The session was led by three women from Bolt: Olga Vyrostko, Tähe-Kai Tillo, and Silja Märdla, who shared honest, experience-based perspectives on building a career in tech.

“We’re not here to talk about titles,” said Olga Vyrostko as she opened the session. “We want to talk about the things people think about but rarely say out loud.”

Proving yourself twice over

Olga reflected on entering new teams where her experience was questioned despite having already passed the interviews. “I felt that I had to prove myself again from day one,” she said. “Not because of my skills, but because of assumptions people made about who I was.”

She also warned against a pattern many women recognize too well: taking on invisible work. “We often end up doing the tasks no one else wants and doing them perfectly, even though that work rarely leads to promotion or a raise.”

Silja Märdla shared a concrete example from her own experience. “My manager noticed I was always the one taking notes in meetings,” she said. “My manager actually pointed out that this put me in the background instead of in the discussion.” That moment made her think more deeply about the reason for this habit and how she hadn’t noticed how it might be quietly limiting visibility.

Asking, not waiting

Tähe-Kai Tillo brought a data-driven perspective to the conversation, sharing insights she gathered by speaking with senior women across the company. “Nine out of ten women told me the same thing,” she said. “They didn’t get promoted because it was offered. They asked for it.” She emphasized that self-advocacy is a skill, not a personality trait.

“If you don’t articulate what you want, it’s very unlikely someone will guess it for you.” Her practical advice included keeping a personal record of achievements. “Write down your wins. When the time comes to ask for a raise or a promotion, you shouldn’t have to rely on memory.”

Careers, confidence, and family choices

The discussion also addressed one of the most sensitive topics in professional life: family and career timing. “There is a real overlap between the years you build your career and the years you can have children,” said Silja Märdla, who is also a mother of four. “Ignoring that reality doesn’t make it disappear.”

Contrary to common fears, Silja described how becoming a parent improved her effectiveness at work. “When your time is limited, you become extremely focused. You stop wasting energy on things that don’t matter.”

She stressed that openness makes a difference. “If my calendar says ‘kindergarten concert,’ no one questions it because the reason for me being away is clear and ultimately, I deliver results, not office hours.”

Tähe-Kai and Olga, both without children, spoke openly about the uncertainty and pressure surrounding these decisions. “We don’t have all the answers,” Tähe-Kai said. “But talking about it openly already makes a difference.”

Confidence grows through exposure

When the conversation turned to self-confidence, all three agreed on one thing: it is built through action. “I was terrified of public speaking,” admitted Tähe-Kai Tillo. “The only thing that helped was doing it again and again.”

Olga added that confidence gained in one area often spills into others. “Public speaking made me more confident in negotiations,” she said. “How you deliver a message changes how it’s received.”

Silja highlighted another side of confidence: decision-making. “When you’re the only expert in the room, the hardest part is trusting yourself enough to act.”

The session closed with a clear message shared by all three speakers: growth doesn’t come from waiting quietly. “You don’t have to be perfect to speak up,” they concluded. “You just have to believe that your voice belongs in the room.”