Allan Martinson

Interview with Allan

Could you share your journey with us?

First, imagine you have amnesia and have forgotten all aspects of your life. To remember who you are and the type of person you've become, please reflect on key moments, realizations, and milestones that have shaped your evolution from the earliest memories you can recall until the present day.

I am an explorer at heart. I may not excel at building or other tasks, but I am always eager to learn something new and move forward. I enjoy accumulating knowledge and experiences, even if it means abandoning a project once I have gained enough understanding. While some people are content with managing the same thing for years, I constantly seek to expand my expertise. This quality can be both helpful and harmful, depending on the situation.

Another aspect of my personality is that I am a mathematician who enjoys storytelling. While this combination may seem odd, it has proved useful throughout my life. My education in mathematics has given me a love of organized complexity, and I enjoy the challenge of creating order from chaos. In addition, my experience in journalism and news agencies has honed my storytelling skills. This unique combination of talents has served me well in both my personal and professional life.

As a person, I value thinking outside the box and trying new approaches. I prefer to work with people I trust and who are close to me, both in my personal life and company. I believe in being frank with those close to me, offering praise and constructive criticism when appropriate. They form a special operations group, which I rely on to help me through challenging situations. When under pressure, there is no time for lengthy discussions or explanations. You need to be direct and tell them what to do. This does not mean I don't respect them; it's just a moment when I must be frank. Other traits may make up my operating system, but this is the main one.

One important thing to note about me is that I value my independence. I had never had a boss, and I prefer to work in a peer##to##peer relationship rather than having someone tell me what to do. I believe in everyone being a free agent rather than employees constrained by their boss's orders.

Can you recall a specific moment or realization that profoundly affected you?

The first moment was during my youth when I was around 14 or 15 years old. I joined a high school in Tallinn, which is now known as the custom Gustav Adolf Grammar School. This school was number one in the secondary schools in Tallinn, which was pretty different from anything I had experienced before. The level of ambition and intelligence in the room was unprecedented, pushing me toward excellence in doing something interestingly lofty. It was the first step towards achieving excellence and helped shape my future academic pursuits.

The second significant moment was when I worked in the news business during the early 90s. This was a time when the Soviet Union was disintegrating, and I had a front##row seat to witness world events unfolding. I met presidents and others leaders. The adrenaline rush was so high that anything after that seemed mundane. This experience set a high threshold for what I considered exciting.

The third significant moment was more of a gradual evolution. I realized over time that I was not the person I wanted to be. I was an asshole in both my personal and professional life, and it took me years to unlearn my bad habits and become a kinder, more empathetic person. Looking back, I cringe at my past self and am glad I have become a better version of myself.

So, these were three significant moments that shaped my life, and I am grateful for them as they have made me who I am today.

What drives you, and why you're doing what you're doing?

Firstly, I hold one thing in high regard and would never compromise for anything else. As a curious person, if a task doesn't pique my interest, I quickly lose enthusiasm and cannot continue even if the pay is substantial. That's part of my exploratory character, and I'm content to even self##fund my endeavors if it means experiencing something new and learning.

Secondly, I acknowledge that I'm not a natural builder and require assistance from other builders. However, my exploration goes beyond mere discovery, and I aim to build upon and expand ideas, like colonizing them. Consequently, when I reflect on my life, I see a trail of companies, organizations, and initiatives that have resulted from teams collaborating. Many of these companies have survived for years, such as my first company, which still exists after over 32 years.

What is more important, the result or the process?

So, in the past, I may have answered that having a process is enough, but now I believe in the importance of balance. Having a process alone isn't enough if you have nothing to show for it. It's essential to have milestones that you can reach and say, "I accomplished this, I built that, or I achieved that." However, achieving these milestones without enjoying the process doesn't make sense either. Although there may be easier ways to achieve these milestones, I sometimes choose to do them the hard way because they are more interesting. Ultimately, you cannot prioritize one over the other.

What do you remember most from the past, the results, or the experience?

If I recall something from my career or life, it usually takes the form of stories. It's like I'm writing a book about my life, and each story is fascinating in its own way, whether it's short and amusing or longer and more dramatic. Sure, I could make a list of my accomplishments, like reaching financial milestones, raising funds, and selling companies, but that would not be very interesting. What's more engaging are the anecdotes and the fascinating people and situations I've encountered along the way. For instance, I could write a book on my experience in Starship, detailing the many fascinating people and situations I encountered. This is the best way to encapsulate my life.

What does it mean for you to lose your business completely? What will happen to you? Of course, theoretically. When people lose something, they think that life is over. They lost everything.

I'm not such a person, but it doesn't mean I'm not emotionally attached to the teams and the businesses. However, life has different stages, and the lifespan of a business is typically shorter than that of a person. If you are in business, you must be prepared that your business may die or get sold or transformed before you do. I have also left companies I have been a part of, and that is okay. These companies still exist, and I am still connected to them through history, people, and memories. Moving on and leaving something behind does not bring me much regret since I view it as part of my exploration journey toward the next chapter.

Do you think you are a proactive or reactive person?

I believe that I have both a proactive and reactive approach to influencing the world around me. I have my own goals and a to##do list that I actively pursue, but I also allow myself to go with the flow of events and see what opportunities arise. In fact, some of the most interesting things in my life have come about unexpectedly, through chance encounters and conversations with random people.

Being open and exposed to new experiences is itself a proactive strategy. By talking to people about various topics and being receptive to new ideas, I have stumbled upon exciting opportunities that I would never have sought out otherwise. For example, I never set out to be involved in robotics, but my previous work on other projects with Ahti led me to become involved in Starship. Even then, I initially rejected the idea before ultimately embracing it as one of the fascinating experiences of my life.

