Hamdi Ulukaya, the founder of the yoghurt brand Chobani, one of the most important entrepreneurs in the world, wrote suggestions to Turkish entrepreneurs specific to Hürriyet. Ulukaya, who gave an example from Mevlana’s saying “When you start walking, the road will appear by itself”, said to entrepreneurs, “You too, get on the road. “Ready to learn what you don’t know on the road,” he said.
You should walk…
Mevlana said, “When you start walking, the road will appear by itself.” When I started establishing Chobani, I had neither run a company before nor had a business plan. The old walls of the factory caught my eye; these walls badly needed painting, and this was a problem that could easily be solved. So I went and bought some paint, and we rolled up our sleeves and started work with our first five employees. This was the first and best decision I ever made. There is something magical about taking action, taking action; It opens the door to thinking, developing new ideas and makes you feel that you are making progress. So don’t sit and wait, start walking, don’t worry, the road will appear by itself.
… But don’t walk alone
You can’t do everything alone, especially after you get to a certain point. There is no way for that. When I was building Chobani, I had to believe in my potential, trust my own decisions, and that’s how I still do it today. However, while both establishing Chobani and moving the company to its present position, I walked with many people I can trust in all areas of life. You cannot do everything alone, a team you can trust is essential.
Talk to everyone
Don’t focus on the appellations or how “important” the other person is. Every single person you meet can be very important to you and your company, whether you are starting a business or even after you have succeeded. At first, I was very surprised to see that entrepreneurs went to conferences and looked at name tags in search of a appellationor an important name without even looking in the eyes of people. It’s a terrible mindset, I really don’t like it. You never know who can help you in the long run. Talk to everyone, respect everyone.
Choose your partners carefully
When it comes to investors, you have to be careful. It can be difficult to resist the temptation of someone’s offer of help or financing while you aspire to grow, but it is critical that the people you will be partner with have the same business mind and vision as you. Look for people who will help you not only in the good times, but also in the bad days when you really need it. Of course, you do not come across them often, but those people are not absent.
Make it simple
At Chobani, I used an accounting software called QuickBooks, designed mostly for small companies, until the company reached a value of 600 million dollars. It was effortless, I could easily understand and easily follow how things were going. As an entrepreneur, there will be a lot of people who makes things hard for you to make your business even more complicated. In all this turmoil, don’t forget your initial simple vision and simple way of doing business; hug him as long as you can, with all your might.
Details matter
Almost all entrepreneurs are dreamers. This is a good thing: If you weren’t like that, you might never have the courage to take risks and start your journey. But the details are just as important. In Chobani, I am looking for new ways to look down and improve ourselves, to get better. Never stop falling into new dreams.
Build a culture
The way you act as the founder from day one will determine the character of your enterprise and the mood of your employees. Try to build a culture where everyone is appreciated and respected, everyone feels at home and they do not hesitate to be like themselves. Not only because it is so true, but also because it is so wise.
Final word: These are what I learned as an entrepreneur on the road. I did not know all of them while I was on the road. Get on the road… Ready to learn what you don’t know on the road.
Source: Hurriyet
