Bolt president Jevgeni Kabanov said a startup isn't just any business — it's a bid to create something big. Opening a hair salon, he said, isn't done with the expectation it'll be worth millions, "but when you launch a startup, it's an attempt to build something worth tens or hundreds of millions — or, even better, over a billion — and it's usually tech-driven."

Bikeep founder and CEO Kristjan Lind added that what truly defines a startup is its focus on growth over profit. "It's about how to grow big, not how to make money today," he explained.

Fairmus founder Reigo Ahven explained that the Estonian Founders Society exists to give people the courage to turn even their wildest idea into reality. He said his best advice for anyone starting out is to "talk to as many people as possible."

Lind agreed, noting that entrepreneurs who are too afraid to share their idea likely won't make it far. When you talk about your idea, he said, "you get a lot of feedback — and you learn."

Recently, several Estonian startup founders decided to join forces musically, forming the tongue-in-cheek act Minimal Viable Band.

"We made a band because it makes us happy," Ahven said. "Just a bunch of guys showing up and playing two and a half chords for two hours straight — and it's an incredible lightning rod in every sense."

He added that being a good founder isn't about knowing everything; it's about understanding that you can't. What matters is taking action and moving forward, step by step.

As for their music, Ahven said the band knows its limits. "That's why we have only one rule: every song has to end up punk," he quipped.

Adact founder Kalev Kärpuk said Minimal Viable Band doesn't expect to end up on a world stage, and that's not the point.

"It's the same with a startup — you don't do it just to be happy when you cross the finish line," he said. "You have to enjoy the journey, even when you're only just getting started."

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