While I may not have a specific roadmap or written plan for my life, I remain open and curious about whatever opportunities come my way. This has led me to some unexpected and enriching experiences that I may never have otherwise encountered.

How do you feel about people in general? What do you think about friends, family, colleagues, enemies, envious, and competitors?

I don't have many enemies. Sometimes I find myself in an adversarial position without intentionally provoking it, but overall, it's a rare occurrence. My goal is to cultivate positive relationships with people, and I greatly admire and respect them. Whether they're successful businesspeople or artists, I find most people to be interesting and worthy of respect. After undergoing a personal transformation from being an unpleasant person to a kinder one, I try to approach interactions with compassion and understanding. Maintaining strong connections with people is important to me, even those I may have had to let go from a job. Building a network of positive relationships has been beneficial for me, as it allows me to gain knowledge and support when I need it. Interestingly, some of my closest friends are even my competitors.

How do you understand the term “call of the soul”?

Let me attempt to answer your question. To begin with, I am unsure about the meaning of the term "soul." There are many interpretations of the concept, and I do not consider myself a religious person in the traditional sense. However, I would suggest that a person's soul is a collection of their values and beliefs, which are deeply ingrained in their foundational operating system. The sets of beliefs held by people can vary widely, resulting in different meanings of the term "soul." I believe that our low##level operating system contains specific rules that enable us to be more competitive, both as individuals and as a species. These rules are essentially life strategies that help us to progress, although some of them may be flawed and lead to undesirable outcomes in certain situations. I see the body as simply a physical substance, while our identities and behaviors are part of our operating system and value codes. Everyone has their own value codes, but the ultimate goal is what matters. I subscribe to the theory of the "selfish gene," as described in Richard Dawkins' book of the same name. It suggests that humans think of themselves first, as if they are the kings of nature. But the reality is that we are capsules to propagate DNA successfully, and the meaning of life is to bring our DNA forward. Having our own value codes is one way to achieve this result, which ultimately involves multiplying our DNA. If we can achieve this, we have accomplished our objective, whether it is the DNA of our own families or that of humankind in general.

Could you please share your inner wins?

One of my biggest internal wins was learning how to love and be kind and respectful toward others. It took time and wasn't a single moment, but it was definitely a significant accomplishment.

Another major accomplishment was in the area of physical achievement. When I was younger, I was frequently ill and never saw myself as an athlete. However, I discovered that I was capable of running long distances and even completed a marathon. It was a significant self##discovery for me because I had always seen myself as an underdog in this regard.

These were both transformative experiences for me, but I believe that becoming a parent is the ultimate transformative experience in life. Each year spent with my children has transformed me more and more, and it has been a journey that has given me a lot of experience.

Each person has an internal constitution, a set of rules, laws, principles, and guidelines that a person follows throughout life. What are your principles?

In terms of business, I've already discussed it before, but I want to emphasize that being a parent has also been a great source of transformation for me. First and foremost, I view my children as peers rather than subordinates. Although they were born later and may require my assistance in certain areas, I see them as my equals. My youngest daughter, who recently turned 10, has taught me so much and influenced me in ways that many adults haven't. The input I receive from her is just as significant as what I provide to her.

When it comes to making decisions, I believe that we should all come to a consensus rather than me dictating what needs to be done. That's an essential aspect of our relationship. Another important aspect is unconditional love and belief. I never stop believing in my children's potential. I hold the same belief for others, too. Even if someone isn't currently in the right place, I believe that every single human being, especially my children, is excellent at something, usually many things. My unwavering belief in them persists even when they don't have faith in themselves. As a parent, it's my role to convey this confidence to them, even during their darkest moments. This is similar to how the best investors support the founders they believe in, even during their worst days.

What are your self##development/self##expression/mental and physical health activities?

I enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking, photography, and particularly long hikes. I also have some smaller hobbies, such as jet skiing. Although I am not a competitive jet skier, I like going to the sea and taking long rides, such as across the Gulf of Finland and back. This gives me a sense of freedom and the opportunity to trust my own abilities, which can help me release any tension I may have. I enjoy spending time with my friends and participating in various sports activities. However, I don't have one specific hobby that stands out. In the past, I collected various skills, such as flying a plane, captaining a sailboat, skydiving, and scuba diving. Although I obtained licenses for these activities, I am not currently as active in them. I could probably still land a plane, but I haven't flown in a long time.

What about mental health?

Speaking of stress, I'm not having too many problems with that now. Years ago, I used to take stress much more seriously than I should have. However, over the past 10##20 years, I've found that I can handle stressful situations much better, maybe because I have no other choice. I have a family, a company, and a team that relies on me, so I can't just break down and give up. It's interesting to me that we are currently experiencing a mental health crisis when, 30##35 years ago, times were much tougher, but people seemed to cope better. Maybe we need tough times to forget about mental health issues, or maybe it's just a different way of coping.

If is there a person that influenced you a lot?

No, there is no single person. It was my parents, of course. It could be my kids or some fantastic people I worked with. So probably, there are many of them, and I'm assembling inputs from different sources.

Do you read books?

I read about one or two books per week from various genres, including non##fiction. I particularly enjoy history and stories about companies and initiatives, as well as books about space flight and space##related topics. I'm also interested in aviation, but not military stories. When it comes to fiction, I prefer action##oriented genres such as thrillers and science fiction, but I'm not a fan of romantic novels.