Author Archives: kerimbaran

For My Fellow Entrepreneur

This is a share for entrepreneurs. If you are an entrepreneur, you have a vision, you are connecting the dots, you are likely a leader who wants to make a positive change in the world. It is also likely that you have something to prove. It might even be that you are doing what youContinue reading “For My Fellow Entrepreneur”

My 3rd Rodeo – stream of thoughts

I am working on my 3rd major life-project/startup. Yes, my passion project, SolarAcademy, is moving forward with some new energy, as it joins paths with new partners, collaborators, and a team, to meet its vision. I spent parts of this weekend in meditation about our MVP and found myself watching and benefiting from a seriesContinue reading “My 3rd Rodeo – stream of thoughts”

If

If you can keep your head when all about you    Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,   If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too;   If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,Or being hated, don’t giveContinue reading “If”

My YouTube Education

Since the beginning of the pandemic, my media consumption has gone up in a noticeable way. Over the past year and a half, while many people spent countless hours binge watching Netflix and Hulu shows, I have found myself watching YouTube more often than any other medium. I am quite impressed by the quantity andContinue reading “My YouTube Education”

The First $20k is Always the Hardest

Back in the dot-com era, I remember reading this novel called, The First $20M is Always the Hardest by Po Bronson where the author talked about the gold rush days of Silicon Valley and founders’ dreams of making their first $20M and the twisted stories around that pursuit. Having been a two time “bootstrap” entrepreneurContinue reading “The First $20k is Always the Hardest”

My SolarAcademy Vision

I first got the inspiration for my passion project, SolarAcademy, when I discovered Khan Academy more than a decade ago. Since then, and especially during the days of working at CivicSolar, I have been thinking about creating systems that accelerate the sharing of useful knowledge through new methods and ways, to help create a moreContinue reading “My SolarAcademy Vision”

Yuval Noah Harari

I find Yuval Noah Harari to be one of the most impressive philosophers / historians / anthropologists of our time.  I heard other intellectuals put down his works arguing that he does not introduce anything new to the realm of social sciences. What makes Harari special for me is the way he conveys and packages those facts andContinue reading “Yuval Noah Harari”

The 8 C’s

I met Mark Nicolson when I attended his conscious leadership workshop at Esalen Institute in November 2018, titled “Conversations on the Edge: The Leader of the Future”. Since then we became friends and had the opportunity to work together. I first heard the idea of “being successful in one’s intimate relationship is what is usually requiredContinue reading “The 8 C’s”

When to launch?

Linkedin founder Reid Hoffman has a well known quote. It goes “If you’re not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you’ve launched too late.” Have a look at Linkedin homepage when they first launched in 2003. Clearly, Reid did not wait to perfect the product. He had the key elements that defined Linkedin baked into the product, but inContinue reading “When to launch?”

Things will never be the same

I humbly predict the following changes in human behavior in the post-Corona world. It will be interesting to look back at this post in a few years. People will realize that slowing down is actually not so bad. We will realize that a slower life style with less commuting, less consumption, less travel, and moreContinue reading “Things will never be the same”

Best Marriage Advice

Relationships are the most important part of our lives. A marriage defines probably the most important relationship of one’s life (except the one with one’s self). There are tons of good content out there on how to lead a successful relationship with a partner. Some of my favorites on this topic include the following: UndefendedContinue reading “Best Marriage Advice”

Knowing yourself with Enneagram

“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom” said Aristotle. That must be why many business schools and corporations have their students and employees do the popular Myers-Briggs test during the orientation period. The business school I attended was equally famous at graduating some world class leaders as well as world class villains. World classContinue reading “Knowing yourself with Enneagram”

Life is Easy. Less is More.

In the West, we value ambition, accomplishment, progress, competition, productivity, civilization, order, and innovation. These are noble values. In our quest for achievements along these values, we frequently, or should say I frequently, find myself overwhelmed by the activities, decisions, and options that I have to consider and choose from. In those moments, I findContinue reading “Life is Easy. Less is More.”

The dirty secret of capitalism

Almost everyone likes whistle blowers, unless the whistle blower is ratting out a system that benefits them. What I like better is when powerful insiders talk transparently about how a broken system is benefiting them more than it should. In this talk, entrepreneur/investor, Nick Hanauer is doing exactly that. Some people find this act hypocriticalContinue reading “The dirty secret of capitalism”