Before I learned I could build technology, I was a salesman. I loved making money.
It started with bottled water. During the summer of 2013, I sold cold bottles of water on hot days at Kadıköy Rıhtım in Istanbul. For a 14-year-old, I was making serious money.
Then came wish lanterns. Between 2013 and 2015, I sold them to couples strolling along Caddebostan at night. The margins were much better than bottled water.
Around the same time, I discovered a pure arbitrage opportunity with Steam game keys. Games were significantly cheaper on plati.ru. I listed them on eBay, and whenever someone placed an order, I bought the key at the lower price on plati.ru and sent it directly to the customer. There were no regional restrictions back then, and apparently eBay buyers had never heard of plati.ru. Customer satisfaction was high. I also sold keys through my Facebook page, OyunCasusu. My eBay feedback is still there: https://www.ebay.com/fdbk/feedback_profile/oyuncasusu.
The last venture was different. I was 17 years old and had been windsurfing since I was 10. One summer, my friend Batu Zengin and I decided to invest in beginner-level windsurfing equipment and start giving private windsurfing lessons in Güre, Balıkesir. We put up flyers all over town, and it worked. We recovered our initial investment within weeks, and the rest of the summer was almost entirely profit. We ran the business for two summers and made very good money both years.
