What 16 Days in Israel Taught Me About Entrepreneurship
Originally posted on my LinkedIn: https://goo.gl/yVDPGC
Nearing the eleventh hour of my return flight from Tel Aviv, I’m folded into my seat like an oversized contortionist who is surrounded by crying babies in a packed plane. To make things even worse, cookies are no longer being served and my buzz is wearing off from the wine I had with dinner. Normally these factors would put me in a rather unsavory mood but for some reason, I have the biggest smile on my face. I feel a weird blend of excitement, motivation, and desire. And this isn’t because Delta Airlines has beautiful flight attendants; it’s because Israel blew my mind!
Over the last 16 days, I made it my mission to dive deeply into the culture and technology that make Israel unique. This involved tons of meetings with hungry startup founders, spending time in bustling incubator programs and co-working spaces, networking over delicious hummus, and seeing firsthand how technology is shaping and influencing the culture of this young, thriving, optimistic country. This experience has been incredibly rewarding and I’m extremely grateful for what I was so fortunate to be a part of.
Israel 101
For those of you who don’t know, Israel is a very, very young nation. Independence was proclaimed in 1948. Please take a minute and let that soak in (This nation is younger than most of your grandparents). In just 65 years, what was once a barren desert has been transformed into a thriving nation that is a global perennial leader in science, technology, and innovation.
Through this rapid advancement, Israel has earned the incredibly fitting title of “Startup Nation”. Whether it is because of the prosperous venture capital community that ranks 2nd globally, the fact that Israelis have the highest average living standards in the Middle East, or because they have the highest rate of entrepreneurship among women in the world, the list goes on and on. Through this amazing growth, Israel is the definition of entrepreneurship. But what really is entrepreneurship?
“Entrepreneurship is the pursuit of opportunity beyond resources controlled.”
-Howard Stevenson
This deceivingly deep quote, from one of Harvard’s most prolific business professors, provides a stark look into the challenging mission of being an entrepreneur. As we dissect this quote, we see that the word “Pursuit” conveys a sense of urgency and refers to a laser focus approach towards the “Opportunity” or goal. “Resources Controlled” symbolizes the presence of external factors that must be managed or mitigated when moving forward.
This quote is an outstanding one sentence definition of entrepreneurship. Also, it fits surprisingly well with what Israel has already accomplished and what Israelis plan on achieving moving forward. While reflecting on my time in Israel, I hope to clearly convey the similarities that Israel has with the idea of entrepreneurship and how those traits can be applied to individuals and startups alike. Lets get into it.
Full Circle Thinking
As you are reading this, I know what’s going through your head.. Probably something along the lines of: “Ben, what the hell do circles have to do with entrepreneurship?” Let me explain. I think one of the most challenging things we encounter as human beings is the task of keeping everything in perspective. The world around us goes through countless changes every second and we are just expected to keep pushing ahead making the correct decisions as we attempt to stay the course.
But I don’t even know what I want for dinner tonight and I’m supposed to think of where I want my career to be in 15 years? It’s hard. Through our past experiences, present focus, and future plans, it gets easier and this is the idea of full circle thinking.
When we carry cyclical thinking over to a business perspective, we are presented with similar issues that are compounded due to factors like employees, customers, technologies, and shareholders. This is exactly why scaling is often seen as the billion-dollar question for many startups. Efficiently balancing growth while sticking to your core values is the early stage CEO tightrope walk.
And if you thought that the stakes were higher for just a specific business, imagine an entire country being able to rapidly scale. Also, imagine that this country has not only grown tremendously but that they are a global power that is a front runner in science, military strength, technology, and tons of other categories. That’s Israel!
“Learn, Grow, Plan”
The past has helped to shape Israel, the present is helping them grow stronger, and the future remains extremely optimistic. I have applied this blueprint of full circle thinking to my personal and professional life and it helped me tremendously in continuing to be entrepreneurial. This dynamic is engrained in my mind and I look forward to carrying this mentality to new features, projects, and businesses that I’m working on and you should to.
