Blog
Guides, lists and stories on starting, running and growing a business: from finding your first customers to pricing, partnerships and building a team. 76 articles, originally written in Turkish for Girişimci Kafası readers and published here in English.
Entrepreneurial thinking and action
Thinking like an entrepreneur and taking action
How to Find a Startup Idea: Learning to Spot a Good One
Josephine Cochrane invented the dishwasher to stop her china chipping, yet her first customers were hotels. So how do you find a startup idea?
What Is a Pivot? When and How Should a Startup Change Direction?
In 1781 a musician thought he had found a comet with his garden telescope; it was a planet. What is a pivot, and when should you change course?
The Story of the Deaf Frog
Legend says a bad review killed Keats, yet his own letter says otherwise. The deaf frog fable helps you separate noise from feedback.
Entrepreneurship Is Changing How Young People See University
Gorky set off for Kazan University in 1884, never got in and sold bread to its students. A note for young people torn between a degree and a startup.
21 Key Traits Every Entrepreneur Needs
Haydn's 1761 contract demanded white stockings, a powdered wig and a temperate manner. The traits that made him Haydn were not in it.
5 Things Young Founders Should Prioritise
Anthony Trollope wrote 250 words every quarter of an hour from 5.30am, while working full-time at the Post Office. Five priorities from his routine.
What Is Entrepreneurship? Who Counts as an Entrepreneur?
In 1553, 240 investors put money into a sea route nobody knew existed. What entrepreneurship is, who counts as an entrepreneur and where the word comes from.
Starting and growing a business
From idea to company, from company to growth
How to Build Your First Sales Team: From Founder-Led Sales to Your First Sales Hire
Crane's notes on the back of a slip became NCR's sales Primer. When to hand sales over, whom to hire first and what to write down before you do.
Why Did Juicero Shut Down?
Two reporters squeezed a Juicero pack by hand and got almost as much juice as the 400-dollar machine. Why did it shut down?
When Should You Fear a Competitor? Competitive Analysis and Standing Apart
Two fossil hunters spent decades trying to beat each other and both ended up broke. When to fear a rival, when to ignore one, and how to stand apart.
What Is a Unicorn? Why a Billion-Dollar Valuation Can Still Die
A narwhal tusk once cost as much as a castle. What a unicorn valuation really measures, and what 97 dead unicorns tell us.
What Is a North Star Metric? Which Number Should a Startup Track?
Hanoi counted rat tails and got more rats. How do you pick the one number that shows your startup is really getting better?
Why Did Markafoni Shut Down?
In 2014 it had 7 million members and 20,000 sales on its worst days. Why did Markafoni, Turkey's private shopping pioneer, close in 2017?
How to Find a Co-Founder: Testing the Fit Before You Commit
Lewis promised Clark an equal command and kept it when the army would not. How to find the right co-founder and test the fit.
Starting a Business Without Quitting Your Job: When to Go Full-Time
Henri Rousseau painted around a toll clerk's job until 1893. How do you build a business on the side, and when do you go full-time?
What Is Customer Churn? How to Measure Retention
Frederic Tudor learned that selling ice once was easy; keeping customers was the business. How do you measure and reduce customer churn?
Why Did BioWare Shut Down?
Three doctors founded BioWare in 1995; on 21 October 2026 it closed. Why did the studio behind Mass Effect shut down?
How to Estimate Market Size: A Guide to TAM, SAM and SOM
Everyone thought millions lived in London. John Graunt opened the bills of mortality and found 384,000. So how do you estimate market size?
Why Did Character.AI File for Bankruptcy?
Disney sent Character.AI a cease-and-desist, then hired its CEO a year later. 25 days after that, Character.AI filed for bankruptcy protection.
What Is Product-Market Fit, and How Do You Know You've Found It?
In 1934 a publisher found nothing to read at Exeter station; a year later his books were flying off the shelves.
Why Did Quibi Shut Down?
On 21 October 2020 its founders wrote: 'Quibi is not succeeding.' Why did a $1.75 billion service close after six months?
Why Did Şehir Fırsatı Shut Down?
It launched on 23 April 2010 with a 1-lira cinema ticket and aimed for 80 cities by year end. Why did Şehir Fırsatı (Groupon Turkey) close?
Buying an Existing Business Instead of Starting From Scratch
In the 1880s a failed painter took over his family's struggling workshop, and a punctured bicycle tyre changed everything.
How Should Co-Founders Split Equity?
In 1879 three partners agreed to split the profits three ways. Eleven years later a lobby carpet ended the partnership.
