ERSU ABLAK

Startup Istanbul rocked the startup stage once again

As a journalist, one of my favorite times of the year is when Startup Istanbul happens. In just a few days I learn about many great startups coming from all over the world. This year’s was no different. I wasn’t physically there, but I watched many presentations online and had the opportunity to widen my view.

October 24 2018

ERSU ABLAK

Business connectivity is bigger than the internet

It is 2018 and we are all enjoying the fruits of the internet. We are more connected to each other and everyone across the world than ever. Thanks to the internet, everybody knows about everything that’s happening in the world instantly. Of course, there are setbacks that come with speed, but in general I think no one would like to go back to an era when the internet was still not invented. It would mean letting go of very big treasures such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, YouTube, Spotify, Netflix, e-mails, and so on.

October 17 2018

ERSU ABLAK

Girls need more role models in STEM sectors

This is the title of a press release by Mastercard. For some time they are very involved with girls education in technology related areas which can be summed up as science, technology, engineering and maths ( STEM). It is one of the main topics that I am very interested as well. Mastercard has a program called Girls4Tech. It is an education program launched to drive the interest of young girls in STEM.

October 10 2018

ERSU ABLAK

Changing the way we order things

I have recently met Austin Kim. He is what we Turks call a “Turkified foreigner.” He has been living in Turkey since 1991 and can speak Turkish perfectly. He is also as familiar as the best Turkish businesspeople with the Turkish business world. Many of my friends talk about themselves like they’re business gods as soon as they achieve partial success in their careers. Kim has already established two major global super companies, Uber and Glovo. He is as humble as any person can be. We all heard about Uber and how successful it is in Turkey even though it had some legal problems. Now we will all hear about Glovo.

October 03 2018

ERSU ABLAK

About Murat Yetkin and journalism

Murat Yetkin, the editor-in-chief of the Hürriyet Daily News, is leaving the paper. It is particularly an important piece of news for me as I really do think he is the embodiment of how a journalist should be at any age.

October 01 2018

ERSU ABLAK

Facebook’s never-ending problems

Facebook was the hype in our youth, now it is seen as a gathering place for the elderly. Therefore, the acquisition of Instagram was a very well-played move by Mark Zuckerberg to keep the company relative to advertisers. It also helped that Facebook has immense targeting abilities.

September 19 2018

ERSU ABLAK

Trillion-dollar potential

Advertisement is one of the least understood industries of Turkey. It is partly due to the ever-changing landscape of the industry and partly because the stakeholders of the industry are not well-known for collaboration. The competition is much harsher than many other industries and the stakeholders don’t usually come together to discuss and solve the problems of the advertisement industry in general.

September 12 2018

ERSU ABLAK

Being 99th in quality education

According to the World Economic Forum, Turkey is 99th when it comes to quality education. Sweden is at the top. Singapore is second and Finland ranks in third.

August 29 2018

ERSU ABLAK

Will there be a wave toward nationalizing technology?

I have written time and again that I am against all kinds of efforts to nationalize technology, especially if they are geared toward suppressing citizens, like a national search engine or a national Twitter, where the government controls content. I am equally against any projects to nationalize technology if it will not give us any comparable advantage over global rivals, such as trying to build a regular national car.

August 22 2018