Sleepless in Istanbul

Inspiration comes from the strangest of places. Tonight, while lying in my hotel bed, trying to get to sleep at one in the morning, I randomly become inspired to write my first post for the InMobi blog. Maybe it's some sort of jetlag, although the two hour time difference between here and my London home rules that one unlikely. Or perhaps, it was that last cup of Turkish coffee, coaxed down my throat in the offices of a client earlier today, which has led to this insomnia. More likely it's the inexplicable sense of excitement I have felt on my first visit to Istanbul. This amazing megacity has completely enchanted me. It sprawls across the borders of two continents, with sinewy bridges connecting the European and Asian sides of the Bosphorous Strait. Wherever you are, wherever you look, the city extends, gaze over gaze. The view combines a thrilling combination of architectures, eras and urbanity. Sitting as it does on the meeting point between the east and the west, it feels completely appropriate for a company like InMobi to be doing business here. While our headquarters are in Bangalore, and our heartbeat is most definitely Indian, the most recent evolution of our business has been a western one. Our offices in Europe and North America are growing rapidly. And with this expansion has come a meeting of our cultures. Our East is meeting our West, and I for one feel privileged to be a part of that journey, just as my Istanbul experience has been a hugely rewarding personal discovery.