How to Run a Customer Interview
In 1904 Hans, the horse who could do sums, convinced a scientific panel. In fact he was reading the answers off the questioner's face.
What Is an MVP and How Do You Plan One?
Before finishing his Bible, Gutenberg printed thousands of single-page documents. What is an MVP, and why can a small first version save you?
Five Traits Successful Startups Share
Fleming discovered penicillin, but it took a small Oxford team to turn it into a medicine. What that story teaches about successful startups.
The Best E-Commerce Business Ideas to Start in 2023
Thinking of starting an online business? Here are 15 e-commerce ideas worth your time, from online learning to 3D asset stores.
What Is a Startup, and Which Companies Deserve the Name?
In 1769 Matthew Boulton refused to build steam engines for just three counties; he wanted the whole world. So what makes a company a startup?
What You Need to Know When Naming Your Startup
In 1633 Rembrandt added a silent "d" to his signature and used only his first name. Here is what to know when you name your startup.
Leadership and working life
Careers, professions and team management
How to Build Company Culture: Turning Values into Rituals
The Royal Society's motto lived through Hooke's weekly experiments. How to build company culture by tying each value to a ritual.
How to Fire an Underperforming Employee: Handling the Hardest Conversation
In 1781 Count Arco ended Mozart's service with a kick. How do you let an underperforming employee go without surprise and with respect?
What Is Micromanagement? When to Get Into the Detail and When to Let Go
Josiah Wedgwood smashed flawed vases with his stick, then built a factory on the division of labour. When should you dive in, and when let go?
How to Give Your Team Feedback
In 1504 the head of Florence found David's nose too thick. Michelangelo let marble dust fall but never touched the nose. How to give real feedback.
Hiring Your First Employees: How Do You Choose the Right Person?
In 1723 Leipzig hired Bach as its third choice, settling for 'mediocre'. How do you spot the right person when making your first hires?
Careers With Job Opportunities Abroad
Living, studying or starting a business abroad is a common dream, but it should never stay just a dream. These careers travel well.
Why LinkedIn Instead of Job Sites?
In 1812 apprentice Michael Faraday didn't ask for a job; he bound his lecture notes and sent them. Why LinkedIn beats job sites.
The Highest-Paying Jobs in Turkey
Turkey's highest-paying jobs also tend to rank among the best careers of the past decade, and almost all of them demand years of training.
Curious About the Jobs of the Future?
Technology is reshaping career options. Here are the jobs of the future identified in a 2018 study by İşkur, Turkey's employment agency.
A Salaried Corporate Job, or Being Your Own Boss?
Hogarth watched his father go to debtors' prison, built his own business, changed copyright law and finally took a salaried post.
Marketing and distribution
LinkedIn, Instagram, B2B and influencer marketing
How to Launch a Product: Before, On the Day and After
Pickwick began with four hundred copies and found its real shape after launch. How to plan the before, the day and the after of a product launch.
What Is Scarcity Marketing? When Limited Drops Build Demand
The Dutch burned surplus spices to keep them rare. What is scarcity marketing, and when does a limited drop build demand rather than burn trust?
What Is Content Marketing? Winning Readers Before You Sell
A 19th-century insurer won trust by explaining why boilers explode. How do you build an audience with content before you sell?
What Is the Lindy Effect? Why Some Products Sell for a Hundred Years
A Swiss herdsmen's tune was once banned in the army for stirring homesickness. Why do some products outlive every new rival?
Finding Customers with Cold Email: How to Sell Without Sending Spam
In 1864 London MPs received an unwanted dentist's telegram. How do you write a cold email nobody mistakes for spam?
How to Market a Taboo Product: Selling What Nobody Wants to Talk About
In 1912 an Odorono stand went days without a sale, because nobody talked about sweat. How do you market a product nobody wants to discuss?
Finding Your First Customers: The Road from Zero to Your First Sale
Aristotle noted that every bee returning to the hive brought three or four others. Frisch cracked the secret: the dance. Customers work the same way.
Build Your Own Path: A Guide to Personal Branding
From Dürer's much-copied "AD" monogram to today's LinkedIn profile: what a personal brand is, how to build one and why character beats a logo.
What Is a Business Influencer?
The term "business influencer" usually describes a person or organisation that effectively influences and guides others in the business world.
The 75 Best LinkedIn Creators to Follow in 2026
75 LinkedIn creators to follow for inspiration in 2026: business, HR, personal development, entrepreneurship, leadership and more.
