Startup Istanbul
Entrepreneur, VC, and storyteller. I invest in early-stage startups worldwide, share candid lessons from 20+ years in tech, and spotlight founders shaping the future. Join 100,000+ readers each week.
10 Clear Signs You’ve Finally Reached Product-Market Fit
I’ve looked at thousands of startup decks. The fastest way to kill a company is to chase growth before finding product–market fit. PMF means your product solves a real pain for a clear customer segment and delivers obvious value. You don’t need consultants to tell you—you’ll feel it. Customers pull the product from you, not the other way around. But PMF isn’t binary—it’s a spectrum. It shifts with your product, market, and customers. That’s why founders are always searching for it, and why...
The complete pitch deck checklist VCs actually use
I confess—we ran pitch competitions for more than 10 years. Rooms were packed, trophies given, winners celebrated. But they were theater, not business. Winning means nothing if customers aren’t paying. Last Friday, I judged Pitch Challenge Istanbul. 59 founders pitched. By number 25, I had to leave—not because I didn’t care, but because the same mistakes kept repeating: jargon-stuffed slides, features over problems, and “change the world” visions with no traction. Here’s the reality: 3...
The Echo Chamber
When founders need feedback, they ask friends and family first. Terrible mistake. Your mom thinks everything you do is brilliant. Your best friend won't hurt your feelings. This inner circle kills more startups than competition ever will. I watch this pattern constantly when my close circle asks me about their startup ideas. They think that I work with startups so I should know whether their idea will work or not. They want to validate their startup idea with me first. But they also know I'm...
The IKEA Effect
The "IKEA effect," described by Dan Ariely, shows how people overvalue things they've built themselves. That bookshelf you assembled? Worth gold to you, junk to others. For founders, this bias is everywhere. A feature isn't just code—it's late nights, lost weekends, and ego. In my experience with founders, I see this very often. They over-invest emotionally in their companies, treating them as extensions of themselves. This makes it hard to pivot, update, or even keep up with competition....
How to hack your investor
Most founders become employees the moment they take money. They start asking permission instead of giving direction. This is backwards. Change your mindset. You didn't get investment—you hired team members. You picked them based on skills, gave them equity for contribution, expect them to add value. That's hiring. Yet founders flip the script when money arrives. They treat investors like bosses instead of team members they just hired. Brilliant founders shrink when mentioning their lead...
The less you say, the more you build
The less you say, the more you build. Research by Peter Gollwitzer shows that people who announce their goals work 50% less toward achieving them. Your brain treats social validation as partial achievement. When friends get excited about your app idea, your reward system thinks you've already made progress. This is called "symbolic self-completion theory." Neuroscience research reveals that discussing goals triggers the same reward circuits as completing them. Your brain releases dopamine...
Start scared
Most dreams die because people are scared, not because they actually fail. Think about your last day alive. What would hurt more—things you tried that failed, or dreams you never tried at all? You won't think about the startup that didn't work. You'll think about the one you never started because you were scared. For 15 years at Startup Istanbul, I've met thousands of people who want to start startups. Most never do. They make perfect business plans but never launch. They research competitors...
There is no finish line
Phil Knight asks Sonny Vaccaro in the movie "Air": "Do you run?" When Sonny says no, Knight replies: "It's hard. It's suffering. It's difficult. The illusion is that the finish line is the destination. But the act itself is the destination." Most entrepreneurs treat their startup like a sprint to a finish line. They think success means reaching that IPO, that acquisition, that revenue target. They burn out chasing endpoints, believing happiness waits at some future milestone. This is the...
Simple is not easy
“Simple” means not complicated—but it rarely means easy. Walking is simple; try 15 000 steps every day for a year. Plant a seed; keeping it alive demands steady water, light, and care. Press a piano key; turning those taps into music takes years of scales. Active listening looks easy; real focus is hard. Shooting a ball seems basic; hitting the hoop on command takes daily reps.Why do simple things feel tough?Without a clear goal, tasks stay wishes. We crave quick wins, compare ourselves, and...
Check three dials
Startups are like roller coasters: big highs, sudden drops. Nine out of ten early companies fail. The only way to finish the ride is to protect the rider—you. Check three dials Body: walk daily, eat plants, sleep 7–8 hours, stay hydrated, and skip alcohol and smoking. Mind: read, draw, learn. Meet with a small group that speaks honestly. Boundaries: say no to toxic people, nonstop bad-news scrolling, social-media FOMO, and constant alerts. Keep your inbox empty, your desk clear, and take real...
Entrepreneur, VC, and storyteller. I invest in early-stage startups worldwide, share candid lessons from 20+ years in tech, and spotlight founders shaping the future. Join 100,000+ readers each week.