Why we wrote a handbook

So, look, he hasn't arrived yet. Yes. Even if he's arrived, there's nothing we can do. Greetings everyone. No, no. Hi. So, our registration has begun. Just a moment ago, we switched to another new tool thing: the "kayına" (a slang term for a new tool). Secondly, it's like, as if something is airing on TGRT News, suddenly writing "live broadcast". Anyway, we've disabled those features for now. We are currently recording offline.

So, what's up, Barış? How are you? I'm fine, honestly. Everyone is in good spirits. A lovely post-May. , I have something to say. Wait a minute. What happened? Is someone calling? You should have called and talked. Oh my God. Not . We're recording now. Ok. The door knocked on my door this time. Did you hear anything ? No. Lift. My son is so funny. Well, maybe we could talk to someone again, like, while it's on air, while it's being recorded or something.

It has great potential . yeah, brother. What are we talking about today after such a long time? Well, I don't know. If you have a phone call to make, we can wait for it. No, I did all of that. Finished. So, what were we going to talk about today? Well, we wrote something called a handbook. Well, actually, all startups create these handbooks . Let's briefly touch upon what it is, and then why we did something like this as a Hardal product, why we wrote a handbook?

I wanted to talk about this. Exactly. Not all startups do that here . There are others who do it now, and there's me. Startups abroad are different; those in Turkey aren't even working. Those in Turkey are waiting, wondering when they can take a vacation . Startups probably don't do that. yeah, it's become a bit popular lately. We also had some companies that we were inspired by. So, first of all, what is a handbook?

It's kind of like a handbook, a little booklet that explains why you do a certain job, how you do it, etc. Some companies are keeping this internally, by the way . You know, like an internal handbook . So, they tell a newcomer, "Here, read this." And we opened it up to everyone. That handbook also has different levels. For example, in very basic terms, what is company X, what is its role, what is its mission and vision, maybe a SWOT analysis is sometimes included, and so on.

And then there are the deeper, more open ones. For example, ours is a bit like that too; it ranges from how we conduct sales to much more internal information that's involved in the structure. To be honest, we wrote a bit of it for ourselves too. Because we forget so many things. Or, we wanted to create a document that we could refer back to, something we might have forgotten to share with the team, something we could keep track of, something that would show us how we used to do it .

That was one of the starting points . As far as I remember, I don't know if there was another one, but there wasn't, but I think it turned out very well. That's exactly what we needed because whenever we got stuck, we'd say, " Hey, let's write 'first' first." Let's finish the handbook. There needs to be a handbook . There should be a handbook or something. It does n't necessarily have to be called a handbook, by the way.

So, the main goal here is this: just like a product has an instruction manual, what we're essentially doing is creating a company version of that . So it became something where we wrote down everything: how you can use the company, how you can benefit from it, how many days of leave you have, where you need to enter your expenses, which channel you should use for communication in Select, what kind of prefix you should use, and so on .

Honestly, it was very helpful for me. So, it's really nice to be able to show what our setup is, both when writing and when something happens . Well, I think it's very valuable there. And to be able to sustain it. So, for example, we are currently on version 2 or 3. Well, for example, there are still missing pieces. I said we need to add something. For example, we haven't added the engineering part yet.

The product development part does n't seem to be included yet. But I think it has also been very beneficial to us in another respect. we realized there are some points we need to agree on, especially with you . For example, one of the biggest debates we have internally is who should be included in the meeting and when, and here you have a different opinion, I have a different opinion.

We reached a decision because we needed to agree on a point and write about it . For example, many headlines like this came out. So, even while writing, there were points where we didn't realize that we were actually thinking differently from each other . Writing them down and clarifying them like this... it took a load off my shoulders too. So, for example, right now we can say this to each other...

Being able to say, "Hey, we talked about doing it this way," and then refer back to the document, is a huge convenience, even between two people . Absolutely not. And it's like we evaluated the company as if it had 1000 employees; all the headings are written there, so it's become a resource where we can just pull out and say, "Look, we said this about this topic ."

