Year 2025. I’m now 34. Do I feel my age? Not really, I still feel like I’m in my mid-20s. I’ve never been someone who puts much meaning into birthdays — to me, it’s just another ordinary day. But there’s something different about this one.
It’s been 10 years since I moved to Istanbul. This photo was taken on that very day. It all started in a 1+1 apartment that doubled as a home office. No money, no resources, in need of a miracle — and all I had was one idea. Is that enough to start something? It wasn’t. I needed persistence, ambition, and an unwavering grip on my goals. I was able to add some of that into the mix — to a certain extent.
After 10 years in business, I’ve learned a lot. I’ve made plenty of mistakes, tried countless things. I consider this decade as the first phase of my journey. Building something from scratch, driven purely by gut decisions and daily grind — that’s the summary of my first 10 years. The first 5 years were an intense battle, and the next 5 were about learning. I’ve always moved forward by falling and getting back up. I’ve never had a single year that went completely smooth — and now I’ve learned: it never will. There will always be ups and downs.
I discovered the meaning of life in the past 5 years. The secret to a meaningful life lies in setting big goals — and fighting for them.
I’ve now set new, bigger goals for the next 10 years. In the first decade, I had no choice but to keep going. This time, the dynamics are different. I used to think I wasn’t even operating at 10% of my potential. I see myself as my only competition, and I want to accomplish more. I’ll be building this second decade not just with drive — but with knowledge and experience.
When I look back in 2035 to evaluate where I stand, I’ll see today as a milestone. I remember feeling something similar when I launched my first global platform — I still have those records somewhere. I feel like I’m at that kind of turning point again. Let’s see where it all leads.
