FOMO

FOMO ( Fearing of Missing out).

These days, I am chatting with my entrepreneur friends. They all do an amazing job but they all feeling FOMO. Why?

Because they are thinking “ If we started something else, they might be way bigger than what we have currently”. Or, they say “they should start something on the side to catch up on what’s current trends”.

Those are all ok. Why? because we don’t know the future. Nobody knows it. No one forecast COVID-19 for 2020 Projections. So, FOMO is okay. You are not the only one feeling that way. Focus on your long term goals and plans. FOMO is mostly happening a short time or seasonal gains.

Entrepreneurship is a marathon, not a sprint. Just focus on what do you have and if you believe in, you will gain massive knowledge, connection, and outcome. Stick on it.

You are for the customer.

I always say “We are here not to build a product, we are here to solve our customer’s problem”.

Whatever you are building, working needs to solve someone’s problem. If it is not, why are you building anyway?

Keep asking yourself. “Am I solving real pain or an imaginary one?”

More you build a relationship with your prospect or existing client, they will more likely to be turned life long customer plus friend and advisor to you and your company.

So, be aware: You are here to serve them. Your job is to solve the problem. Not to create one.

Imagine, if you go to a restaurant, what do you expect from them? : “Good service and gesture, delicious food, and taking care of you”. Everything needs to be customer-centric. Food, design, the ambiance will come after customer focus.

So tech companies are not different than a restaurant. You are here to serve nothing less or more. Product, design, engineering and YOU are for Customers.

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Little by Little

Doing every day changed my life (writing last 130 days). It can easily change yours too.

It doesn’t matter what is your new goal, Just do it every day. Don’t worry outcome. You don’t expect too much from it. Just do every day.

Even some days you will feel tired or not motivated. Still do it. Pretty much, control your mind and body say “I’m not going to bed unless doing this”

Start very small habits. Such as:

  • Read a one page

  • Do 1 push-up

  • Floss your teeth every night

  • Walk 5 minutes around the neighborhood

  • Write 1 sentence per day.

Don’t start any habits with huge goals. Just start little. Then, you can add on top of it. No rush! Little by little…

We’re Stuck up Here!

Yes, You and I

Also, Everyone!

Is this situation is helping you?

Or, make it worse?

Still, All up to “US”!

Why?

Because you can’t control what’s happening in the world?

So, focus on “You”

Don’t forget. Still “Life is full of blessings”.

Sense of Urgency

Who has a sense of urgency? The person who knows the deadline is close.

Who is setting up those deadlines?

YOU!

There is no tomorrow for YOU.

You can’t keep delaying.

Do it and Learn!

Who knows what tomorrow brings us?

The best time is NOW!

The best person to deliver is YOU!

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Limited Edition

We all like limited edition stuff. It creates scarcity. Hurry up! If you don’t get it, someone will take it.

We love also talking about our “Limited Edition” goods.

Hey dude, These shoes are Nike Air Jordan XYZ, it is only 100 of them. And, I got my pair. What’s upppp?

I don’t know you but I never into “Limited Edition”. All I know one limited thing in this life: TIME!

Don’t be Cheap

I don’t like to be around cheap people. I love giving don’t get me wrong. But, I learned the last couple of years, instead of giving everyone, give who deserves it.

Because you will end up some many cheap people around you. Those are always waiting for something from you. And, never offer anything. If you stop giving, they will start complaining or talking trash about you.

“The cheap person” in my definition who always think small wins and looking his/her cut instead of win-win. They are pretty much short term thinking people.

Biggest advice for them: Give in order to Get.

April’s Top Books

This Boy’s Life by Tobias Wolff. It is an incredible book. I discovered Tobias Wolff through his short stories. Then, I found his memoir. That book also filmed in 1993. (Starred by Leonarda di Caprio and Robert De Niro). It is a mind-blowing story. You will be very grateful for your family after reading this memoir. However, that life made Tobias who he is now. Definitely recommend for people who are looking great memoir/biography books. Because he is a great short story writer his memoir tastes like a fiction book.

Search Inside Yourself by Chade-Meng Tan. This book helped my Meditation routine easier. Before this book, I thought I need to meditate either 10 minutes or not. One of the top highlights from the book: Easy Way is to simply bring gentle and consistent attention to your breath for two minutes. That’s it. Start by becoming aware that you are breathing, and then pay attention to the process of breathing. Every time your attention wanders away, just bring it back very gently.

An Intimate History of Humanity by Theodore Zeldin. He is my guy these days. I am trying to watch and listen to all his talks. Each chapter starts with sharing French woman or women’s stories based on their daily struggles and he explained their situation with scientific and social researches. This book is not for everyone. But, if you are ready to expand your mind with historical research and extraordinary view, go for it.

BONUS

I am happy to share our community started to write after reading my daily journal. They said Aykut’s newsletter is one of the reasons and inspiration to write more frequently. Very nice of them. Please check out their newsletter:

Mia, Isil, Mehmet, Burak, and Lily

Note: If you are about to start yours or already started. Please reply to this email. I’ll list you next month here. Also, planning to have a private chat group with those writers. We will share some of the best practices , insights, and full of inspiration.

TOP 3 BOOKS ARCHIVE

March’s Top 3 Books

February’s Top 3 Books

January’s Top 3 Books

What kind of tree are you?

What kind of tree are you”? My friend asked me earlier this year. He works in human resources technology. According to him, each tree represents some sort of personality data. Of course, they ask many more in-depth questions and analyze your peers, industry, and field. Personally, I like the question more than the answer.

I am so lucky to have a backyard. Especially these Corona days, you definitely need to take a breath and go outside. Our backyard has 2 different types of Lemon trees, 1 Palm tree, 2 banana trees, 1 Japanese Maple tree, and a couple of others I have no clue about. ( I need to use some app to identify what those are). 🙂

Also, we share a fence with 2 neighbors. Together we see one huge Redwood tree and a couple of olive trees. It’s an amazing place to be in. As I said, I’m super fortunate to have that kind of a backyard. Because, when I was growing up in Ankara, I never saw Palm, Olive, Lemon, or Banana trees. We only had Pine trees.

That made me think about it. In the past, if someone asked me “What kind of tree are you”? For sure: I would have said a Pine tree:)

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Be a Man!

-Be a Man!

-Man Up!

Where we can get the certification of “Be a Man”?

Are you head of “Be a Man” organization to stamp my “Be a Man!” degree?

Bob Dylan explained so well:

How many roads must a man walk down
Before you call him a man? ( Blowin in the Wind-1963)