Ambition Beats Comfort: Why Turkish Founders Must Think Bigger | Simon Schmincke

from İstanbul Slush'D Podcast · host Istanbul Ignited by Slush'D

Ambition matters more than comfort. Recorded at Istanbul Slush’D, 2025 this episode features Poddict Media Founder Aykut İbrişim, in conversation with Simon Schmincke, exploring what truly drives successful founders in Turkey and beyond. They discuss the growing energy of the Turkish startup ecosystem, why grit and resilience are unfair advantages for founders in the region, and how early-stage venture capital is becoming more professional. Simon shares what global investors really look for in founders: ambition, belief, and the courage to think bigger than local success. The conversation also dives into the importance of role models, the fear many founders feel about expanding globally, and why passion for the product matters more than chasing market opportunities. From venture-scale ambition to founder–investor alignment, this episode offers grounded, experience-driven insights for entrepreneurs, operators, students, and investors navigating the startup journey. ⸻ Timestamps 00:00 - The energy of Istanbul’s startup ecosystem 01:41 - Why Istanbul Slush'D can be a real catalyst 02:55 - What global investors look for in founders 03:36 - Ambition: thinking beyond local success 04:30 - Grit and resilience as a regional advantage 05:45 - Why the Turkish VC ecosystem is maturing 07:10 - The challenge of staying local as a venture-scale startup 08:45 - Why role models change entire ecosystems 10:57 - Passion vs "market opportunity" thinking 12:52 - "I want this product to exist" 14:24 - Why founders must love the problem they solve 15:55 - Founders and investors: passion goes both ways Credits Host: Aykut İbrişim⁠ - ⁠Poddict⁠ Founder Guest: Simon Schmincke - General Partner Creandum Recorded at: Istanbul Slush’D 2025⁠ – ⁠KoProduction Podcast Studio⁠ Production: Poddict⁠⁠ Don't forget to support the Istanbul Slush'D podcast with likes, comments, and subscribe/follow to stay tuned! New episodes coming soon... Stay in the loop: ⁠www.istanbulslushd.com/⁠ ⁠linkedin.com/company/istanbul-slush-d/⁠ ⁠instagram.com/istanbulslushd⁠ ⁠⁠x.com/slushhq⁠⁠

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Feb 17, 2026

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Ambition Beats Comfort: Why Turkish Founders Must Think Bigger | Simon Schmincke

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