This document provides marketing tips for startups based on lessons from Estonia. It discusses how Estonia has developed a strong startup culture despite its small population through supportive government policies, early startup successes like Skype, and a collaborative environment. Some key recommendations include starting marketing early, experimenting and testing different approaches, learning from each other, being patient, and listening to customers over experts. Estonia's e-government services, flat tax system, and emphasis on technology have also helped amplify its startups.

1. Marketing 101 for startups
Siim Teller
@teller
These are slides from a lecture to Plan 9 + IT University students in Lahore, 26.11.2014

2. Lessons from Estonia
(and other places too)

3. Who’s this dude?
• Skype, GrabCAD, On Device Research
• B2C > B2B
• Content > product management > marketing
• Communications, social network, marketplace,
market research

4. Estonia
Pop: 1.3 million
GDP: $18,500
Pakistan
Pop: 190 million
GDP: $1300

5. Estonia… never heard of it
• Population: 1.3 million
• Territory: 45,000 sq km (Pakistan almost 800,000 sq km)
• Regained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 - had to
build up all the infrastructure
• Home to NATO Cyber Security Centre
• Punches way above its weight when it comes to startups - number
per capita, press coverage, funds raised

6. Unfortunately no magic solution
• Right steps by the government
• Handful of outside amplifiers
• Open and collaborative startup scene
• “Let’s just do it” attitude
• Raise of startup culture and acceptance in Estonia, Nordics, Europe

8. …didn’t happen in vacuum

9. Bluemoon > Everyday.com >
Joltid > Skype

11. Seeds for the 2nd wave
Original Skype team in Estonia got a nice payday which they started investing back
into the ecosystem. With lots of failures :)
Skype employees have also gone on to kick off a handful of new startups (with other
Skypers as angels)

12. But it wasn’t just Skype
Development houses: went from outsourced engineering to design,
UX, project management, own products, spin offs
People working for these companies built up the skills, experience
and balls to go on to launch their own things.
A handful of software houses have been very successful companies
in their own right, with owners making enough money to become
angel investors.

13. More than one ways to success

14. e-Estonia

15. Good for PR
• Tiger leap
• ID card + mobile ID
• Simple taxes - flat tax, takes me 5 minutes to file taxes online
• eGovernment
• X road citizen portal - government should ask you for info only once
• 15 minutes to set up company online
• eCitizenship

17. Try different approaches to
marketing

20. Lets just see
what happens!

21. Stop listening to experts (like me)
Listen to your customers instead
bit.ly/shut-up-experts by @ramlijohn

22. Find your amplifiers
Cyrus Farivar - journalist
Steve Jürvetson - investor
Toomas Henrik Ilves - president
Tigerprises - local startup coverage

25. • Start with marketing now
• Don’t be the “Estonian developer”
• Experiment and test
• Learn from each other
• Be patient

26. Ask me anything
@teller
siimteller@mac.com