Tell Your Story or Someone Else Will Try
Ever since my days in Finance, I have taken great pride in being aware and updated on current events. I was looking forward to see how my expectations of the Middle East stacked up once I actually arrived and began interacting with the people. I was immediately shocked with how welcoming, intelligent, and motivated the citizens were. Everywhere I went, I was greeted with smiles, friendly conversations, and even some American slang.
After answering some initial questions about what a popular rap song referred to as a “Trap Queen”, I was able to dive deeper into conversation to see what really made people tick. Having tons of conversations with strangers, friends, and colleagues was one of my favorite things to do. Also, this allowed me to get a unique perspective on the conflicts that face this country. It’s one thing to read about but it’s completely different when you are walking in their shoes. This experience proved to me that there is so much faulty reporting that plagues countless media outlets when they provide coverage of Israel. They paint an inaccurate picture of the country, the people, and the conflicts. This still exists today even though Israel is the only counterparty that has worked to achieve a resolution.
But this isn’t an article about politics; it’s about entrepreneurship yo! And the fact that this country has so much momentum regardless of the media trying to pull them down speaks volume.
When building a product, business, or even a country, it is extremely important to realize that the media is not going to be able to accurately depict your story because they don’t have the experience that you do. They are not as invested and they will never be able to fully understand. Also, some people are just too lazy or focused on getting website clicks with inaccurate reporting than bringing the real story to the public (Hi New York Times!).
As your career or startup develops, it is incredibly important to stay focused amidst the noise and chatter. You know what you want to achieve. Now it’s time to put your head down and get it.
Keep Moving Forward
On Jan 1, 2015 (the 5th day of my trip) there was a terrorist attack on one of the post popular streets in Tel Aviv. The terrorist opened fire on a crowded bar killing two people and leaving many more injured. This attack definitely affected me more than I expected because of my vicinity to the scene. One of my hotels was less than a block away and I began to think about the fact that I could’ve been a victim.
My first reaction was to stay inside the hotel until the end of the trip and take a bulletproof cab to the airport but as I looked out of my window and saw the scene, I felt something special. Sure there was a large memorial with tons of candles, pictures, and letters but there was also a huge, colorful banner hanging above the bar. I went downstairs in my hotel, and asked the nice lady at the front desk if she could translate the big, bold Hebrew words on the banner for me and and she said:
THE SHOW MUST GO ON
Holy shit! I had to sit down to fully let the emotions settle in. It’s very difficult to explain exactly what I was feeling but I was no longer scared. I felt connected to my surrounding by being reminded of the fragility of life. It was at this exact moment that I was able to fully appreciate how happy and grateful I was for my life and my profession. I absolutely love what I do and I want to do it as long as I can.
As new ideas are brainstormed and ventures are created, it is easy to forget how fast things can change or how easily something horrible can happen. But as I try to comprehend everything that Israel has overcome to get where they are today, I can’t help but be welcoming of any challenge that I may face in the future. Always stay positive and realize that every problem has a solution.
The Future is Bright
Through all the conflicts, uncertainties, and global pressure, every single Israeli I spoke with was incredibly optimistic for the future. There was zero uncertainty in the voices of startup founders as they planned entry into global markets, or in venture capital partners as they discussed increased investment in Israeli startups, or even in the eager university students that are focused on learning as much as possible because they realize they are the future.
As my plane prepares for landing and right before I get yelled at for having tons of electronics out, I want to mention one last thing!
No goal is too great! If a small patch of empty desert was converted into a booming country with amazing people, delicious food, and a monumental infrastructure then nothing is impossible. Be a visionary, a dreamer, an entrepreneur and relentlessly pursue your success.
It has been an honor and a privilege to spend 16 days in Israel. I would like to thank all the people I met, my hosts, the guards, and everyone else who welcomed me with open arms. I would also like to give a special thanks to Pico Jerusalem, StandWithUs, Agency 1948, Loox and WeWork.
Yours Truly,
Disclaimer: I’m not a writer
