Startup Istanbul Podcast

Last month, I was in San Francisco for the a16z Speedrun Demo Day — surrounded by brilliant Substack writers, top founders, and sharp investors. I had the chance to meet so many great friends: * Great opportunity to meet Andrew Chen and Kevin Kelly * Hung out with writer friends Guillermo and Ruben * Met Devansh , founder of Artificial Intelligence Made Simple * Spoke with Alex Xu , founder of @ b...

I had an eye-opening chat with Jason Fried on my podcast about startup funding. His perspective challenges everything most founders believe. Controversial truth that needs to be said:”Not all external money is worth taking.” Here's the uncomfortable truth about funding:The less money you take early, the stronger you'll be. Why? Let's break it down: 1. The Independence Tax * You're now on someone e...

Big companies don't fail from lack of innovation. They fail from successful resistance to it. Episode with Tendayi Viki about startups and corporate innovation. The Warning Signs: * "We're too busy running the business" * "Let's not mess with what works" * "Innovation is a distraction" * "Our customers love us as we are" The Real Cost: * Market share: Slow decline * Revenue: Looks fine until it do...

In this week's post, we're diving into the crucial topic of attracting investors, with insights from a true expert. I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Ed Kang , a seasoned startup advisor and investor, who brings a wealth of experience to the table. Ed's worked with hundreds of startups, and he's seen firsthand what works and what doesn't when it comes to fundraising. This episode focuse...

Just had an incredible chat with Ed Kang from Startups.com about what really happens when investors look at your deck. Here's the shocking truth: You don't have 10 minutes. You have: * 1 seconds for the cover * 3 seconds for first 3 slides * 30 seconds if you're lucky * 3 minutes if you're exceptional It's your pitch before the pitch. The 3-Second Reality Check: * Cover slide * Problem * Solution...

I had a great chat with Ilya Strebulaev recently. Ilya is a professor at Stanford GSB , author of ' The Venture Mindset ' book, and knows a ton about venture capital and innovation. We talked about what makes a good VC versus a great one, and I think you'll find some of these takeaways super interesting. Key Takeaways Consistency Over Luck * Great venture capitalists aren’t just lucky—they’re cons...

In my latest podcast episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Jeremiah Gardner, a seasoned innovator and author of "The Lean Brand." Jeremiah's journey from the startup world to implementing lean innovation practices in healthcare offers valuable insights for entrepreneurs and corporate innovators alike. Key Takeaways * Lean Startup in Healthcare : Contrary to initial skepticism, lean startup...

Fundraising is a critical stage for any startup, but it's not without its pitfalls. In a recent conversation with seasoned venture capitalist Andrew Romans , we delved into the often-overlooked dangers of overfunding and how it can jeopardize a startup's long-term success. The Illusion of Success Many founders equate a high valuation with success, believing that raising a large round is a validati...

I recently had Touradj Barman on my podcast to discuss his entrepreneurial journey and founding Up’n Go, a contactless payment solution for restaurants. Here are some of the key lessons I took away from our conversation: * Start with solving a specific, narrow problem - Up & Go began by simply focusing on easing check splitting * Get a customer before building the product - Partnered with a restau...

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Anna Strubel , co-founder of Cara Health, an innovative startup aiming to improve the maternity experience for women and families. Cara Health began by offering in-person services like yoga, midwife appointments, and family education classes. But after seeing a need for more comprehensive support throughout pregnancy and postpartum, Anna and her co-foun...

I had the pleasure of speaking with Adeo Ressi , a well-known figure in the world of entrepreneurship and venture capital. Adeo is the founder of Founder Institute . He has inspired many entrepreneurs. He also started VC Lab , a leading accelerator program for fund managers, where I am an early alumnus of the program. Last year, I read a book about Elon Musk . I learned that Adeo is a close friend...

I'm excited to share some highlights from my recent conversation with Jerry Neumann , a seasoned venture capitalist and co-author of " Founder vs. Investor. " This episode was packed with valuable insights on the dynamics between founders and investors, making investment decisions, and the crucial role of uncertainty in the startup world. Here's a summary of our discussion for those who couldn't t...

