The Pursuit of Scrappiness

Tuomo Laine is the Co-founder and Managing director of Twice Commerce. He brings his expertise in digital service design and his commitment to the circular economy to the ecommerce tech industry. Having taught at Aalto University and being a part of the Unreasonable Fellows, Tuomo is dedicated to making e-commerce both more sustainable and lucrative by leveraging circular economy principles.On this episode we talk about:Strategies for businesses to adopt sustainable practices effectivelyThe significance of simplicity in building and scaling platform businessesThe current state and consumer demand for sustainabilityThe gap between consumers' sustainability intentions and their purchasing behaviorsChallenges and opportunities in marketing sustainable productsThe role and impact of refurbished products in the market===Find other episodes on >  https://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/Watch select full-length episodes on our YouTube channel > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP6ueaLnjS-CQfrMCm2EoTAConnect with us on Linkedin > https://www.linkedin.com/company/pursuit-of-scrappiness/Support the show

Get insider tips from 2nd time founders on selling B2B products, importance of cybersecurity for business growth, and real-life hacker tactics to watch out for. Dive into the world of entrepreneurship, customer relationships, and cyber protection in today's digital age.

Marko Kaseleht is the Co-founder and CEO of SensusQ. He successfully transitioned from an illustrious career in the Estonian Defense Forces to leading innovation in defense tech. With six combat tours under his belt, Marko's expertise now boosts NATO's defense capabilities as well as Ukraine's, through advanced intelligence management software.On this episode we talk about:Transition from Military to Defense TechnologyHow Military Tech keeps us SafeRisks of SurveillanceMarko’s Leadership Philosophy & PrinciplesWhy People Need Challenges in Daily Life===Find other episodes on >  https://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/Watch select full-length episodes on our YouTube channel > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP6ueaLnjS-CQfrMCm2EoTAConnect with us on Linkedin > https://www.linkedin.com/company/pursuit-of-scrappiness/Support the show

Sampo Hietanen is the founder and CEO of MaaS Global. A civil engineer turned entrepreneur he is recognised as the father of 'Mobility as a Service' concept. MaaS Global, runs and operates the award winning Whim app that offers comprehensive and all-encompassing mobility service to people in such cities as Helsinki, Vienna and Tokyo.Expect to learn:- How much private vehicles are being underutilised- Service design principles that meet the demands of modern day users- How to prosper in API-economy- How to balance interests of multiple stakeholders/partners- How all-in-one mobility solution that makes you give up your car looks like===Find other episodes on >  https://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/Watch select full-length episodes on our YouTube channel > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP6ueaLnjS-CQfrMCm2EoTAConnect with us on Linkedin > https://www.linkedin.com/company/pursuit-of-scrappiness/Support the show

Fabio Bin and Erika De Santi are the co-founders of WeRoad. They are redefining group travel for millennials by blending unique travel experiences with local culture and social opportunities. Since its inception in 2017, WeRoad has garnered attention for its innovative approach, recently securing significant Series B funding. Their journey, from a bootstrapped venture to a thriving marketplace for travel coordinators and service suppliers, demonstrates their impact on the travel community today and in the future.On this episode we talk about:Community-Based Product BuildingGrowth Hacking TacticsSelling to MillennialsIncorporating User Feedback in Product DevelopmentFuture Trends in Travel===Find other episodes on >  https://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/Watch select full-length episodes on our YouTube channel > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP6ueaLnjS-CQfrMCm2EoTAConnect with us on Linkedin > https://www.linkedin.com/company/pursuit-of-scrappiness/Support the show

As promised during some of the previous episodes, we went to Tartu for sTARTUp Day 2024 and brought back a recording of a fireside chat with Kaarel Kotkas.Kaarel is the founder and CEO of Veriff, one of the more recent Estonian unicorns that raised a 100m$ series C in early 2022 to hit the billion valuation mark. The 2 years that have followed have been very challenging and we sat down with Kaarel to talk about getting through challenging times, making tough decisions and building resilience,What you can expect to learn from Kaarel:What to do when you see warning signs of market slowdownStrategies for keeping revenue up and growing during a downturnHow to manage investor relationshipsThe decision-making process and aftermath of doing 2 layoffs in 1 yearTaking extremely hard decisions and moving on as a leader and a companyHow to define success when you have reached unicorn statusTIMESTAMPS:01:00 sTARTUp Day 2024 impressions10:00 Fireside chat with Kaarel35:00 Uldis & Janis recaps the main lessons from the interview===Find other episodes on >  https://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/Watch select full-length episodes on our YouTube channel > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP6ueaLnjS-CQfrMCm2EoTAConnect with us on Linkedin > https://www.linkedin.com/company/pursuit-of-scrappiness/Support the show

