Shit happens.

Picture this: you are working on your side project and pouring a ton of time into it because you genuinely believe you are solving a real problem for a lot of people.

At some point you realize you need to accept payments through serious services like Stripe. For that, back in 2020 you get Estonian e‑residency, and three months before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine you register a company in Estonia.

After February 24 you enter a compliance marathon with dozens of services. And almost everywhere you succeed.

In 2025 your e‑residency card expires. You apply for renewal: form, documents, everything by the book.

A month later the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board sends a rejection. No explanation. You think: maybe it is a mistake, because both I and the company comply with all the rules. You file an appeal. The result is another rejection.

Unpleasant, but not fatal: you live in the EU, you can sign documents at a local notary and send everything by regular mail.

You write to your service provider (who, under Estonian law, supplies your address and contact person) and warn them there may be delays with signing documents.

In response you get: they are terminating the contract unilaterally, something about internal rules, possible risks and so on, but if you read it in plain language it is: 'because f*** off, that is why'. They give you a month to find a new service provider, and you realize this is now almost impossible.

That is the short story of my recent business 'success'.

And to be honest, I am fucking exhausted.