Stories, lessons and observations from years of mentoring, investing and building companies across the Nordic and Baltic startup ecosystem.
Reverse Exit Strategy. What if you are forced to buy up shares of your own company. Why we take on this rollercoaster is the vision of getting financially strong with little effort to change the world for better and to have a big impact. Yet sometimes it doesn't happen. Sometimes someone gives up waiting…
Read moreMarineHäkk 22 – 24 April 2022. Searching novel technology-based solutions and approaches towards climate-neutral economy! We're back & ready to bring technological innovation to Estonian & Baltic sea region maritime industry! For the second year, Tallinn University of Technology and Estonian Maritime Academy are hosting a maritime hackathon…
Read moreWith these topics one has to be "pragmatically critical"! Frankness is at its place. It was such a necessary wake-up call. It ain't rocket science, but hassling with daily operations had lost the bigger picture from my sight. I did my Financials once was applying for (Enterprise Estonia) grant, but it's about time to apply…
Read moreWhat is it then one might ask: Action based planning OR Planned actions? As an experienced SME, practitioner, like I used to be, one knows that there are certain limits of resources and options out there, and whatever you do, you can't overcome these – so your sales and growth numbers are set. Right?
Read moreIntro story. I'll tell you a story, just a very regular one, default case, that surprised me a great deal. And had to find an answer to something we all deal with. Well, I had a new client, first meeting, she was a little bit nervous, yet the case seemed at first really boring to…
Read moreHow do I get off my blinders, am I really the only one? The world operates only because of greed and scarcity, one might say. Less dramatically looking, we just have to consider our positioning and understand the value distribution in our context. For about 3 years now I have monitored and learnt how this…
Read moreThe world operates only because of greed and scarcity, one might say. Less dramatically looking, we just have to consider our positioning and understand the value distribution in our context. For about 3 years now I have monitored and learnt how this "mentoring business" works for startups and entrepreneurs…
Read moreUsually, when people graduate the high-school, they are at the top of their knowledge. For some reason same applies to some founders who think that fundraising can be done free – without any cost and people who have designed dedicated services to fundraise are charging too much money…
Read moreAn experience I got from first 2 months of 2021 made me look deeper into something I had solved in my companies long time ago, but what might be relevant for new teams and startups. At first I could not give it a name, but today I say – red flags ignore not to, but…
Read moreWhat seems to be a lonely mentor walking his dog in forest …is not actually it. I am not lonely – we have walked thousands of kilometers during 2020, something I would have never thought of myself. Yesterday it was so beautiful as a lot of snow came down and forest was full of people…
Read moreAgainst the wind and up you fly… I decided to give my son's 20th birthday gift a parachute jump. It took us 2x to the airfield and they could not take off due to heavy unstable wind conditions. I am not a airplane instructor, so it was rather new experience to me as well…
Read moreUnderstand the reasons you are… Moment of truth. I've been there too, not knowing who am I. I tried to get help – to understand me better, to make sense, what I want. I tried many different techniques and approaches that had brought results earlier in my life. After my last exit…
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