The Expression Economy is an ongoing perspective on the creator economy — how culture, people, and technology reward, or quietly punish, the courage to be visible. This is Part 1.

TL;DR: Europe is riding a €700B+ creative boom, yet Tall Poppy norms that punish anyone who shines still cost the continent an estimated €35–70B in lost innovation every year. I'm a Persian-Swedish "tall poppy" who turned that cultural friction into my work. My thesis is simple: high-vibration, celebrated talent outperforms modest mediocrity — so let's invest in the people and ideas brave enough to stand tall.

A culture that trims its brightest blooms

Europe is riding a creator boom — a €700B+ creative ecosystem spanning cultural industries, the creator economy, and innovation startups. Yet old social norms threaten to stunt this growth. Unwritten rules like Scandinavia's Jantelagen — a Tall Poppy Syndrome–style code of humility — still silently punish those who dare to stand out. In a world where the creator economy rewards visibility and bold ideas at record speed, many European innovators still feel pressure to "stay small" and not outshine the collective. That hesitation is dimming some of the continent's creative spark.

The cost of playing small

The economic price of modesty is staggering. Tall Poppy Syndrome — the tendency to cut down high achievers — directly undercuts productivity and innovation. Nearly 90% of professional women worldwide report having their achievements undermined by tall-poppy behaviour, and 75% say the backlash hurt their productivity. In a European creative market worth hundreds of billions, even a modest 5–10% drag from a "don't shine too bright" mindset means leaving an estimated €35–70B in growth on the table every year. That is the annual cost of brilliant ideas unspoken, startups never launched, and leadership potential unrealised — a self-inflicted tax on Europe's talent.

| Metric | Figure | | --- | --- | | European creative ecosystem | €700B+ | | Women reporting achievements undermined | ~90% | | Reporting productivity impact | 75% | | Estimated annual innovation drag | €35–70B |

Bold leadership as the new edge

For investors and forward-looking leaders, this culture clash is an opportunity. Backing expressive, bold leadership in Europe is an underexploited edge — a chance to unlock creative value where others see only cultural risk. By celebrating success out loud and empowering innovators to stand tall, savvy investors can capture the value that timid norms have kept hidden. In a global market that prizes originality and audacity, those who cultivate Europe's tall poppies — instead of cutting them down — will reap outsized returns.

It's time to flip the script on humility-as-hindrance. Embrace the founders, creators, and ideas that dare to shine. Treating bold, expressive leadership as a competitive advantage rather than a liability won't just fuel Europe's creator economy — it will differentiate the portfolios brave enough to back it.

Where this started

Last week I had an inspiring call with a colleague from a leading consulting firm. We were deep in conversation about a post-AI, digitalised society — polarisation, globalisation, and what it means to lead in the creator economy — when he dropped a phrase I hadn't heard before: Tall Poppy Syndrome. It hit me in the gut. I'd spent most of my life in Sweden navigating a cultural undercurrent I never had the words for in a global context. That call had the energy of celebration — something I realised I rarely feel on this side of the Atlantic.

That's when I began this research. I wanted to understand why someone like me — a Persian-Swedish entrepreneur with an academic bent and a global outlook — often feels out of sync in Scandinavia yet is seen clearly in more individualistic cultures like the U.S. I grew up with a name that means "shining star" in Persian, raised with high expectations, relentless drive, and a love for creation. But in Sweden, where humility is a national virtue, self-expression can be mistaken for arrogance. That tension — between celebrating individuality and suppressing it — sits at the heart of two cultural codes: Tall Poppy Syndrome and Jantelagen.

What is Tall Poppy Syndrome?

Tall Poppy Syndrome (TPS), common in Australia and New Zealand, is the tendency to resent or criticise those who stand out for success — like cutting the tallest poppies in a field to keep things even. Its roots reach back to ancient Rome, where Livy described King Tarquin demonstrating power by beheading the tallest flowers to symbolise eliminating the elite. In modern usage, TPS is an egalitarian impulse gone sideways: it celebrates humility while punishing those who rise "too high." In the age of the creator economy, it becomes a double-edged sword — promote yourself and risk backlash; stay quiet and risk disappearing.

| The backlash, quantified | Figure | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Professional women (across 4,710 respondents in 103 countries) who say their achievements have been cut down by Tall Poppy behaviour | 86.8% | Medical News Today summary of the 2023 Tallest Poppy report | | Same respondents who say Tall Poppy backlash directly hurt their productivity | 75% | Women of Influence, The Tallest Poppy white paper | | Independent replication linking the 75% figure to mental-health strain and turnover | 75% | Benefits Canada conference coverage |

Enter Jantelagen

In Scandinavia, this impulse is codified in Jantelagen, the Law of Jante — a concept from Aksel Sandemose's 1933 novel that shaped Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian social psychology. The rules are unspoken but clear: don't think you're special, don't stand out, don't outshine the group.

While it promotes equality and trust, it often discourages ambition and self-expression. In Swedish society, success is meant to be earned silently — you're allowed to achieve, but not to enjoy it openly, perhaps as a guard against vanity. There are sound qualities to Jantelagen. But I've felt its other edge — launching ventures, winning grants, sharing creative wins. The reaction isn't envy so much as discomfort. In contrast, my peers in the U.S. are quick to say, "Good for you." That cultural warmth toward success isn't trivial. It creates momentum — and momentum is oxygen for any business.

A shifting global culture

Social media is rewriting the script. The creator economy thrives on visibility, authenticity, and bold self-branding, and that challenges older humility codes. In Sweden, Gen Z and Millennials are more likely to post achievements, promote projects, and start brands. Jantelagen is still there — but it's softening. Platforms have created new arenas where individuality is rewarded rather than repressed.

| The creator economy could approach half-a-trillion dollars by 2027 | | | | --- | --- | --- | | 2023 | $250 billion | Baseline | | 2027 (projected) | $480 billion | ~1.9× growth in four years |

Source: Goldman Sachs Research insight note.

The backlash hasn't vanished. Digital culture has its own version of TPS — online hate, trolling, pile-ons acting as modern scythes. But the difference is agency: creators now own their narrative. They choose how to show up.

Where we belong

As someone who grew up between cultures, my identity has always been a negotiation. Swedish society raised me to blend in; my Persian heritage taught me to honour my name and go far. English became the language where I thrive, create, and lead — the register where I operate best when navigating creative and business endeavours, in an era where technology has opened the door to solo billion-dollar companies being built in front of our eyes. Even then, Jantelagen applies — and, in its healthiest form, still holds value.

My conclusion is this: own your uniqueness and your strengths, while building collaborative leadership. Real impact today comes from sharing knowledge, cultivating collective intelligence, lifting others, and showing up authentically — even if it means being a tall poppy in a field trained to cut them down.

Sammanfattning

Europa sitter på ett kreativt ekosystem värt över 700 mdr €, men den osynliga "jantelags-skatten" gör att vi förlorar cirka 35–70 mdr € per år i outnyttjad innovation och talangflykt. Min tes är enkel: team som vågar glänsa slår försiktig medelmåttighet varje gång. Låt oss därför investera i människor och idéer som vågar stå över mängden — och ta tillbaka de miljarder Europa i dag går miste om.

Sources

Part 1 of The Expression Economy — an ongoing perspective on the creator economy.

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