I recently had an insightful conversation with Derek Andersen , the visionary founder of Bevy and Startup Grind , on my podcast. Derek's journey is a testament to the power of community building and the transformative impact it can have on businesses and individuals alike. I wanted to share some key takeaways from our chat in this blog post. From Startup Grind to Bevy: A Founder's Journey Derek's...

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Ida Stjernström , co-founder of Silo Team , on my podcast. Silo Team is a startup working to revolutionize technical onboarding and reduce developer turnover. Ida shared the backstory of how her brother Rasmus ’ frustration with chaotic onboarding at tech companies sparked the idea for their solution. After researching over 400 tech teams globally, they...

In my recent Substak podcast episode, I spoke with Adam Draper , founder of Boost VC and third-generation VC investor, about his unconventional path in venture capital. Coming from a long lineage of successful investors, Adam has made his own mark in the VC world. He is the founder and managing director of Boost VC, a fund focused on sci-fi technology and founders pursuing “impossible” ideas. Adam...

🎧 Listen on Spotify + watch on YouTube Rob Fitzpatrick , author of The Mom Test , recently joined me for an insightful conversation on my podcast. We discussed customer development, validating product ideas, his books, and more. Here are some of the key takeaways from our discussion: * When doing customer development, reveal your product vision to provide context but focus questions on their live...

🎧 Listen on Spotify + watch on YouTube Former Pannacotta founder Fernando Taliberti joins me to give a raw, honest postmortem on his failed calendar productivity startup. He shares the story of Panacota's journey, the emotional toll of shutting down, and his biggest lessons learned as an entrepreneur. Fernando Taliberti poured his heart and soul into building Panacotta, a startup focused on produ...

🎧 Listen on Spotify + watch on YouTube I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Karl Marco , co-founder of Octo , an Egyptian fintech startup providing digital financial services, on my podcast. Karl shared invaluable lessons on building a fintech company from the ground up in Egypt. Here are some of the key takeaways from our conversation: * Octo aims to provide financial services to the unb...

In a recent Startup Istanbul podcast, Amanda Jacobson , co-founder of Radar , shared invaluable insights on building a fintech startup in Latin America. Radar provides payment reconciliation and payout automation for enterprises in Latin America. The problem they aim to solve is that as companies scale, their finance processes become extremely messy. Radar's products help clients understand the da...

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Dave McClure , founding partner of Practical VC and former founding partner of 500 Startups, on my podcast. Dave has been an active angel investor since the early 2000s and has invested in over 2000 startups during his venture career. Given his contrarian approaches and evolution from early to later stage investing, I was excited to pick Dave's brain on...

I recently had an insightful chat with Tendayi Viki , author of " The Corporate Startup " “ Pirates In The Navy ” and expert on innovation. We discussed the differences between startups and large companies when it comes to innovation, and key strategies for enabling innovation inside organizations. Here are some top takeaways: Opening Up Space for Ideation * Companies don't lack ideas, they lack p...

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Jens Lapinski , an experienced investor, entrepreneur, and mentor, on my podcast. Jens shared valuable insights from his journey across academia, entrepreneurship, and investing. Here are some key takeaways: From Academia to Entrepreneurship * Jens did his PhD in biotechnology at the University of Cambridge, which had a very entrepreneurial culture. He...

In a recent podcast episode, I had the privilege of sitting down with Steve Blank , the legendary entrepreneur and father of the Lean Startup methodology . Our wide-ranging conversation delved into the secrets of successful entrepreneurship, the evolution of startup practices, and Steve's tireless mission to empower founders around the world. * He believes humor and optimism are critical for entre...

I recently had the honor of speaking with legendary venture capitalist Tim Draper on my podcast. Tim has an incredible track record, having backed companies like Hotmail, Skype, Tesla, Coinbase, Robinhood, and many other household names. Our wide-ranging discussion touched on everything from Tim's investment philosophy, to the future of cryptocurrencies, to advice for entrepreneurs. Here are 7 key...

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing David S. Rose , a pioneer angel investor and author of the book " Angel Investing : The Gust Guide to Making Money and Having Fun Investing in Startups" for my podcast. David shared fascinating insights from his decades of experience as an angel investor and entrepreneur. Here are some of the key takeaways from our discussion: The Best Way to Get Started...