T3 Podcast | Fast-Globally Expanding Entrepreneur Wins - Serkan Ünsal

In this episode of the T3 Podcast, we welcome Serkan Ünsal. As the founder of Start-up Watch, Ünsal shares his insights on the current state of Türkiye’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, the challenges faced, the opportunities available, and future expectations.

After graduating from Middle East Technical University, Serkan Ünsal worked at corporate firms such as Ericsson and Turkcell. In 2009, he left the corporate world and founded his first venture, Dakik, at a time when Türkiye’s entrepreneurship ecosystem was still in its early stages. His venture quickly attracted investment. Ünsal emphasizes that his experience in product development, project management, and business growth within the corporate sector played a critical role in his entrepreneurial success. In 2014, he sold his first venture, and in 2015 he founded Start-up Watch, which provides analysis for investors and institutions.

According to Ünsal, for an ecosystem to function healthily, all stakeholders—accelerators, investors, and entrepreneurs—must collaborate and "be happy". The greatest driving force of the ecosystem is success stories. Examples such as Roic and Dream Games in the gaming sector have ignited the appetite of investors and entrepreneurs, fueling the ecosystem’s growth. The gaming sector stands out due to its digital nature, enabling rapid export and global expansion.

Ünsal notes that the lack of global thinking has decreased compared to three years ago, but this shift has not yet fully permeated all sectors. He highlights that government support has become significantly more advanced since 2010, yet he argues that one of the ecosystem’s biggest challenges remains the shortage of experienced entrepreneurs with corporate backgrounds.

Thanks to successes in the gaming sector, foreign investors’ perception of Türkiye has improved positively. In 2013, very few in Silicon Valley knew of any Turkish startups; today, Türkiye is increasingly associated with the gaming industry. The global visibility of companies such as Getir, Trendyol, and Hepsiburada has also contributed to this shift in perception.

Ünsal warns angel investors against viewing entrepreneurship as a "gold mine." He stresses that entrepreneurship is a difficult and risky path, and even the most successful stories have passed through arduous processes. Investors must make informed investments, understanding that some of their investments will fail, some will barely survive, and only a very small fraction will achieve significant success.

Ünsal advises young people to enhance their digital skills and develop their own competencies. He particularly highlights digital marketing and content management as among today’s "hottest areas." Since entrepreneurship is about doing more with less, he emphasizes that the earlier knowledge is acquired, the more valuable it becomes. He encourages students to follow entrepreneurs’ stories to accelerate their own learning.