Burak Buyukdemir

Brainwaves by Burak Büyükdemir Field notes from 26 years of investing in early-stage startups. April 23, 2026 Is it normal to talk to yourself? · · · I used to think talking to yourself was weird, maybe even unhealthy. Around here, people don’t usually look at it kindly. If someone talks to themselves, they’re quickly treated like they’ve “lost it” a little. So I always kept my distance from that idea. Then this week I read something that said the exact opposite, and honestly, it was a...

Brainwaves by Burak Büyükdemir Field notes from 26 years of investing in early-stage startups. April 18, 2026 YC Winter 2026 Demo Day — I watched 154 pitches, and some patterns are very clear · · · Last week I watched every single YC Demo Day pitch in one sitting. 8 hours. 154 pitches. It was exhausting. But worth it. By pitch 40, focus starts to slip. After 80, you need notes just to keep up. After 120, you are on your third coffee. Honestly, watching 150+ companies back to back is not the...

Brainwaves by Burak Büyükdemir Field notes from 26 years of investing in early-stage startups. April 13, 2026 6 startups, 1 investment. Can you guess which one? · · · Last few weeks I met some incredible founders. I’m sharing six of them with you today. Here’s the twist: I’ve already decided to invest in one (or more) of these startups. I’m not telling you which one. But I want you to guess. I’ll reveal my investment in the coming months. Let’s see if we think alike. · · · 01 Deep Root...

Brainwaves by Burak Büyükdemir Field notes from 26 years of investing in early-stage startups. April 08, 2026 Stop comparing pages · · · Last week a founder messaged me: “X company exited at $50M. I’m still searching for product-market fit. What am I doing wrong?” Maybe nothing. You’re just comparing wrong. When you read an exit headline, you see the ending. You don’t see the four years of zero revenue. The three pivots. The bridge round that almost didn’t close. The divorce, the lost...

Brainwaves by Burak Büyükdemir Field notes from 26 years of investing in early-stage startups. April 03, 2026 Why most customer interviews are a waste of time · · · About the Guest: Rob Fitzpatrick is the author of The Mom Test (250K+ copies sold, taught at top universities and accelerators worldwide), a Y Combinator alumni, and founder of Useful Books. He went from a failed startup to writing the definitive guide on customer conversations. Rob Fitzpatrick built a failed startup, turned the...