Participant Interview: Kyrylo — Hackathon Winner & Start Smart Estonia Graduate
At the kick-off of the Start Smart course (part of UPBEAT project) Estonia autumn group, we were delighted to welcome Kyrylo, a participant from the spring cohort. He joined to share his inspiring story — one that became a true motivation for the new participants.
From Ukraine to Estonia — and into the World of AI
“Before moving to Estonia, I lived in Ukraine. My wife found an announcement about the Start Smart program on Facebook — and I thought, ‘Wow, that sounds great!’ I wanted to learn how to use AI in business, so I applied and got in.” Kyrylo describes his experience in the program as “an amazing time full of learning and growth.”
From Idea to Career Success
“At first, I came with an idea about automation, but I didn’t finish it — because right after the program, I got a job at Bolt in Estonia! That was also thanks to the program and ChatGPT.” He explains how AI tools helped him secure the position: “I found a vacancy on Bolt’s website but didn’t fully understand the job description, so I used ChatGPT to help me. It trained me for interviews, suggested questions, and even analyzed my recorded answers — and I passed!”
Today, Kyrylo works successfully at Bolt in a project management role in customer support, communicating entirely in English. “My advice: learn English — it really opens opportunities!”
Impressions from the Program
“I loved the program! The teacher explained everything so clearly — how to write prompts, generate images, work with data, build business plans, and create presentations.”
He recalls the excitement of the Hackathon: “In just one hour, we managed to create a business idea, a plan, a presentation — and we won the Hackathon! All thanks to AI. It was like everything worked twice as fast!”
Kyrylo’s Advice for New Participants
“There’s a lot of theory in this course. If you take the time to process it at home — reflect and practice each week — you’ll definitely get great results.
The information is powerful and can really transform your relationship with AI and your business.”
Thank you, Kyrylo, for sharing your inspiring story!
We wish you continued success in your AI journey and your career at Bolt.
