasionally engaging with the Internet via an iPad Air to practice mindful usage of digital technologies. No iPhone, no Apple Watch.
Fully participating in the circular economy, only buying and owning the gear, equipment, and apparel that I frequently use on a seasonal basis.
Practicing intermittent fasting for healthier living: fat loss / muscle gain, reduced inflammation, faster recovery, and improved cognitive function.
He frequently roams Southern California in search for great waves, new public swimming pools, great libraries, fun outdoor adventures, and interesting new friendships. He owns very few material things which allows for a very light nomadic lifestyle, but lives a very rich, interesting, and fulfilling life.
No iPhone, no social media
He neither use an iPhone nor social media, and prefers to live life offline, in the outdoors, mostly near water. That said, when he brings out his iPad Air, he’s ridiculously fast in getting stuff that matters done well, including leveraging the latest technologies, like AI, with clear intentions.
Happily divorced since 2015, he has two sons who live in Santa Barbara.
