Why Aligning Work with Core Values Matters

12/2/2024

Your core values are your compass. Ignore them and you’ll experience professional misery and personal burnout.

The Trap of Tempting Opportunities

When a great project or opportunity comes along, it’s easy to compromise your core values. Money can blind you to the long-term consequences of misalignment. A great project can quickly turn into a soul-sucking obligation.

The Warning Signs of Misalignment

Red flags appear slowly:

Stress
Feeling trapped
Losing passion
Working from fear instead of love
Endless admin tasks
Diminishing creativity

The Cost of Ignoring Your Values

Accepting work that contradicts your core values eats away:

Personal happiness
Professional integrity
Mental health
Creative energy
Long-term motivation

Saying No

Saying no to misaligned opportunities is not weakness—it’s strength.Your gut feeling is a highly developed navigation system. When it says no, listen. The right opportunities will emerge.

Integrity

Stay true to your core values. They are not flexible boundaries but essential part of who you are as a professional. Every no to the wrong opportunity creates space for the right one.

My Random Thoughts

Readme.txt

My name is Cem Hurturk. I’m a self-made software engineer and serial entrepreneur. I’ve been writing code since I was in high school and working in the software industry since the early 1990s.

1/4/2022

Letters to My Future Self: Today’s Decisions, Tomorrow’s Gifts

I’m writing this letter to you because I know how much you depend on me. My thoughts, actions, beliefs, and decisions today will shape your world tomorrow. It’s a big responsibility, and I’m doing my best to make choices that you’ll be thankful for.

2/13/2024

The 9 Brutal Truths About Building a SaaS Business

Rob Walling has spent 20+ years building and exiting SaaS companies. In his video "The Brutal Truths of Building a SaaS Business," he lays out the 9 realities that nobody warns you about—from the long slow ramp of death that kills most founders' dreams, to why your social media audience won't save your launch, to the churn problem that destroys everything you build. I watched it, took notes, and wrote down my key takeaways so I can reference them whenever I need a reality check. These truths aren't meant to scare you off. They're meant to prepare you.

1/10/2026