One book · Two languages
The Self-Rescue Guide
You Don't Have to Be Happy
A book about courage, contribution and the pressure to perform happiness, rooted in Adlerian psychology.
Turkish: Kendini Kurtarma Rehberi / Mutlu olmak zorunda değilsin
Founder · Operator · Author
Can Uzay.
Good systems.
More room
for people.
I am building Usta, an AI operating team for independent restaurants, shaped by my work running Piatto in Reno.
Explore Usta01 / A matter of perspectiveDrag to turn · ← → keys · Home to reset
Based in Reno, NevadaBuilt in the real world
01 / What I’m buildingFrom the restaurant floor
Usta
Built from
the inside.
Running restaurants means holding a hundred small decisions together.
I am building Usta, an AI operating team for independent restaurants. I want it to help owners organize the work across purchasing, staffing, kitchen prep and guest communication.
The aim is to prepare the work for an owner’s review, so less attention goes to administration and more goes to the people in the restaurant.
Visit UstaRestaurant experienceBetter questionsUseful software
02 / The operating ground
The work starts
on the floor.
I run Piatto at Reno Public Market and am preparing to open Bora. Different kitchens, with the same care for food and people.
Running Piatto informs how I am building Usta.
03 / Notes, pages & questions
A little distance.
A clearer view.
I write about psychology, identity and self-mastery. How we make decisions, the stories we defend, and what it takes to live with more courage.
Selected writing
All essaysSystems Thinking: Why Smart People Make Stupid Decisions
Restaurant decisions and the stories we use to avoid change. Psychology · 18 September 2026How Smart People Get Manipulated
How defending an identity can get in the way of thinking.Published research
Electronics · 2025
A Survey of Large Language Models
I co-authored a survey of how large language models have developed, how they are evaluated and adapted, and the challenges surrounding their use.
A Survey of Large Language Models: Evolution, Architectures, Adaptation, Benchmarking, Applications, Challenges, and Societal Implications. Electronics 14(18), 3580 · 9 September 2025 · DOI: 10.3390/electronics14183580
Reno, Nevada
39.5296° N / 119.8138° W
39.5296° N / 119.8138° W
04 / The person behind the work
Different work.
The same thread.
I am a Turkish founder and operator based in Reno, Nevada.
I run Piatto and am preparing to open Bora Mediterranean. I am also building Usta, drawing on the decisions and demands of restaurant work.
I am studying psychology at the University of Nevada, Reno. My writing explores identity, self-mastery and Adlerian psychology, with a recurring interest in courage and contribution.
Good food. Useful tools. A life with room in it.
A conversation is a good place to start