I’ve been through the wringer a few times. Two successful exits, over 200 angel investments in companies that are now household names, and a book to my name. You’d think after all that, I’d have a photographic memory for every lesson learned. But I don’t. Not even close. What I do have is a system. A way of embedding the hard-won lessons into my brain so I don’t make the same mistake twice. It’s not about having a perfect memory, but about having a process for reflection and recall.
One of my earliest and most painful lessons came from my first startup, MovieLaLa. We were building a social network for movie lovers, and we were obsessed with growth. We were adding features left and right, trying to be everything to everyone. We had a million-plus users, but our engagement was terrible. We were a leaky bucket. I remember a conversation with a mentor, a seasoned entrepreneur who had seen this movie before. He told me, “Sahin, you’re chasing vanity metrics. You need to focus on what really matters: user love.” He was right. We had built a wide but shallow product. We eventually sold the company to Gfycat, but the lesson stuck with me. It’s not about how many users you have, but how many of them would be truly bummed if your product disappeared tomorrow.
That experience taught me the importance of focus. It’s a lesson I’ve had to relearn multiple times. When I started RemoteTeam, which was later acquired by Gusto, we were laser-focused on a single problem: making it easy for companies to hire and pay remote employees. We said no to a lot of good ideas. We said no to features that would have taken us into adjacent markets. We said no to anything that wasn’t core to our mission. It was hard. But it worked. We built a product that our customers loved, and that’s what ultimately led to our acquisition.
So how do I remember these lessons? I write them down. Not in a fancy journal or a note-taking app, but in a simple text file. I call it my “Book of Wrongs.” Every time I make a mistake, every time I learn a hard lesson, I write it down. I don’t just write down what happened; I write down how I felt, what I was thinking, and what I would do differently next time. It’s a painful process, but it’s also incredibly cathartic. It’s a way of externalizing the lesson, of making it tangible. And once it’s on paper, it’s much harder to forget.
I also make a point of reviewing my Book of Wrongs on a regular basis. I read it at least once a month. It’s not a fun read. It’s a catalogue of my failures. But it’s also a reminder of how far I’ve come. It’s a reminder of the lessons I’ve learned and the person I’ve become. It’s a reminder that failure is not the end, but a beginning.
Another way I remember key lessons is by teaching them to others. I’ve been an angel investor in over 200 companies, including some of the biggest names in tech like Anthropic, OpenAI, Scale AI, and Hugging Face. I’ve seen it all. I’ve seen founders make the same mistakes I made. And I’ve made it my mission to help them avoid those mistakes. When I share my stories, my failures, my lessons learned, it’s not just for their benefit. It’s for mine too. The act of teaching forces me to articulate the lesson in a clear and concise way. It forces me to revisit the experience and extract the key takeaways. It’s a form of active recall, and it’s one of the most effective ways to embed a lesson in your long-term memory.
I also believe in the power of routines and habits. I have a morning routine that I follow every single day, no matter where I am in the world. It’s a simple routine, but it sets the tone for the rest of my day. I wake up, I meditate, I exercise, and I write in my journal. This routine helps me to stay grounded, to stay focused, and to stay connected to my goals. It’s a way of reminding myself of what’s important, of what I’m trying to achieve. And it’s a way of making sure that I don’t get sidetracked by the distractions of the day.
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is the importance of taking care of myself. As a founder, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and grind. It’s easy to work 100-hour weeks and to neglect your health. But that’s a recipe for burnout. I’ve been there. I’ve experienced the physical and emotional exhaustion that comes from pushing yourself too hard for too long. And I’ve learned that you can’t build a successful company if you’re not taking care of yourself. You need to make time for exercise, for sleep, for healthy food, and for relationships. You need to have a life outside of work. It’s not a luxury; it’s a necessity.
I’ve also learned the importance of surrounding myself with the right people. As an entrepreneur, you’re going to face a lot of challenges. You’re going to have a lot of ups and downs. And you’re going to need a strong support system to get you through it all. I’m lucky to have a great network of friends, mentors, and advisors who I can turn to for advice and support. These are the people who will tell you the hard truths, who will challenge your assumptions, and who will be there for you when you need them most. They are the people who will help you to remember the lessons you’ve learned and to stay on the right track.
In the end, remembering key business lessons is not about having a perfect memory. It’s about having a system. It’s about being intentional about how you learn, how you reflect, and how you recall. It’s about writing things down, teaching others, building routines, taking care of yourself, and surrounding yourself with the right people. It’s a lifelong process, but it’s one that’s essential for success in business and in life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need technical skills to remember key lessons in business?
Not necessarily. While technical understanding helps, the most important skills are clear thinking and the ability to break problems into smaller pieces. Many successful founders I've invested in started with zero technical background and either learned enough to be dangerous or found the right technical partner.
What tools do I need to get started?
Start with the basics. You don't need expensive software or fancy tools. A spreadsheet, a note-taking app, and direct access to your customers will get you further than any enterprise platform. Add tools only when you hit a specific bottleneck.
What are the most common mistakes when remembering key lessons in business?
The biggest mistake I see is overcomplicating things early on. Start with the simplest version that works, get real feedback, and iterate from there. Another common trap is copying what worked for someone else without understanding the context behind their decisions.
How do I measure success with this approach?
Pick one or two metrics that directly tie to your goal and track them weekly. Vanity metrics like page views or follower counts rarely matter. Focus on metrics that reflect real engagement or revenue impact.