Well, I'm actually very happy that we did something like this, and... well, it's going from version to version anyway, it's something that can be updated. Okay, let me ask you a question. Do you think other companies, for example, could do this ? For example, we have many employees in corporate companies, or we have acquaintances who work in startups. We have partners, we have agencies. So, do you think companies should get involved in something like this ?

I think Hand should be included. I think he should go in. But I think there's a point to be made. We already discussed this when writing the Handbook. You are held responsible for everything you explain or put on paper . And there were some companies, for example, where when we were writing, we initially thought, "Should we include this as well?" Because the moment you write it there, you're saying, " This is how I'll do it."

You say this to the planting company, you say this to the outside world, and it becomes a responsibility for you. I think putting one's hand under this stone, taking on this responsibility, can be seen as a risk. Because if it's not written down, you can change it, your approach. But that's not the case when it's written down . It's easy to just agree to this . But I think it's very useful when you open it up.

Because sometimes you can achieve that unification much more easily. Well, because you might even be making communication easier between teams. If there was a document that someone outside the sales team could refer to and see how our sales team conducts sales, things would be much more planned and organized. It actually affects even this thing . For example, even when it comes to what the title of a meeting invitation should be, everyone has a different opinion.

Writing a guide somewhere and being able to say, "Hey, this is how we name our meetings," would really advance everyone. So, regardless of size, even in large global corporations, there are handbooks. I think everyone should make time for it . What are you saying? This is like, you know, how they used to write down a mission statement, a vision statement, and so on, and then do it.

Back in the days before PDFs and things like that, they used to print them in magazines or something. You know, like, the kind of handshake we always joke about, it would be on the wall or something, a team of domestic guys shaking hands, some of them in a frame on the wall or something. So, essentially, we're creating a more modern version of it, but a more detailed, more technical...

Well, let me not say technical, but... when a person joins that company, the answers to what they can get and how they can get it are actually written there. Well, this is something that's frankly very lacking in corporate companies, but what I'm asking is, would the people we work with within our ecosystem get involved in something like this? If you ask me, they wouldn't . Why doesn't he/she enter?

Because people really do have priorities. Their main priority is really making money. Many startups, 90% of them, aim to make money. So how can I find investment more easily, and how can I scale faster? Because they've adopted a persona constantly thinking about these things, they're always wondering how they can implement or produce something more sustainable or more effective in terms of added value. This could also be the case.

This could mean creating a new programming language , or it could mean starting a new project . Because it's a job, man, I mean, let's write it, who's going to write it? Since there were only two of us, we sat down and wrote during a holiday week when we had some free time. But in a corporate company, or in a large-scale startup, you need to find people who can organize this.

No, he's not going to be a writer, or this or that . Everyone will ask each other. How did we do this, what was this we were doing, and so on . So, honestly, I don't think that today's eco-friendly companies, especially the LinkedIn crowd, who are all saying things like "we scaled," "we got millions in investment," or "we did this and that," would ever sit down and write a handbook .

Yes. I think it gets involved a little bit. Well, I think it goes beyond just writing a handbook; it also falls under the umbrella of archiving culture. For example, that's one of the topics we're currently working on and want to establish . That's documentation , writing down what you've done, creating a guide. So we're not just doing this for the handbook. Why are we trying to do this starting today?

Because we both saw this everywhere we went, in the companies we worked for. There is no knowledge transfer. Well, some of the information is in emails, some is in Drive, and some is in Slack if they use Slack. And that's why nothing is added to it. Because the letter 'E' isn't included, you can't write the handbook when you want to. But for example, when you look at it globally, we're talking about teams of 100 people, teams of 200 people in some companies .

