Bringing Startup Mindset Closer to Government (and 4-Year-Olds)

The speech delivered by me at Tallinn e-Governance Conference.

Hi everyone!

I’m Sander, the Chairman of Robotex — the Global Robotics Education Network.

It all got started in 2001 when the two Estonian universities understood they need to have some kind of an examination event for their robotics and mechatronics students. So they decided to hold the first platform-free advanced robotics competition.

Over the years this concept started to grow, only to finally become the biggest robotics competition on the planet by the end of 2017 when we managed to bring together 1346 robots and 27000 people. By that time we had also privatised the whole thing, as it had become too big for the universities or their students to run.

But after becoming the biggest we also understood that this concept could become something much bigger than just a robotics exhibition with competitions for all age groups. We understood Robotex could actually become a global program helping to generate the really innovative frontier tech startups and millions of new robotics and AI engineers.

So we developed it into a network with three distinctive yet connected parts: Roboversity, Robovation and Robotex festivals.

• Roboversity includes various education programs for gifted students, new potential teachers and interested corporates in the form of school, boot camps and online programs.
• Robovation helps early-stage frontier tech startups show what they have built and get much-needed connections. Meanwhile, corporates can start innovation challenges that help them find talents, bypass universities for R&D and find new partners.
• Robotex Festivals bring together the talents and the corporates, while also giving latest insights in robotics to the public officials and the general public by hosting robotics competitions, conferences, exhibitions and workshops.

In fact, this concept has become a global phenomenon with us already being operational across five continents and in 11 countries — while discussing to open up 25 more within the next 18 months.

And we have only achieved this growth as the people from countries all over the world have come to us because unlike our competitors, such as FIRST Education, Robotex provides local teams with tools to actually generate revenue. Thus making it easier to survive as this kind of programs, unfortunately, don’t get enough funding from the governments, globally.

But why does it all matter? What is in it for you all?

Well, we all want our economies to grow and thus need more companies. Especially those that generate innovation and bigger returns. Which is why we are globally looking towards startups — the fast-paced, quickly growing companies.

And entrepreneurs also want to build those companies. Why else do they fill stadiums full of early-stage founders listening to various successful entrepreneurs talk?

However, we all have at least one problem at our hands. The problem is that these events are only full of adults!

WHAT!? How can this be a problem?

It is a problem because building a successful company takes around 10–20 years! Okay, building it might just take 2–7 years. But preparing for that journey starts much earlier.

And when are most people starting their first companies? Not before graduating!

Which means that most of them will be in their 40s by the time they have all the skills necessary to build the next Apple or Google. But people in their 40s do not want to take big risks and would rather spend time with their families. Thus not building the big, scaling companies — maybe just running some…

Is there a solution?

Yes!

Let’s have our 4-year-olds start companies.

Or at least the 13-year-olds.

Because those kids will be in their late 20s, early 30s by the time they have the necessary skills to start something big!

But of course, we cannot expect the 4-year-olds start full-scale companies…

The kids just need to start learning the startup mentality. For which they can establish their first lemonade stand or start attending various programs teaching this kind of thought. Such as VIVITA, a program started in Japan by Mistletoe Venture Firm, now operating also in Estonia. Or again, Robotex where we also have startup programs for the 4- to 13-year-olds.

Also, just starting to attend startup events is a perfect start as well. After all, they just need some kind of exposure to entrepreneurial mindset to start learning and get ready!

How else will we get to 50000 robotics startups the world needs? Oh yeah, that is our small goal. 50000 robots. Want to somehow help us? Take my contact and help us open up a franchise in your country!

See you again at the biggest robotics festival on the planet, already this November in Tallinn!