I had the privilege to travel across Turkey and Greece recently during summer 2026. The insights from my observation are filtered through my multiple roles at work: technical co-founder, product manager, account manager.

In these 3 insights, I am laying out my thoughts on how technology, as complex as it may be, is merely another tool through the lens of an ordinary user.

Here are the 3 insights:

1. Technology can only be effective if people keep to its intent and engage with it as intended

Istanbul tram — there is a gate and a tram track that people could simply walk past. But almost everyone is observed paying the tram fare.

The level of social integrity is impressive and reminds me how highly flexible products could potentially create uncertainty.

That could explain why good products are kept visually simple. With straightforward user interfaces, there is little room for variation in how a user could wrongly engage with the platform.

Using a product for its intended purpose will nudge users to extract the highest value.

How are you ensuring the highest value add for your users?

2. Platforms that elevate the visibility of businesses play a key role in SME success

Almost every business we visited — whenever we praised them for their food or services — would suggest a QR code for reviews, often mentioning how much it would mean to them.

What problems are we solving for these businesses?

In every successful business, the key factor is distribution; and prior to that: attention. Do you have visibility among your target audience?

Is your business targeted at tourists or locals? Are you in a prime location for your target users?

Are you a daily product, a product of a lifetime, or a seasonal product? We experienced all of these tangibly during our trip.

Food is a common daily product. Carpet is a product of a lifetime — we purchased leather belts and leather wallets meant to last a lifetime too. Kinobi’s career preparation product is a seasonal product: you only need it when you are preparing for your career.

You need to be clear about the type of impact you wish to provide your purchasers.

3. Technology is not an end in itself — user experience is.

People pay premiums for good experiences. Falling back to functionality alone will degrade your ability to deliver value for your end users.

How can technology capture the experiences you have with people you meet during your travels?

What would constitute a meaningful capture of your time with them?

• A video
• A social media exchange
• A selfie
• Stories of their travels
• The stories exchanged
• The emotions felt — this will be difficult to express, and leveraging technology could provide the needed value

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What do you see as a software engineer when you travel? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.