“There might be a secret coder inside you” – Reflections from kood/Empower bootcamp
Earlier this month, we wrapped up our third and final kood/Empower bootcamp of the year, welcoming another group of curious, bold and brilliant women who decided to give coding a try – some for the first time in their lives.
We talked with two participants, Kelli and Laura, to hear what drew them to the bootcamp, what surprised them, and what they’d say to the next woman wondering whether she should take the leap.
Kelli – 34, Publishing lead at Pipedrive
“Trying, failing, trying again and then succeeding makes you feel like this world isn’t so crazy after all.”
Kelli has been at Pipedrive for years, starting as an office assistant before moving into the web team. Working on the company’s website daily, and being surrounded by developers, slowly sparked a curiosity she couldn’t ignore.
Why try coding?
“Being surrounded by so many developers for years, it’s impossible not to get interested.
And since I work with the website every day through a CMS, seeing developers work their magic while not fully understanding it myself… it just felt like it’s time to know more.”
What surprised her the most?
“That I actually could understand what the tasks wanted me to do and managed to write the simple JavaScript codes. I was always so afraid that I won’t understand how anything works, but .. trying and failing, but trying again and succeeding makes you feel like yes, it’s not such a crazy world after all”
Her message to hesitant beginners?
“JUST DO IT! Just try it. You might discover there’s a secret little coder hiding inside you.”
Photo: Kelli presenting her vibe coding workshop project
Laura – 27, Product Owner at LHV Bank
“I’m a total data nerd at heart – I absolutely love numbers!”
Laura works as the Product Owner of the Public Web at LHV Bank. Although she has a Master’s degree in Data Science from Denmark, her career path has led her toward product development and front-end work – a place where logic and creativity meet.
But coding? That was something she wanted to understand more deeply.
Why try coding?
“I find coding fascinating because it challenges you to think logically and plan every move carefully. It’s also one of those activities where it’s so easy to get into the flow state and forget about everything else.”
What surprised her the most?
“I really enjoyed the vibe-coding workshop, and I liked the DevSprints as they were very clear and logical.”
Her message to any woman thinking, ‘Coding sounds cool… but maybe not for me?’
“Coding is much more fun and easier than you’d imagine. It also teaches you a lot about yourself – stress tolerance, creativity, asking for help, and learning from the people around you!”
Photo: Laura on the left working on a team project
Why these stories matter
Every kood/Empower bootcamp reminds us: coding isn’t reserved for a special kind of person – it’s for anyone willing to try.
You don’t need a technical background. You don’t need to be fearless. You just need curiosity and a willingness to press run, even when you’re not sure what will happen.
Laura and Kelli both came from different backgrounds, with different levels of experience and confidence and both left with the same sparkle in their eyes:
“I can actually do this.”
And so can you.
//kood was founded in Jõhvi, Estonia in 2021, with the aim of making technology education accessible to everyone. Now, students can study in Jõhvi, Võru and Paide. Its 12–15 month curriculum is based on self-directed and peer-to-peer learning, covering full-stack software development, teamwork and problem solving. Students can later specialise in fields such as cybersecurity, data analysis, mobile applications, and AI.
So far, //kood has welcomed more than 1,200 students in Estonia with over 350 graduates – nearly two-thirds of whom are now working in the technology sector. Students represent over 30 different nationalities and 21% are women. You can find the //kood peer-to-peer learning method and curriculum also in Finland, Ukraine and Kenya.
In 2025, the Estonian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications recognised //kood as one of the best entrepreneurship promoters in the country.
The accessibility of IT education is supported by Skaala, Swedbank, Wise, Kaamos, LHV, SEB, Barrus, SA Võrumaa Arenduskeskus, SA Järvamaa, ESTDEV and others.