Good People of vitruta: Orhun Canca
Meet Orhun Canca, the newest member of Good People of vitruta! We connected with Orhun through Aposto, a platform we’re big fans of. Since the Aposto office is in Galata, we usually meet up around Pera, and over time, we’ve shared many enjoyable moments together with friends at all our favorite Beyoğlu spots—Comedus, Aheste, Salon İKSV, Soho House, and Tavern. This week, we stuck to our usual haunts, taking a stroll through Galata’s streets with Orhun. We even had the pleasure of visiting his home, where we enjoyed a wonderful shoot and interview. We hope you’ll enjoy reading as much as we enjoyed putting this together!
Welcome, Orhun, to Good People of vitruta! Our first question is always the same: Who is Orhun Canca? How did it all start, how’s it going, and what do you do?
Hello, everyone! I’m Orhun, a product person who’s been passionate about developing internet and tech ideas from an early age. After working on various projects, I’ve been focused on building Aposto for the past two and a half years with the motto “cut through the noise.” Aposto is a media service that produces publications and podcasts across different fields and builds editorial software products.
We all know Aposto very well by now. So instead of asking about its founding story as has been done before, I’d like to ask about its future: What place will Aposto have in the future of media? What are your goals?
We designed Aposto as a service where digital newspapers and magazines can be read in new formats. On Aposto, you can discover the highest quality content produced by various publications in Turkey. In the near future, we’ll be launching a new website and producing content specifically for London. Our long-term goal is to create an internet ecosystem where not just viral, but high-quality content reaches more people, both in Turkey and globally. On one hand, we are continuously experimenting and developing in publishing and content technologies.
What do you think has changed the most in Aposto since its inception?
From the very beginning, the question of “how much of a media company are we versus how much of a tech company are we” has been fundamental to our existence. For a long time, I argued that we were much more of a tech startup. After 2.5 years, we’ve come to accept that this question isn’t as critical anymore. Today, we define Aposto as a media service and are building it as such. This shift has relieved us and allowed us to take much faster steps in our area of expertise.
Aposto is a platform filled with intellectual and knowledgeable individuals. It truly has an endless array of contributors to its newsletters and inspiring colleagues in the office. How does working and creating in such an environment affect you?
It’s amazing. The most fortunate aspect of Aposto for me is definitely the people I get to work with. This also showcases how rich and fulfilling the media industry can be. One of our main goals at Aposto is to make media in Turkey an industry that excites many people, just like in London, New York, or Paris.
What do you do in Istanbul? What do you enjoy doing the most, and how do you like to spend your time in the city?
Since I moved to Beyoğlu two years ago, I’ve become a true Beyoğlu person. I’ve come to understand much better that different neighborhoods in Istanbul offer entirely different experiences. My life in the city mainly revolves around Galata and Pera during the week, where Aposto's office is located, and on weekends, I escape to Arnavutköy and Moda to relax. I love Istanbul, and I believe the coming years hold great potential for the city in terms of culture, art, gastronomy, music, and cinema. When I go out in the evenings, if I’m not in Pera or Cihangir, I’m probably watching a concert on the stairs at Bova.
What are five Aposto publications you would recommend to the followers of vitruta?
This is actually an exciting question for me! Choosing just five is impossible, but I can certainly compile a selection from various fields: İstanbul’da Nasıl Eğleniyorduk beautifully narrates Istanbul's entertainment life in the 1920s through newspaper clippings. Veraison is an exquisite publication focused on wine and wine culture. Soli is our travel publication that explores a different neighborhood each week, sparking new excitement in each area we visit. 20lik portrays the experience of being in your twenties through the voices of those in their twenties. Finally, Spektrum is a must-read for those who want to follow what’s happening in Turkey with a straightforward, independent analysis.
Lastly, let's wrap up by asking you about your favorite vitruta brands!
I absolutely love the shirts from Bil's, American Vintage, and Lar Studio—those are my top three brands. I'm really happy they're all within walking distance in my neighborhood!