LinkedIn Marketing Strategies: 7 Effective Ways to Grow Your Professional Network
Holbein's 1532 portrait of the London merchant Georg Giese has every element of a LinkedIn profile today.
B2B Marketing Strategies: The Road to Business-to-Business Success
A 4,000-year-old letter found at Kültepe reads like a modern B2B order: price, measurements, even a quality complaint.
Workfluencer Marketing: The Rising Marketing Strategy in Business
In 1754 cabinet-maker Chippendale sold his trade's secrets to his own rivals in a book, and his name became the name of a style.
How Do You Get More YouTube Views?
YouTube has millions of users, and for creators, views and subscribers are the metrics that matter. Here is how to grow them organically.
Influencer Marketing on LinkedIn
LinkedIn was long seen as a hiring tool. Today it is a professional network where experts share ideas, grow their reach and make money.
Podcasts Every Founder Should Listen To | Entrepreneurship Podcasts
Podcasts have become one of the digital world's most popular formats. Here are five Turkish entrepreneurship podcasts worth your time.
Grow Your Instagram Account Without Ads in 10 Steps (Packed with Engagement Tactics)
Win more Instagram followers without spending a penny on ads: the secret is an engaged audience, and here is how to build one.
15 Turkish LinkedIn Influencers You Should Follow in 2024
LinkedIn is a key platform for building your network and career. Meet the Turkish LinkedIn influencers worth following.
LinkedIn Influencer Marketing
The new route for B2B: LinkedIn has brought the business world together for over 20 years, and now offers brands influencer marketing.
Finance and business models
Pricing, investment and financial freedom
What Is a Franchise? When Buying or Granting One Pays
A former servant licensed her salons to other women in 1891. What a franchise is, what it really costs and when it pays.
What Is a Subscription Business Model? Being Chosen Again Every Month
Mudie's library sold reading, not books, for a guinea a year. What a subscription business model is, how to build one and what can replace it.
What Is a Network Effect? How to Build One, and When It Turns
Esperanto grew from a thousand people who refused to wait. What is a network effect, how do you build one and when does it run in reverse?
How to Make a Pitch Deck: The Ten Slides Investors Need
Samuel Morse's telegraph worked in 1838, yet Congress only funded it in 1843. What a seed pitch deck needs, slide by slide.
What Is Equity Dilution? Knowing How Much of Your Startup You Have Sold
Christopher Sholes traded slices of his typewriter patent for funding until little was left. How do you keep track of equity dilution?
What Is Bootstrapping? How to Grow a Startup Without Investment
In 1903 Langley's grant-funded machine fell into a river; nine days later the Wright Flyer, paid for by a bicycle shop, took off.
What Is the Razor and Blades Model? Why the Real Money Is in the Add-On
In 1900 Kodak sold a cardboard camera for a dollar and made its money on film. What is the razor and blades model, and does it fit your business?
Startup Pricing: How Do You Put a Price on Your Product?
In 1877 a critic fumed at a 200-guinea price for two days' work. The painter's reply holds the secret of how to price your product.
Before the Cash Runs Out: How to Manage Runway and Burn Rate
In 1860 explorers set off with two years of supplies and an oak table, and came back to a camp abandoned nine hours earlier.
Personal growth
Goals, habits and mental balance
25 Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read
Reading regularly gives you fresh perspectives and other people's lessons; here are 25 books every entrepreneur should have on the shelf.
What You Do in Your Free Time Shapes Your Success. Here Is Why
The painter Ingres played second violin in a Toulouse orchestra as a boy and kept playing all his life; in French, "violon d'Ingres" now means a hobby.
16 Actions to Help You Reach Your Goals
In 1900 David Hilbert greeted the new century with a list of goals and the marks of a good problem. Here are 16 actions, in four stages, to reach yours.
6 Powerful Ways to Recover from a Mental Breakdown
In 1693 Isaac Newton wrote that he had barely slept for a year and had lost his former consistency of mind. What his letters teach us about recovery.
What Is Networking, and How Do You Build a Network?
Around 1620, Dutch painters in Rome formed a club called "birds of a feather" and gave every new member a nickname.
Success stories
Stories of startups and founders
Advice From Warren Buffett
Mocked in Miletus, Thales rented every olive press in winter. The real advice in Buffett's shareholder letters shares his calm.
5 Lessons from Elon Musk's Road to Success
In 1903 a deaf provincial teacher published the rocket equation; a century later Elon Musk questioned what a rocket should cost.
How Was YouTube Founded?
The oldest surviving film was shot in a family garden in 1888, YouTube's first video at a zoo in 2005. How did YouTube start?