About me
tl;dr: Started coding without internet, built things people actually used, won by executing fast, and turned one small decision into a career - still building, still learning.
I don’t really know where to start and what to talk about when it comes to me. Maybe that’s exactly why I’m starting this blog - 20+ years after I wrote my first line of code in 2005.
My name is Ahmet [‘ahmet]. I started coding with a book (“Addy - Meine Tipps für deine Homepage”) that my sister bought for 1€. I didn’t even have internet at home, only a laptop and the default Microsoft Editor.
I learned writing HTML code like tables, adding links and images but it was the beginning of my future.
First touch with Open Source
WordPress
WordPress was the first Open Source tool I used for my own blog. That’s where I got into PHP and deepened my HTML, CSS and JavaScript knowledge.
First themes. First plugins.
Tweetwall
My first bigger Open Source project was Tweetwall. I built my own version of a Twitterwall and made the source code public.
People used it for conferences, talks and company events. One of the most well-known use cases was at CeBIT in Hannover:
At some point more than 5000 people were using it - including companies, political parties and fairs.
The project went crazy!
Career start
My first job was at a one-man agency in Germany as web developer.
One month later I joined a nightlife community platform in South Germany. Shortly after that I became the only developer.
That’s where I really learned how things work:
- MVC architecture
- Frameworks
- Symfony
- SQL indexes
- Elasticsearch
- SVN
- Responsive Design in 2012 with Less
At 19, I moved to Frankfurt am Main to study Informatik at Goethe University. At the same time, I founded my company, FEDERLIGHT - a creative and digital agency.
I never finished my graduation.
Startup Weekends
Munich 2013
One of the most important decisions of my life was joining Startup Weekend Munich in 2013.
We didn’t have the best idea.
But we had the best execution.
Problem: 3 minutes to pitch.
Solution: Build a prototype. Record a 1-minute video. Show it like it already works.
Result: 1st place.
Stuttgart 2013
I was invited to join the next StartUp Weekend 2013 in Stuttgart. I found a team and I remember myself telling the team: “I know how to win the StartUp Weekend”. The founder was like: “So what are you waiting for, join me and let’s win”.
And guess what: We did not win one prize, we got the Best Overall Idea and Best Design (UI / UX) by following my concept to build a prototype and showing everything within a one minute video recorded.
Execution > Theory.
Two years later, the company was founded — independently of me - and received an investment from High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF). I am very pleased to have initiated this process. Perhaps it would have succeeded without me, but winning the Stuttgart Startup Weekend definitely accelerated the development.
You’ll never know
Why does this matter?
Because a blog post about those wins changed my life.
I got a mail afterwards from a stranger asking me questions about my coding experience and recommending me to his friend. That friend later became my business partner, and we’ve been working together since 2014.
Today I still work with him, we build a lot of great stuff, focused on digital signage for retail and point of sale, working for mid size and large companies.
You never know which small decision will change everything.
Today
I could write a book.
- About being 19 and suddenly having to pay 6000+€ after a rental car incident - an expensive mistake that “forced” me to figure out how to earn money faster with my skills.
- About building tools for people who never paid me.
- About almost shutting down everything during the pandemic.
- About buying red shoes for a meeting (a strategic move that actually worked 😅).
That’s maybe why I want to start blogging, to motivate people, to not forget about the past, to share my experiences, thoughts and projects.
If you’re into IT, coding, automation, AI, design, product thinking, marketing - or just honest stories - follow my diary.
And if you read this far:
Say 👋🏼 Hi on X / Twitter.
PS: Yes, I use AI today to assist me and write parts of my code - because I’m technically capable of evaluating the output. Use the latest technologies to keep evolving yourselves. Don’t trust any code output - learn to understand and adapt it. And yes, I also use AI for long stories, but the stories themselves are still written by myself.