On May 16, 2023, 越南直播 alumni celebrated the publication of his first book, . In its scope, the book explores and explains how people can boost their productivity by eliminating lengthy and repetitive tasks through an easy-to-manage software solution 鈥� automation.
Automate Your Busywork isn鈥檛 Aytekin鈥檚 first foray into providing professionals with practical software solutions. An automation expert and prolific entrepreneur, Aytekin also founded , an acclaimed and wildly successful online tool dedicated to helping users develop professional-quality forms through tools such as automation. Read on to learn about Aytekin鈥檚 journey from UB student to international entrepreneurial success 鈥� and now, published author!
Big dreams in Bridgeport
Growing up in Turkey, Aytekin Tank found his calling at a young age. After taking a computer programming class in middle school, Aytekin鈥檚 lifelong passion for innovative programming and software development was sparked. 鈥淚t was work that didn鈥檛 actually feel like work to me,鈥� Aytekin recounts.
With his sights set on a career in software development, Aytekin dedicated himself to developing and refining his skillset. When his journey brought him to 越南直播 in 1996, Aytekin chose to pursue a degree in Computer Science. 鈥淢y time at UB was invaluable to my career,鈥� Aytekin reminisces. 鈥淚t really encouraged my love of coding.鈥�
越南直播 isn鈥檛 only where Aytekin鈥檚 love for coding blossomed 鈥� his passion for business started here, too. 鈥淚 was able to build a website for a student organization, which I was a member of at the time,鈥� Aytekin remembers. 鈥淭his was back in 1999, but the website actually featured a profile component very similar to Facebook. I made it available to the world as a free, open-source product and people seemed to really enjoy it. This ultimately ignited my passion for starting a business.鈥�
The journey to Jotform
Having built and refined his professional knowledge and skills, Aytekin graduated from UB in 2000 with a BS in Computer Science. While he possessed the abilities and vision necessary to succeed as a software developer, Aytekin still faced the problem that many recent grads do when entering the workforce 鈥� his first professional role wasn鈥檛 entirely what he鈥檇 hoped. 鈥淚 took a job as a web developer for a media company in New York City, where I found myself building online forms. A lot of them,鈥� Aytekin describes. 鈥淔orms were one my least favorite things to code. Even for skilled developers, they can be tedious and time-consuming.鈥�
It was here that Aytekin heard the knocking of opportunity 鈥� he could turn monotony into opportunity. 鈥淚 figured there had to be an easier way for people to create forms but there wasn鈥檛 a solution on the market yet,鈥� he explains. 鈥淪o, in 2006, I started building Jotform.鈥�
The answer is automation
Today, Jotform provides over 20 million users with the form-generating solutions that Aytekin dreamed of sharing. But it wasn鈥檛 always such smooth sailing. As the 2000s tech and computer industries boomed, Aytekin was faced with a daunting challenge. 鈥淛ust a few years after starting Jotform, Google entered the online form building market,鈥� he recalls. 鈥淚 was stunned. How could we compete with a Goliath?鈥�
Rather than give way to intimidation, Aytekin sought a solution that would help Jotform maintain its edge over large-scale competitors. After hours of brainstorming, something clicked. 鈥淭he light bulb went off,鈥� Aytekin describes, 鈥淛otform was founded on the mission to make life easier for people, so I began building automations into Jotform to further that mission and differentiate us in the marketplace against Google Forms.鈥�
Now over 17 years old and home to more than 500 employees, it鈥檚 needless to say that Aytekin鈥檚 ingenuity and perseverance have secured Jotform鈥檚 success. For Aytekin, the bumps in the road have merely been part of a greater journey. 鈥淚n many ways, I鈥檓 grateful to have had challenges like this. It鈥檚 what ultimately led to us building a better company.鈥�
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Improving productivity with Automate Your Busywork
Recently, Aytekin took a new approach to sharing accessible workplace solutions. Released in May, Aytekin鈥檚 first book, Automate Your Busywork, provides new and experienced professionals with innovative solutions to make the most of their time at work. These solutions focus on how workers can utilize automation tools to quickly and accurately complete time-consuming tasks.
Like many of Aytekin鈥檚 most creative ideas, the inspiration for Automate Your Busywork was drawn from personal experience. 鈥淚n the early days of Jotform, I was drowning in busywork,鈥� he recounts. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 only in charge of building the product. I also answered customer questions, did accounting, ran HR, ordered office supplies, and more.鈥�
Although keeping up these duties helped Aytekin maintain his business, he found that they stole much of his creative time and energy 鈥� energy that Aytekin felt would be much better spent on Jotform itself. As a result, he began crafting innovative solutions to simplify and expedite these tedious tasks. 鈥淎ll of that busy work pulled away valuable time that I could be using to build and improve the product,鈥� he explains. 鈥淪o, I turned to automation. I went on an automation rampage and started eliminating repetitive and time-consuming tasks.鈥�
Aytekin spent days determining which processes to automate before finally finding the time-saving solutions for which he鈥檇 been looking, and while it may have seemed like a large investment of time on the outset, the impact of his work quickly became apparent. 鈥淚 got back hours of time a day that I could use on bigger, more creative projects,鈥� he explains.
By automating menial tasks, Aytekin was able to enjoy a newfound sense of time and productivity. Moreover, he recognized the far-reaching potential of his automated solutions. 鈥淚 wrote Automate Your Busywork to help people learn how to automate their workflows as I did,鈥� Aytekin describes. 鈥淭he principles I advocate in Automate Your Busywork were hard-learned over years of refining my own productive habits. It was important to me to share the skills I developed, and to help people free themselves so they could spend their time doing things they love.鈥�
Keeping up with the competition
Aytekin Tank has been working as a software developer since 2000. In the 23 years since, technology has evolved rapidly, with the newest upgrades and latest innovations always waiting around the corner. During that time, Aytekin has seen considerable shifts occur through the software industry. 鈥淚t鈥檚 impossible to ignore the biggest change disrupting software today: artificial intelligence,鈥� he explains. 鈥淚t鈥檚 all anyone is talking about right now, and for good reason. AI will change everything. As for how it will change things, it鈥檚 too early to tell.鈥�
Although the future of AI remains uncertain, Aytekin emphasizes the evergreen nature of automated solutions. 鈥淭here鈥檚 one thing I can say for certain,鈥� he offers. 鈥淭he principles I lay out in Automate Your Busywork will remain applicable as the world advances with AI. Regardless of how technology changes, people will be able to use the book to transform their workflows, cut out tedious tasks, and free them up to take on bigger, more creative projects.鈥�
Looking back at UB
Recalling his experiences as a Purple Knight, Aytekin offers advice for today鈥檚 students. “Practice regularly and work on whatever projects you can get your hands on. Consistently practicing your programming skills is absolutely crucial. Write code regularly, work on personal projects, and contribute to open-source projects as well. This will not only help you gain practical experience but will also provide you with a portfolio to showcase your abilities to potential employers. And you never know, it might just turn into your very own business.鈥�
Interested in achieving a career in software development, programming, or computer science? Learn more about earning your Computer Science degree at 越南直播, or call (203) 576-4552.
Bri Gagn茅 is a content developer at 越南直播, bringing backgrounds in literary studies, creative storytelling, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and social justice. They earned their bachelor鈥檚 degree in English Literature, Film Studies, and Gender Studies from University of Connecticut and a master鈥檚 in Elementary Education from Eastern Connecticut State University.
After teaching English abroad and locally, Bri transitioned to a full-time writing career, contributing to the University鈥檚 educational narratives and brand-building efforts. They are currently earning their Master of Fine Arts in Popular Fiction Writing and Publishing at Emerson College.