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Istanbul Ignited by Slush'D Podcast

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by Istanbul Ignited by Slush'D

6 episodes

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Podcast Overview

Istanbul Ignited by Slush’D Podcast Turning Friction into Fuel. Building Beyond Borders. The Istanbul Ignited by Slush’D Podcast brings you conversations with pioneers who turn friction into fuel and transforming challenges into opportunity and building companies that think beyond borders. From founders scaling ambitious startups to investors backing conviction over comfort, the series explores how resilience, creativity, and bold thinking shape the next wave of innovation. Rooted in the spirit of Istanbul Ignited by Slush’D , the podcast reflects a city where continents, cultures, and ambitions collide. Istanbul is shaped by friction and fueled by creativity - a place where resilience isn’t a buzzword, but a daily practice. Here, founders build against the odds. Here, investors back conviction over comfort. This isn’t just about one event. It’s an ongoing conversation, and Türkiye’s moment to show the world where the next wave of innovation is coming from.

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Publishing Since

2/17/2026

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Recent Episodes

March 24, 2026

Don’t Listen to Your Investors Who Tell You To Expand Globally | Abdallah Abu Sheikh

Don’t listen to investors who tell you to expand globally! After exiting his company, Abdallah Abu Sheikh shares a candid perspective on what really matters for founders today: building strong local products, embracing failure, and using AI as a present-day advantage — not a future trend. Recorded at Istanbul Slush’D 2025, this episode features Poddict Media Founder Aykut İbrişim, in conversation with Abdallah Abu Sheikh, exploring how the MENA startup ecosystem is shifting from consumerism to production, why investors often give the wrong advice, and what changes mentally and strategically after a successful exit. Abdallah reflects on ambition after success, team building versus individual brilliance, and why many founders are pushed too early toward global expansion. He also breaks down how AI is already reshaping businesses — leading to smaller teams, lower costs, and a future where agents negotiate on our behalf. This episode offers grounded, experience-driven insights for founders, operators, and investors navigating growth, impact, and innovation across MENA and beyond. ⸻ Timestamps [00:00] – Inside Istanbul Slush’D & the MENA startup energy [02:18] – Why I only want to build impactful businesses [04:01] – The mindset shock after exiting a company [05:49] – Why failure is a skill every founder must learn [07:20] – Team building: hiring brilliant people and letting go [08:45] – Why MENA is moving from consumerism to production [11:46] – “You don’t need to go global to win” [13:10] – Investors are not angels (and why their advice can be wrong) [14:57] – AI is not coming — it’s already here [16:20] – The future of business: agent-to-agent economies Credits Credits Host: Aykut İbrişim⁠ - ⁠Poddict⁠ Co founder Guest: Abdallah Abu Sheikh Recorded at: Istanbul Slush’D 2025⁠ – ⁠KoProduction Podcast Studio⁠ Production: Poddict⁠⁠

March 16, 2026

What Makes Consumer AI Startups Win? Momentum, Speed, Obsession | Bryan Kim

Momentum is the new moat in consumer AI. Recorded at Istanbul Slush’D, this episode features Burcu Ağma in conversation with Bryan Kim, General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, where he focuses on consumer AI and emerging product trends. They discuss what truly sets successful consumer AI founders apart, why obsession and courage matter more than formulas, and how early signals of traction reveal whether a product is going to work. Bryan explains why momentum, the speed and consistency of product velocity and distribution has become the most defensible advantage in today’s AI landscape. The conversation also explores why AI is globalizing faster than the internet, what this means for founders building outside Silicon Valley, and why regions like Turkey have a real opportunity to produce global consumer AI companies. Bryan shares surprising observations about young founders moving into hardware, the shifting balance between craft and speed, and how founders should think about retention, intent, and execution in an era where everything is changing weekly. A must-watch episode for founders, product leaders, and investors building consumer AI products in a fast-moving world. ⸻ Timestamps [00:00] – Consumer AI and founder traits [01:10] – What makes great founders “not normal” [02:22] – Learning from founders, not patterns [02:50] – Early signals of success in consumer products [03:36] – “What do you want users to do?” [04:24] – Intent, behavior, and early retention [05:31] – Momentum as the new moat in consumer AI [06:45] – Why speed beats traditional moats in AI [07:50] – Hard lessons from missed investments [08:55] – Why momentum leads to higher retention [09:40] – Turkey’s potential for global consumer AI [11:07] – AI is globalizing faster than the internet [12:20] – Why founders can build anywhere now [12:55] – The surprise: young founders building hardware [13:32] – Why hardware is becoming exciting again [14:50] – Final advice to consumer AI founders Credits Host: Burcu Ağma - ⁠⁠ Connectmind AI Co-Founder Guest: Bryan Kim - Partner a16z Recorded at: Istanbul Slush’D 2025⁠ – ⁠KoProduction Podcast Studio⁠ Production: Poddict⁠⁠

