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Tayfun Uslu

Tayfun Uslu

Istanbul, Turkey
Member since January 19, 2017
Tayfun is an entrepreneur/finance professional who co-founded an online retail shop that is currently valued at $500 million (sefamerve.com) and a software application development company. He has provided financial and strategic expertise to founders and senior management in the eCommerce, SaaS, energy, and telecom sectors. He freelances to gain exposure to companies in a variety of industries and maturities and holds a private pilot license.
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Career Highlights
Education
Select Certifications
Case studies
Industry Expertise
  • High-tech Startups
  • Retail & Wholesale
Software Expertise
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
Other Expertise
  • Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)
  • SaaS
  • Valuation
Employment
  • Business Development & Marketing Director
    2017 - PRESENT
    Sivrihisar General Aviation Center and M.S.Ö. Air & Space Museum
    • Facilitated the import of a 1966 Fouga Magister aircraft from the US to Turkey.
    • Contributed to the import of a flying Mustang P-51 D from Duxford, UK to Sivrihisar, Turkey.
    • Worked as a digital image technician throughout the SHG airshows 2017.
    • Ferried a 1953 T-6G Harvard aircraft from Gloucester, UK to Sivrihisar, Turkiye.
    • Worked as liason officer during the SHG Airshow with 17 highly accomplished participants from eight different countries.
    Focus areas: Business Plan Development, Market Opportunity Analysis
  • Consultant
    2010 - PRESENT
    Freelance
    • Analyzed pricing for a SaaS eCommerce company and suggested freemium and gradual pricing options to increase conversion and retention based on Microsoft BI output. Prepared a flexible forecasting model to compare new and existing pricing plan impact on the top line.
    • Analyzed pricing models of more than 15 AI companies and ranked them based on their startup-friendly pricing, which is based on freemium pricing and a clear value metric, for an AI startup. Prepared a flexible financial model that computes the impact of various pricing options on three financial statements.
    • Assisted in the preparation of a business model and deck for a mobile geolocation/IoT app startup. The company successfully raised $1 million in a seed round.
    • Performed technical and financial due diligence on the solar, wind, and biomass industries for a boutique renewable-focused investment bank. Assisted in the preparation of confidential information memoranda for project financing and M&A activity for a pipeline worth $400 million.
    • Supported legal, technical, and financial due diligence of renewable energy projects with PV, CSP Solar, and ISCC technologies for a renewable energy project developer.
    • Analyzed customer preferences for a global chip manufacturer by conducting primary research mainly among Fortune 500 companies’ CIO/CTOs. Developed data-backed recommendations and presented them to the department head.
    • Provided a strategic overview of the Turkish market for a launch product in the medical devices market to be used as the basis for emerging market countries for a top-five global pharma player. Devised both a quantitative and a qualitative process.
    • Implemented changes to a major telecom company in order to decrease retention and increase profitability for a $100+ million product line. The work involved a significant amount of modeling and cost-based pricing schemes.
    • Led the RFP response for a bid to extend the lounge operations in the US for a global lounge operator. The work involved project management, content preparation, and graphical representation to fully respond to the RFP. The client was short-listed due to the success of the RFP response.
    Focus areas: Mergers & Acquisitions, Valuation, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Three Statement Operating Model, Due Dilligence, Fundraising, Pricing Analysis
  • Co-founder and CEO
    2015 - 2017
    Dalf.io
    • Set the SaaS pricing based on product offering and customer segments in the developer tools market.
    • Researched the marketplace for distribution of the product via inbound and outbound sales.
    • Self-funded the company as an investor until the product reached its beta testing stage.
    • Set up the company in the US and prepared sales terms and conditions.
    • Prepared a fundraising deck aimed at angel investors.
    Focus areas: Fundraising, Market Research, Pricing
  • Co-founder and COO
    2012 - 2014
    Sefamerve.com
    • Assisted the startup in various functions to reach $10 million in yearly sales in three years. The company is currently valued at $500 million.
    • Expanded internationally to Europe and MENA via direct sales and partnerships.
    • Performed cohort analysis to determine customer lifetime value (CLV) and used it to determine the efficiency of marketing budgets.
    • Researched customer service call reasons and took corrective action in other departments to minimize or eliminate those reasons.
    • Developed internal systems for order processing and financial projections.
    • Formed an internal business intelligence tool to regularly access key business metrics including same customer orders, monthly recurring revenue, and more.
    Focus areas: Financial Modeling, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Budgeting, Cost Reduction & Optimization, Revenue & Expense Projections
Other Experience
  • SaaS Pricing Models - Pricing Strategy Examples and Best Practices (Publication)
    https://www.toptal.com/finance/pricing-consultants/saas-the-pricing-friendly-business-model
    Pricing strategy is one of the most important financial levers that companies have at their disposal to influence the financial success of their business. However, it is not an easy task. This article analyzes SaaS software pricing strategies and finds that several of the operational characteristics of the business model generate some very useful pricing advantages that can help drive financial performance.
Education
  • Certified Management Accountant (CMA) in Accounting
    2017 - 2018
    Institute of Management Accountants - New Jersey
  • Master of Business Administration (MBA) in General Management
    2008 - 2009
    Cornell University - Ithaca, NY, USA
  • Master's degree in Telecommunications
    2004 - 2007
    Rochester Institute of Technology - Rochester, NY, USA
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering Technology
    1999 - 2004
    Rochester Institute of Technology - Rochester, NY, USA
Certifications
  • Private Pilot License
    JANUARY 2019 - PRESENT
    FAA
  • Certified Management Accountant (CMA)
    JANUARY 2018 - PRESENT
    IMA
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