By Fatmanur Erdogan, Hürriyet Daily News On Tuesday, I attended a seminar organized by BUMED, Bogazici University’s Alumni Association. The seminar was called “Socratic Dialogues”, and it started out as a pleasant gathering of like-minded people who came together to learn, share and connect. The seminar leaders Erman Eryaman, Seçil Ece Yılmaz, and Sinan Tüzer opened the dialogue with the topic “Know thyself”. According to Wikipedia, “The saying “Know thyself” may refer to the ideal of understanding human behavior, morals, and thought, because ultimately to understand oneself is to understand other humans as well.” At the BUMED seminar, the group […]

By Fatmanur Erdogan, Hürriyet Daily News The thing about entrepreneurship is it doesn’t always look like the business world we are used to seeing every day.  Entrepreneurship is not a model or business structure, it is a spirit.  It can appear anywhere, and when you open your eyes, you can find some of the best teachers appearing in the most unlikely places. Next time you want to escape the craziness of Istanbul for some green mountains, fresh air and soothing streams, try taking a trip to Sapanca.  Up in the hills lies Istanbuldere Aile Pansiyonu, a small family operation owned […]

By Fatmanur Erdogan, Hürriyet Daily News February 13, 2009 Many people in corporate jobs dream about being their own boss someday.  They want to become entrepreneurs, but they never take the big leap of faith it requires.  They might think it is too risky financially, or they can’t muster the courage to take that important first step.  Whatever the reasons for the hesitation, it usually comes down to one main thing:  turning a dream into reality is a lot messier than, and not always as fun as, simply dreaming. Then there are others, who do the opposite and underestimate the […]

By Fatmanur Erdogan, Hürriyet Daily News Life is filled with entrepreneurial ventures.  An entrepreneurial venture can be starting a new business, but it could also be anything else in life that draws on your creativity and adventurous spirit – starting a new job, moving to a new city, going back to school, the list is endless. However, even the greatest entrepreneurial ventures eventually hit a low point, an extended lull in the excitement, when things seem boring and routine.  At this point, people often find themselves wondering where the magic went.  Some of them give up, disillusioned, and settle back […]