March 9, 2026

Trust Over Valuation: Turkey’s FinTech & AI Ecosystem | Stefan Klestil

In this episode recorded at Istanbul Slush’D, Aykut İbrişim sits down with Stefan Klestil, General Partner at Speedinvest, to explore the Turkish FinTech ecosystem, venture capital, and the realities of building and scaling startups in emerging markets. From early-stage investing to cross-border growth, this conversation examines why Turkey represents a massive standalone ecosystem, powered not only by local talent, but also by a globally connected entrepreneurial diaspora. Recorded live at Istanbul Slush’D 2025, this episode features Stefan Klestil sharing insights from Speedinvest’s experience across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. We discuss why trust is the cornerstone of founder/investor relationships, why valuation should never come at the expense of transparency, and how long-term partnerships are built through crises. The conversation also dives into the impact of AI on venture capital and startup building, the growing role of regulation as a competitive moat in fintech, and why unicorns should be understood as real, profitable companies, not just hype driven milestones. Looking ahead, the episode offers candid advice for aspiring founders: building sustainable, profitable companies, choosing investors wisely, and understanding the responsibility that comes with entrepreneurship. ⸻ Timestamps [00:00] – Welcome & opening at Istanbul Slush’D [01:30] – Turkey as a standalone startup ecosystem [04:00] – Turkish founders, diaspora & global impact [05:45] – Scaling beyond Turkey & cross-border growth [07:30] – Trust between founders and investors [09:30] – Crisis management & long-term partnerships [10:40] – Unicorns, profitability & real companies [12:50] – Founder patterns, resilience & leadership [14:55] – AI in startups and venture capital [15:55] – Regulation as fintech’s long-term moat [17:20] – Advice for aspiring founders [19:00] – Closing remarks ⸻ If you enjoyed this conversation, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and comment. New episodes from Istanbul Slush’D Podcast coming soon — featuring investors, founders, and ecosystem leaders shaping the next wave of innovation. ⸻ Credits Host: ⁠Aykut İbrişim⁠ - ⁠Poddict⁠ Co founder Guest: Stefan Klestil Recorded at: Istanbul Slush’D 2025⁠ – ⁠KoProduction Podcast Studio⁠ Production: ⁠Poddict⁠⁠

6 total episodes available

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What is Istanbul Ignited by Slush'D Podcast?: Istanbul Ignited by Slush’D Podcast

Turning Friction into Fuel. Building Beyond Borders.

The Istanbul Ignited by Slush’D Podcast brings you conversations with pioneers who turn friction into fuel and transforming challenges into opportunity and building companies that think beyond borders.

From founders scaling ambitious startups to investors backing conviction over comfort, the series explores how resilience, creativity, and bold thinking shape the next wave of innovation.

Rooted in the spirit of Istanbul Ignited by Slush’D , the podcast reflects a city where continents, cultures, and ambitions collide. Istanbul is shaped by friction and fueled by creativity - a place where resilience isn’t a buzzword, but a daily practice.

Here, founders build against the odds.

Here, investors back conviction over comfort.

This isn’t just about one event.

It’s an ongoing conversation, and Türkiye’s moment to show the world where the next wave of innovation is coming from.
How often does this podcast release new episodes?: This podcast updates daily.
Where can I listen to this podcast?: This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
Does this podcast accept guests?: Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.

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