Mcdonald's on Arda Akgül

The Values Companies Provide: Chevron, McDonald's, and Apple

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I think one of the easiest ways to misunderstand business is to ask, “What does this company make?” instead of, “What kind of value does this company really deliver?” Products matter, obviously. But once a company gets large enough, what it sells is usually deeper than the object itself. For me, Chevron, McDonald’s, and Apple are useful because each of them represents a different kind of value altogether.

Chevron does not just sell fuel

Chevron sells reliability.

That may sound too abstract for an oil major, but I think it is exactly right. Energy is one of those things people only notice when it fails. A meal can be delayed. A phone can be replaced. But when fuel, feedstocks, or power inputs become unreliable, whole economies start to feel fragile. That is why energy companies are not just commodity businesses. They are continuity businesses.

Chevron’s own 2025 results make that point in corporate language. The company said it increased worldwide production by 12 percent in 2025 to record levels and presented sustained cash-flow growth as its core promise to investors. I do not read that just as shareholder messaging. I read it as a claim that scale, reserves, logistics, and balance-sheet strength can turn volatility into dependable supply.

From Ankara, this matters a lot. We talk about inflation, industrial production, transport costs, and current account pressures as if they are separate debates. They are not. Reliable energy sits underneath all of them. Chevron’s real value, then, is not gasoline alone. It is the promise that energy keeps showing up.

McDonald’s sells emotional predictability

McDonald’s is different. It does not dominate because the burger is philosophically profound. It dominates because it gives people a strange but powerful emotional comfort: predictability.

I have felt this myself while travelling. You walk into a McDonald’s in a new district, a new city, even a new country, and part of the stress drops. You already understand the layout. You already know the menu logic. You already know the social script. That is not trivial. That is a product.

The numbers show how scalable that feeling has become. McDonald’s said its full-year 2025 systemwide sales climbed above $139 billion, and its loyalty users across 70 markets reached nearly 210 million. Those figures are not just proof of transaction volume. They are proof that routine itself can be industrialized.

I think this is why McDonald’s survives cultural criticism so easily. People can mock fast food all day, and yet when they are tired, late, uncertain, or travelling with family, they still choose the golden arches. The company is selling calories, yes, but also a familiar emotional landing zone.

Apple sells identity through design

Apple’s value is different again. Apple sells identity, and it does that through design discipline.

The company is obviously huge in hardware, but I do not think people stay inside the Apple ecosystem just because of processor performance. They stay because Apple makes technology feel like a coherent extension of self. The device, the interface, the store, the packaging, the language, the retail space, everything signals that the user has chosen a certain relationship to technology.

Apple’s own recent numbers show how large that identity system has become. In January 2026, Apple said the App Store was serving more than 850 million average weekly users globally and that developers had earned over $550 billion on the platform since 2008. That tells me Apple is not just a device company anymore. It is an environment, almost a civic space for a certain kind of user.

For me, Apple’s genius has always been that it made design feel moral. Clean lines, fewer buttons, controlled materials, consistent typography, privacy language, all of it tells the buyer: you are not just buying a phone, you are buying good judgment. Whether that is fully true is a different question. But as a value proposition, it is incredibly strong.

What are companies actually selling?

This is why I keep coming back to these three examples. Chevron sells reliability. McDonald’s sells emotional predictability. Apple sells identity through design. None of those values are fake. They are just one layer deeper than the product label.

I think this matters for anyone trying to understand business seriously. If you only study production, pricing, and financial statements, you will miss what customers are actually paying for. And once you see the deeper value, strategy starts to look more interesting. A company is not just a machine that moves goods. It is a machine that packages trust in a specific form.

That is also why great brands are hard to copy. You can imitate the burger, the phone shape, or the fuel station canopy. What you cannot easily copy is the emotional contract beneath them. For me, that contract is where the real business story begins.

What Makes McDonald's Awesome?

Thu, 07 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

There must be something universally comforting about the Golden Arches of McDonald’s. For lots of people, it’s a taste of home, a reliable friend on a road trip, or a quick, satisfying meal after a long day. But what is it about McDonald’s that makes it special to so many people, including myself? Let’s see the reasons why I and almost 70 million people keep choosing McDonald’s.

Why do I eat from McDonald’s?

