A founder-led Shopify engineering studio for Shopify stores

Born in a suburb of Istanbul to a family of 6. Even when I was young, I realized my future depends mostly on what I do with my time. So, I studied hard and was able to get to one of the top universities in Turkiye, Istanbul Technical University, where I studied Computer Engineering. I was lucky to have parents who encouraged education.

After I finished my degree, I worked in a local startup which thought me a lot of things from engineering to management. This experience shaped my future in a good way. I worked in local companies for some time but something was missing. Thats when I joined toptal.com which started my remote work journey. It was great to work from anywhere because that allowed me to start my digital nomad journey. I worked in 25 countries and 50+ cities across 4 continents over the years. I learned a lot about different cultures, people and their way of life. I also learned a lot about myself and what I want to do in my life. This was definitely not an espace rather it was something that I had to do to learn and explore as a person that is curious about the world. And I knew the time was right.

My goal was never to travel for a holiday. I wanted to live like a local while working full-time. And I lived 4 months in Brazil like a local and fall in love with the country and the people even with its challenges. I went to Africa and spend 2 months, enjoyed the nature and wild life. Asia has a special place in my heart because of its hospitality and diversity. As a person from foreign country, I was always welcomed wherever I go.

I didn't stop travelling, I just slowed down. I settled in Istanbul, and that's when I started Palmiyes. It was the last step towards owning my time and my future: building something that is mine, something I can be proud of. Maybe, after all, all I ever wanted was to be free.

That is me, and that is how Palmiyes started.

Ismail Namdar, Founder