3 Exciting Years In Startup Advising Business. Long live GoGlobal.
“Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation, there is sure to be a failure.” — Confucius.
It was in 2019, late summer, when Tara Lutman and I met in Istanbul by the Bosphorus at our favorite coffee place in the neighborhood of Bebek. It was right after we both decided to take a break from 2 years of the hard-working corporate tech environment. The first thing I said to her I am not a corporate soul! I was meant to be free! Free of all the things that make my soul heavy.
After almost 30 years of experience as an entrepreneur, investor, mentor, professional, board member & lecturer in the global startup & tech ecosystem, It was time for me to give it back to like-minded souls willing to grow worldwide in their entrepreneurial journey. Only then can I be more creative and be me.
Ah, the beauty of starting something.
The initial spark, the passion, the ideation phase, information gathering, planning, deck building, and all.
A dear student once called me “a woman of passion!” She is right; I am passionately in love with my work. I love it. And if I lose that sparkle in my soul, I realize it is time for me to move forward to my next journey.
When we started GoGlobal to provide premium quality advisory service to visionary entrepreneurs, innovative and brightest technologists, and engineers, we knew one of our significant strengths was our network. We worked together for years with a global network of investors, family offices, VCs, and high-net-worth individuals & corporations who put their trust in us to create businesses worldwide.
Each time I start a new business, I do it in the open –I hold my cards far from my chest. They’re, like, visible at all times. Part of this is because I’m impatient, want feedback, and am willing to share my often premature ideas to get it, but I also don’t have the energy to lie when someone asks what I’m up to lately. When I shared my next big move - starting GoGlobal - with my closest business circle, I was so humbled by the support and encouragement I received from them. It was a validation of what Tara and I were about to build.
What have we achieved so far?
Looking back, in less than 3 years, GoGlobal reached out to 3 continents; Northern America, Europe & Asia.
We are active in the 7 most amazing startup-friendly cities worldwide - Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, Miami, London, Istanbul, Tel Aviv, Dubai, and more is coming.
Our portfolio companies are growing —all of it with the trust and support of our local businesses & strategic partners.
In less than 3 years together, we have advised 30 impact-driven startup companies to reach out to funds.
Worked hands-on with them to grow and expand their solutions to global challenges—our portfolio companies have nearly raised 100 Million USD globally.
We have introduced them to more than 100 sector-leading international potential clients & helped them create revenues. We have enabled them to work with the best mentors worldwide so they can be more prepared for future challenges.
And this is just the beginning.
We are so proud of our community for focusing more and more on ESG goals and being sensitive and inclusive of the 2030 UNDP Sustainable Development Goals and 2050 Zero emissions target. As GoGlobal partners, we have had a clear vision about the gender gap as a global threat to world economies, and creating an inclusive & diverse portfolio has become our priority. As a result, half of our portfolio companies are women-led businesses. Through our seasoned mentor network and local business partners, we have advised businesses from health tech, edtech to agtech, fintech, climate tech, food tech, and Genz consumer goods to saas( and more). We enjoy & proud of the richness of our portfolio. We advised, but we also learned a lot.
I receive this question from founders from time to time. How many are too many advisors/coaches/mentors for a seed to Serie A company? My answer is simple. It’s about knowing your weaknesses and asking for help. An advisor-entrepreneur relationship is best when an entrepreneur knows what’s missing in their organization on a collective and personal level to reach out to the KPIs of the company. Sometimes we spend more time with entrepreneurs to help them shape their vision. We mobilize sources for them, but they are the ones to execute their business smartly.
“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.”— Saint Augustine.
Our global positioning makes us appealing to startup founders. Our cultural richness taught us how to grow a startup business outside local markets. As Saint Augustine describes, Travel is an opportunity to read the world. On each page, you might meet new people, form new relationships, and find and discover new cultures and languages that can help your mindset grow and your vision shape. Eventually, you can work on more engaging strategies for your global expansion plan.
At GoGlobal, we bring the world to you so you can keep your focus on your business.
Well, I guess that’s all for now.
I am grateful to everyone we have worked with, collaborated with, exchanged ideas, or inspired us for our GoGlobal journey. The best is yet to come!
Thank You from the heart!
Esra Talu
GoGlobal
Co-Founder & Partner
July 19th, 2022
West Hollywood, CA