You go into their handbooks or guides. There are contributions from 35 different people. From where? Because you see that they are able to do this because they have made documentation and archiving a culture . I don't know what kind of mechanism they've set up behind the scenes for this, but I think the one who's going to establish it is the one who's coming next. If you don't have such a culture, if you haven't developed the habit of writing anything down, and you suddenly try to say, "Okay, I want to make a handbook, let's all do it together," you won't be able to do it.

Because that kind of person doesn't have any muscles. That's the basic principle, documenting the work. For example, before a project or a product, the most important thing is the documentation. So, it exists on the software side as well. So, in this case, the code of conduct, I mean, how do you give that... to that thing? What you will do, what you won't do, and so on. Or, you might find them in design brand sets or something like that.

You know, like, you shouldn't put the logo like that, you shouldn't do it like this, and so on. Because, as we always emphasize, especially with the new generation, there are communication difficulties and limitations in certain areas, such as the principle of not assuming anything , not making any assumptions. So, it seems something is being discussed, and there's documentation planned to translate this into a set of rules .

So, I think, you know, in the handbook, as I said, those people who see us from the outside and say, "Oh, they're well-off and they've given up on sales or chasing investments, so they're focusing on the handbook or podcasts," my words are for you guys, by the way, it's very difficult. to be honest, we're not forcing anything. So, amidst all that work, sitting down and writing a handbook, that is, creating change log update documentation, takes up a lot of time .

Brother, we would have made three sales instead of writing a handbook. One of them would be an investment . But it's about creating added value. I do n't want to fast-forward 20 years and then come back and say, "Hey, Barış and I got this investment." I mean, we made a handbook with Barış . I mean, with peace, we created something that didn't exist before, brother. And then there's this, in my opinion...

Well, for me, there's one fundamental point that they all serve. That's also a point where you can create a culture. And I think that's one of the biggest challenges for any company. What kind of culture are you creating internally? Because it's something that starts inorganic and will eventually turn organic. And I think we're doing some tests on that as well. How is it created? What's happening? What do you do to make it work?

Nothing works no matter what you do, etc. Well, the handbook is important within these theses. For example, that whole "no assumptions" thing you just mentioned. Well, it's something we'd really like to break, but it's like something that's inherent in some people from birth . Especially in Turkish culture, where there are many proverbs with underlying messages, like "I told you, my daughter, but my daughter-in-law should understand," the word "eee" (meaning something like "I told you, my daughter, but my daughter-in-law should understand") is very prevalent.

Everyone lives their life based on a guess. We're trying to break that pattern, for example. So, it's not like I just wrote the handbook and left it at that. How did we actually put this handbook into practice ? So, can we actually implement it ? Did the people on the team embrace it ? When they can't answer a question, do they always end up looking at the handbook?

This actually raises a lot of questions, and as I said at the beginning, the topic boils down to sustainability. So you wrote the handbook. Thanks. Barış and Berkay sat down and wrote this during a holiday. But the real question is, will that handbook still be available in an updated form after two years? Otherwise, in my eyes, the handbook project has failed, for example. We're trying that a bit too.

So it's not like we just wrote a handbook and left it at that . And here we have turned it into a living, sustainable document. I want us to be able to say we're on version 250. Well, it needs to be read, right? That's the most critical thing . You know, you wrote "okay," but you need to be sure someone is actually reading it . You know, like giving a religious example...

Something like that. That's why, for example, it was good. Like the Bible, you know, the Bible is revealed chapter by chapter, like the Quran, and it really involves writing it down in parts, making sure people understand it, and if necessary, translating what is being said again . Well, like hadiths, and therefore, a translation of something that's already written down is valuable because sometimes nothing can be understood at all, and it's very precious that it serves as a cornerstone in shaping that culture, that institutional culture .

So there's no difference between saying, "We're making our jokes on Silek through this channel," and saying, "We're going to close this sale and that sale for $4 billion in the third quarter." Once you've got someone in place, that sales strategy becomes part of your culture, and we start saying things like, "We won't be accepting investment here, we'll be accepting investment there," and so on. All of these things organically become part of the company culture, and the areas where I most want this to be written down and adopted are definitely these new startups; I expect that to happen .