For me, eating at McDonald’s is something chill. For some people, it is warm childhood memories and the feeling of a familiar treat. This isn’t just a personal feeling; “nostalgic marketing” is a known strategy that McDonald’s has mastered. The brand promotes these shared memories to build strong emotional connections with its customers. Beyond the nostalgia, there’s the predictability. The consistent menu at McDonald’s offers a welcome relief from decision fatigue. Generally, Big Mac is preferred. It’s a place where you know exactly what you’re going to get, and sometimes, that’s exactly what you need.

“But it is really unhealthy!”

I get it. The “unhealthy” label is often about McDonald’s. And while it’s true that some menu items are high in calories and fat, it’s all about making informed choices. I often choose water instead of a coke, and enjoying a burger and fries in moderation is not something to worry about. McDonald’s has also made significant changes in menu diversification and transparency. They offer salads, fruit, and have reduced sodium in many items. With comprehensive nutritional information available, the power is in the hands of the consumer to build a meal that fits their dietary needs.

Big Mac Standard

The Big Mac is more than just a burger; it’s a global icon of standardization. The fact that a Big Mac tastes almost the same whether you’re in New York, London or Ankara is a testament to McDonald’s incredible global supply chain and quality control. This consistency is so reliable that The Economist magazine even uses the burger’s price in different countries as an economic indicator called the Big Mac Index. It’s a way to compare currency values and purchasing power across the globe, and it tells about the brand’s reach and uniformity.

The Big Mac Index was invented in 1986 by The Economist as a lighthearted way to measure purchasing power parity between currencies.

A standard Big Mac Meal. 7/08/2025, Ankara.

McDonald’s is a Data-Driven Company

In today’s world, McDonald’s is also a tech company as it is a restaurant chain. They use data and artificial intelligence to enhance the customer experience. A good example is their acquisition of Dynamic Yield, a personalization platform. This allows them to customize the drive-thru menu boards based on factors like the time of day, weather, and traffic. Their mobile app and self-service kiosks collect valuable data on customer preferences, which helps them to predict demand, manage inventory, and even suggest new menu items you might enjoy.

McDonald’s is Efficient

The secret to McDonald’s speed and efficiency dates back to the “Speedee Service System” developed by the McDonald brothers in the 1940s (At this point, I recommend watching The Founder film). This assembly line approach to food preparation has been refined over the years and still underscores the importance of their kitchen operations. Every task is standardized, from grilling potatoes to assembling burgers, which minimizes errors and maximizes speed. This efficiency extends to their supply chain, which generally often relies on local suppliers to ensure fresh ingredients and support local economies.

Why do Donald Trump, Warren Buffett, and Bill Gates prefer McDonald’s?

It might seem surprising that some of the world’s wealthiest people and most powerful individuals eat McDonald’s, but it makes perfect sense when you think about it. For busy people like Donald Trump, Warren Buffett, and Bill Gates, time is their most valuable asset. McDonald’s offers a quick, consistent, and reliable meal, which eliminates the need to spend time and mental energy on deciding what and where to eat. It is proof that value and efficiency matter for everyone, regardless of their net worth.

Warren Buffett enjoys a McDonald’s meal.

McDonald’s Türkiye Suppliers

In Türkiye, McDonald’s is a great example of their “glocal” strategy, which means they think globally but act locally. Around 98% of the products used in McDonald’s restaurants in Türkiye are sourced from local suppliers (McDonald’s Türkiye, 2024). This not only ensures that the menu is adapted to local tastes and preferences but also makes a significant contribution to the Turkish economy by supporting manufacturers and farmers. All products are also 100% halal certified so it ensures they meet the dietary needs of the local population.

McDonald’s Standards of Service

No matter where you are in the world, you can expect a certain standard of service at McDonald’s. This includes free Wi-Fi, clean toilets, and a familiar restaurant design. Recently, they’ve been using self-service kiosks, which have been a game-changer for me. They make the ordering process easier, waiting times reduced, and even help you discover new menu items. Also, the internet speed might not always be the fastest, it’s a reliable free Wi-Fi that keeps you connected.

Kiosks in a McDonald’s in Ankara.

Internet speed would be better, but still works.

Conclusion

McDonald’s is more than just a fast food restaurant. It’s a global phenomenon that has achieved its status through a combination of smart marketing, operational efficiency, and a deep understanding of its customers. From its nostalgic appeal to embracing technology, McDonald’s would continue to evolve while staying true to its core values of quality, service, cleanliness, and value (QSC&V).