Startup Istanbul

Startup Istanbul

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Everyone watched the hero. We watched the spider.
This week, no startup motivation. Just a small story from the weekend with my son, Yaman, and one simple question: what happened to the spider?
 • Burak Buyukdemir
The Startup Hub That Wins 2046 Is Not a Building
The startup changed. The hub didn’t. That gap is the whole problem.
 • Burak Buyukdemir
Almost Ready
Progress feels real. Outcomes require commitment.
 • Burak Buyukdemir
Why Your Years Feel Like Weeks
What two days without a screen taught me about why years disappear.
 • Burak Buyukdemir
Warm Signals Kill More Startups Than Rejection
Warm signals, polite delays, and the slow death of startup opportunities
 • Burak Buyukdemir
Why I Stopped Asking Founders How Long Their MVP Took
AI did not just change the tools. It changed the timeline, the team size, and the economics of building.
 • Burak Buyukdemir

March 2026

AI Changed the Startup Game. Founders Need to Catch Up.
What worked a few years ago does not work the same way anymore.
 • Burak Buyukdemir
The Core Truth
A startup is not a small company. It's a search mission. Here's what Steve Blank taught us at Startup Istanbul.
 • Burak Buyukdemir
A Note From the Field: Stop Playing Founder
Board meetings won't save you. Product-market fit will.
 • Burak Buyukdemir
The Salary Trap: Why Founders and Early Employees Must Think Differently About Compensation
How to pay yourself, hire your first team, and use equity without guessing
 • Burak Buyukdemir
3 Slides Kill Your Deck
Ed Kang from Startups.com revealed the 3 slides that make or break your deck in seconds. Here's what investors actually see — and what makes them close…
 • Burak Buyukdemir
Do You Really Have PMF?
5 tests, 20 signals, and one uncomfortable question every founder needs to answer honestly.
 • Burak Buyukdemir
© 2026 Burak Buyukdemir · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
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