That's why I wanted to make a fuss like that first there. Because we look at most of our friends, our peers, so everyone in the same ecosystem is complaining. So, there was this thing where they said, "Oh, we got investment, blah blah blah." It's not like we got a 3% investment and x happened or something like that. So it's not just about constantly complaining and saying "uh..."

About something. For me, truly creating value and sustaining it is far more valuable. yeah. Yes. I was a bit... oh sorry, it was a difficult thing back then. Did you go somewhere and then come back and talk on the phone? No. Yes. Someone called him right away. No. I closed the door. I can hear a sound. It's on the podcast now. I will be your end. Well, I've also developed a habit of answering the phone immediately when someone calls me.

I'm trying to beat that too. Brother, while we're on the subject, I'd like to mention this as well. I can't currently see all the people I've been in contact with. I last spoke to the gardener from the municipality. Well, I can't call anyone else anymore. Including my mother and father . Oh, please excuse me . Well, we can't meet with anyone. So, getting back to the topic...

And by the way, I really want to emphasize this again. one thing is, really, this value creation part is the challenging part, and the things you mentioned within the startup ecosystem right now... well, we just crave it, for example, when we see investment news, we think, 'Should we do that round-robin thing again?' You know, like, there used to be a Doritos commercial where Cemil was saying... Money counting machine.

That's what's needed. Exactly. I bought a money counting machine. These sounds of money being counted in the background are like " tr". Sometimes that's what a person wants, man. Or, for example, even with hiring, you look at it and see, "Oh, a team you started with around the same time has grown to 65 people," and you do something like that. Should we also be 65 people, for example?

Jealousy? Do you think this is jealousy, bro? I think FOM. it seems like FOMO to me. So, things like this are happening. Are we missing something ? You know, like, everyone's raising funds in the meantime. Should we collect them too? There must be something going on. You become like what people know and all that, but it's completely... well, it's social perception. Anyway, the topic keeps coming back to that.

Well, we always end up talking about this at some point in every podcast . Anyway, writing a handbook is a good thing. Let me ask that then. So what should a handbook contain ? What did we write? What did we cover ? Yes, that's a good question. We divided it into "we" and "we". Let's see how much I can remember without even mentioning the subject. We have a section called "Hardal," meaning working in the Hardal industry.

So, how's working with Hardal? Well, both technical details and social details. So, how do you access expansions, and is there a bonus system ? So, do we have a share option ? There is a section that includes headings such as these . Secondly, we have a title like "What is Hardal?" So, really, a bit of a mission, a vision, a point we want to reach , as explained in that short piece we both wrote, about why Hardal was founded .

Apart from that, we've set aside a separate section for sales and marketing, for example. I love that place too. What is our sales cycle like within that system? How do we hold a meeting? How do we sell Hardal? How do we market Hardal? What is our selling culture? There's another section that covers everything from our sales structure to how we conduct a meeting . And then there's the product side of things.

How do you improve the product? How about the engineering in the back ? Then there's the design aspect of the job. So, you stick to our brand guidelines, and I want to share a picture of Hardal on my social media . When you ask how you can share it, the answer is actually found there again . I don't know if I've missed any of these main parts.

The main part is really this, the core of the Hardal. I was looking at it in parallel, I always saw copy shooting, there's design and growth, it really shows the main legs. And then there's engineering. We haven't finished the Engineering program yet . Well, in the most general terms, it's like... well, it even says... For example, we'll have a meeting. Which character should we use for the meeting between the two companies ?

So, should we use a double bracket, or a treble bracket, or an underline ? But there is a causal link to this . So, for example, when you use those things, those brackets, it breaks down in Google Calendar, it changes to other words and can't encode them. Now, because we've thought about this and we've turned it into a set of rules, we're actually trying to incorporate it into the culture, and that's all we're really doing, and it's become something like a list of rules .