Dainis Kruze is the CEO and Co-Founder of Aerones. With a deep passion for innovation, he and his co-founder Janis Putrams started Aerones in 2015. Originating from university projects, their ambition and hard work evolved into a robust company, now boasting over 120 employees catering to markets across Europe, North America, and Latin America. They raised $30M Series-A in 2023.On this episode we talk about:How Dainis pulled off a huge pivot with AeronesBuilding a culture that fosters innovation and adaptabilityWhat it takes to pitch successfullyExperiences and learnings from participating in Y CombinatorThe importance and challenges of talent acquisition and nurturing in the BalticsThe future of renewable energy===Find other episodes on >  https://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/Watch select full-length episodes on our YouTube channel > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP6ueaLnjS-CQfrMCm2EoTAConnect with us on Linkedin > https://www.linkedin.com/company/pursuit-of-scrappiness/Support the show

Kalev Kaarna, Mentor at Creative Destruction Lab, shares insights on VC support for startups, early sales tactics, and the 'Sell-Demo-Build' strategy. He discusses the importance of coaching for founders, building a sales strategy, and the unique accelerator model that fast-tracks startups to major markets. The conversation also covers leadership evolution in growing companies and a career break to develop an AI bot for coaching startups.

Märt Lume is a co-founder of Futuclass, a VR startup aimed at enhancing the educational experience for high school students, particularly in STEM subjects like chemistry and physics. Additionally, Märt serves as the chairman of the board for the Estonian AR-VR Association. His expertise extends into the investment realm as well, being a member of the management board at Ludus Holdings, an early-stage investor that includes notable names such as Bolt, Veriff and Ready Player Me in its portfolio. Märt's journey in the tech industry started with a gaming background, where he was notably the first employee at a company called Glitch, which later evolved into the widely-known platform Slack. His global experience, having lived in numerous cities around the world, adds a unique perspective to his entrepreneurial insights and learnings​​.This episode is brought to you in cooperation with Tartu sTARTUp day!Join the 3,500 people taking part at this year's most startup minded business festival on January 24-26 by securing your ticket here  www.startupday.eeOn this episode we talk about:The current state of AR/VR progressMärt’s experience as first employee of Glitch that later became SlackInternational experiences and their benefits in entrepreneurshipHow well do we teach STEM overallThe importance of separating reality and virtual reality ===Find other episodes on >  https://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/Watch select full-length episodes on our YouTube channel > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP6ueaLnjS-CQfrMCm2EoTAConnect with us on Linkedin > https://www.linkedin.com/company/pursuit-of-scrappiness/Support the show

Priit Salumaa is a serial entrepreneur based in the vibrant tech city of Tartu. He is the CEO and founder of Better Medicine, a company focused on building AI solutions to battle cancer. His entrepreneurial journey began with the founding of a software development company called Mooncascade in 2009, during the aftermath of the global economic crisis. In addition to his business ventures, Priit has been notably active in the non-governmental and non-profit sectors. He is a co-founder of flagship industry events in Estonia, such as Garage48 and Latitude59​​.This episode is brought to you in cooperation with Tartu sTARTUp day! Join the 3,500 people taking part at this year's most startup minded business festival on January 24-26 by securing your ticket here  www.startupday.eeOn this episode we talk about:Better Medicine and fighting cancer with AIBuilding a medtech product and businessThe value of building non-governmental organizationsHow hackathons contribute to community buildingThe potential of a unified Baltic market and identity===Find other episodes on >  https://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/Watch select full-length episodes on our YouTube channel > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP6ueaLnjS-CQfrMCm2EoTAConnect with us on Linkedin > https://www.linkedin.com/company/pursuit-of-scrappiness/Support the show