Insights From the Founder of Hiring Software Startup The Flatwork

Any entrepreneur can tell you, launching a startup is a learning process. Therefore, one of the best things you can do prior to launching a startup of your own is to learn from those who have blazed the trail. We were fortunate enough to hear some valuable insights during our interview with Furkan Akyurek, founder of hiring startup The Flatwork that will inspire, motivate, and teach aspiring and established entrepreneurs alike.

“Startup life is difficult, and you need to learn so much. But most importantly, you’ll eventually need to build a great team. Find people who you trust and you can work with easily. You’ll spend so much time with them, [and you] will live the ups and downs, so it’s better to have built a rapport before getting into a stressful job.

Talking to the customers is incredibly important. It’s so tempting to think by yourself and act on it, but if the customers have no interest, it may be wise to not do it. It could also help you pivot if need be.”

“In the staffing industry, there’s a lot of competition and different types of approaches. I think there’s a lot of areas ripe for disruption from HR processes to direct hiring. However, note that it’ll be difficult to disrupt the integrated products from massive companies easily.”

“It’s so much easier to do if you try to come up in an area that you already know. For instance, if you’re working in the media industry, you would have a better idea [for working] on their existing problems and how to solve it than say the aerospace industry.”

“The first advice is perseverance and patience. It will happen, so step back and try to learn from it as much as possible. Failures and rejections always feel like a gut punch, but you will need to reel back and move on. For some challenges, your ideas may not be enough, so get a fresh perspective from someone else.”

“Talking to customers and finding early interest before launching the product is so important. If possible, don’t waste hours and thousands of dollars on something you can test with a basic website. Don’t ignore social media. Use it well, professionally, and if you already have an existing follower base, it’s so much easier to get customers.”

• Check out The Flatwork’s company profile and ways to support them!
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• Start your own startup by reading our How to Start a Startup guide.