Yes. And for example, there's something else I really like. And one of the most critical points is that there's a characteristic element within Core of Hardal . So, what we call Pearl refers to our perspective, like being resilient, being passionate, always learning, and so on – keywords like that. These seem very abstract, but I think they've been very useful in some ways. For example, when asked what you look for in a good employee, there are many points to consider.

You could list 100 different things, but we've kind of narrowed it down to the ones that are most critical to us. For example, right now we are in a recruitment process. It shows us what qualities we need to look for in the people we hire. Because the technical aspects of the job are taught. I mean, the field we're in is already very technical. You can learn these things, but there are things that can be learned.

Well, like some soft skills, or let 's say, more difficult to learn, like culture. Like culture. For example, being able to see these things, for instance, these things, is good for us. Yes. For us, it's really important that someone is passionate . Being able to say that, for example, is good. Well, honestly, it seems absolutely essential to me. What is that core part? Because you first ask yourself, "What is our core?"

I think that's one of the most critical areas in our handbook. That's why he's so good for me. Actually, that's exactly what I was about to ask. So, we're going to do some new recruitment now, and what do we look for when we're hiring, and so on. We actually have certain key criteria. we're keeping it within the context of people, but beyond that, generally speaking, will it adapt to the startup culture or our culture?

Because, well, maybe we'll talk about that in the next podcast. Meanwhile, it's really strange that at the end of every podcast we say we'll definitely talk about this in the next one, but we never actually talk about any of them, and that we decide on the topic of each podcast just five minutes before it starts . When we're making this selection, we're determining that this person is very valuable because they will be bringing their own culture to the company and trying to adapt to it .

He will come with his own network. They will come with their own way of doing business. For example, the man might say, "I don't use Windows." Is not using Windows an option or a necessity? Actually, it's a field we write in, and it really provides a huge advantage in terms of the tools and things we use . So, if you have any questions, we can say, "Open the handbook and look it up."

So, to wrap things up in the end, we recommend that everyone write a handbook. I recommend it. Those who are unemployed should write. Those who have jobs should drop everything and come. Ours is open too, by the way. If anyone watching this podcast gets curious, they can come and check it out. Then, if anyone has feedback, or if someone says, "Could you also write about this? This topic isn't mentioned in your article," we would really appreciate it .

We'll ban him immediately. If you ask a question like that, we'll ban you. Ban breaklist immediately. While I'm sharing this, I was also about to open it, but then I thought about something else. We're not just on YouTube, we're on Spotify too. We're also on Apple Podcasts, and so... well, listeners won't be able to see it, although that thing is gone now, you know? How ? Is this a podcast or a video clip we're making?

Because there's something to consider. I believe you can also switch to video on Spotify. Those podcasts are actually also available as videos. It could be opened, but that's just a matter of course . I want it to be CCI, man. we'll leave the links below, or maybe we shouldn't. On Spotify, it should be left wherever it's left so that whoever is looking can find it, right? So, for those who are curious , let's just say the link ourselves.

Let's say it verbally. Let me tell you. If you type it as Hard./handbook, you can immediately see A exactly like that . Probably not, but we'll open it right away, that would be great. We're opening it right away. Let's repeat it again. for our viewers and audience members who can't rewind the recording, and for those podcasters who are just turning on their TVs, hard. This is also a very nice domain slash handbook.

By the way, the topic is much more about what we do, and our favorite thing is probably the hard/ slash whatever domain, I mean, giving everything there, that's probably the thing that makes me happiest, man. We actually do ten different things . Hard. Nothing makes me as happy as Al . There's even peace, you know, everything. That's why we use it with many customers as well. We'll talk about that next time.

Exactly. Is n't the next topic switches? Exactly. A could be exactly right. Okay, that's great. Then I wish you all the best. Take good care of yourself. Many thanks to everyone listening . See you later. Bye bye.