Lessons from Israel
We hear about Israel all the time — mainly in regards to the the conflicts they have with the Hezbollah and the Palestinians. And with the stories that the press and our un-informed citizens tell, Israel looks like nothing more than a war-hungry country. But there’s a lot that we can learn about from Israel, and it’s interesting to see that they’re theoretically a startup that’s been bootstrapped from the ground up.
I recently returned from a Taglit-Birthright trip to Israel, which is a free trip that brings young Jews ages 18-27 to Israel on a 10 day journey to observe history, culture, and current-day industry. It was the most exciting 10 days of my life, and I want to draw some parallels between Israel and software startups. Israelis have incredible passion, resourcefulness, and persistence, and personality traits that resemble a startup that’s doing everything it can to stay afloat.
Let’s start with passion. Israelis have an incredible love for their country — something that I’ve never seen in America in the 19 years that I’ve lived here. And I think it comes down to one thing: Israelis understand and care about the cause they’re fighting for, and that’s merely the right to exist. And to take this a step further, all Israelis are drafted into the army. No “normal” person in the states would want to join the army. From my uninformed perspective, it seems like the U.S. Army recruits primarily from poorer neighborhoods, and that most of our country’s leadership didn’t have the opportunity to serve. In Israel, every political leader has served as a solder, so there’s this incredible unity that immediately reminds me of a tech startup. The founding CEO did everything from marketing outreach to coding the core product, and it’s understood that the CEO isn’t just “making orders.” Compare this to a big company, where the CEO may or may not have any technical experience, and makes strategic and product decisions that the programmers don’t understand. Reminds me of America…
Next, Israelis are resourceful like no other. Paul Graham from Y-Combinator says being a good startup founder comes down to being “relentlessly resourceful“, and Israel was just that. When I visited Tel Aviv, they were celebrating their 100th year of existence. Just 100 years ago, Tel Aviv was nothing more than sand dunes, but the immigrant Jews built it up to being the second most populated city in Israel (after Jerusalem), and is now dubbed “Silicon Wadi” because of its incredible hi-tech scene.
Another great example of relentless resourcefulness comes from the 6 day war: Israel was being attacked by 5 1/2 armies on all sides, and in a fight for their survival, the government raised over $30M from Jewish Americans. In fact, if it wasn’t for Israel’s relentless resourcefulness, the nation wouldn’t be around today. And the same thing applies to web startups: as an entrepreneur, you need to leverage your network in ways you haven’t before.
I’ll finish this off with persistence. For thousands of years, Jews have been persecuted merely for being Jewish. And at last, they have a country that they could go home to. I compare this to entrepreneurs getting up from failed businesses. Even if things don’t work out, you keep on going until you build something that’s truly great. Ignore the naysayers, and do what’s needed to ensure the success (and survival) of your enterprise. And that’s precisely what the Jews did with Israel over the past century.
July 11th, 2009 at 2:01 am
That’s quite interesting post. Also in Finland every man goes to army for ½-1 year… You’r post points out quite interesting view anyways… Because we finns tend to take things like you said for granted.. But you’r post kinda opened my eyes that it really is different somewhere else.. A lot different (:
And this also has effect on how to do international business etc. so it’s great to be reminded of this.
July 11th, 2009 at 5:31 am
Why do you think that some people actually fund such free trips?
In any case, I would guess that such a trip is well-organised to give you a good impression of the place. It’s like early visitors to the Soviet Union, taken on a show-trip and leaving with impression how great things are.
Note that neither am I suggesting that your trip was a perfectly staged thing like that nor does that carry any evalution of the Israel itself, I do inspect the sources from which your observations come.
It’s pretty much the same as making a picture about college/company X after going on their show presentation, except if that’s what counts most for you obviously.
July 11th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Good post Jessica! I don’t know how you did it, but your comparisons of Israel to tech start-ups worked. Passion, resourcefulness, leveraging your network, and persistence are all critical to all entrepreneurial ventures, I’m just most impressed that you saw that in Israel of all places… Cool!
July 12th, 2009 at 8:45 am
Great post Jess! All I’ve heard are stories of the things you described, but great that you got to experience many of those things in person!
July 12th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Hello Jessica, interesting post as usual
, but I’d like to add some comments on it.
I understand your point of the benefit of forcing all citizens to be soldiers, that all of them are guaranteed to walked the same path and built their career from zero, but do you think it is a totally good idea?, what about girls, families who have a single son / daughter.
I knew that many jews migrated back from Israel to america for that reason.
You mentioned : “Just 100 years ago, Tel Aviv was nothing”, let me ask, what was the “thing” there on that time, how the jews took lands, and On the ruins of what was Tel Aviv built?
Keeping the existence and survival of israel is not a tough mission as many imagine as long as it is supported countries like america and most of europeans.
I bet they did not talk to you in your journey about their borders .. israel’s borders defined by the UN – and its real borders with the Palestine, Lebanon and Syria.
I totally agree with you when you said: “Israel looks like nothing more than a war-hungry country”, It had stolen the Egyptian land Sinai which was back to Egypt by 1973 war and by means of peace, too.
I bet they did not talk to you also about their nuclear activities, nor about sir Mordechai Vanunu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mordechai_Vanunu).
I bet they did not talk to you about the Racist Israeli West-Bank barrier (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_West_Bank_barrier).
I bet they did not talk to you about Sabra and Shatila massacre (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabra_and_Shatila_massacre).
I bet they did not talk to you about the Palestinian refugees and what dismissed them.
Are not all of that parts from “history, culture” they claim to hold the trip to observe?
I don’t say that arabs are angels not jews are devils. What I’m trying to say that we have to have an overall balanced look over the issue and know that every group of people / organization / nation have some percentage of their common personality that is good and another percentage that is bad, all humans (whatever there religion / nation is) should be have the spirit of the “common good”.
Lastly I’d like to comment on the post’s title “Learning from israel”.
I’m sure that you mean by learning; learning passion and enthusiasm .. not learning being a war – hungry, and even passion and being entrepreneur are very good things that we all have to learn, will beyond them can be a different story.
Finally I’d like to say sorry for the long comment and thank Jessica for the post.
July 12th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
great reference to the relentlessly resourceful PG post.. that’s one of my favorite articles by him!
July 15th, 2009 at 8:56 am
This was a pretty interesting post. When I read it, I had a feeling that it would strike an interesting dialouge. Your analogy to equating Israel to a startup is a pretty good analogy. You informed me of some things regarding Israel that I did not know, as did Mohomed’s comment.
I am a little unsure of your comment that the press makes Israel look like a war-hungry nation. I think that highly depends on where the information is coming from. I don’t really think that most mainstream US media sources, (which is what the bulk of Americans pay attention to) portray Israel in this way, but if you look at a media source like Al Jazzera, and some independent media sources you may get this portrayal.
As Mohammed pointed out, I think it is important to take into consideration who is giving you information and evaluate it very critically no matter what side of the issue the source may seem to take.
I definitely do hope that peace can be reached in this region of the world, it is a truely bad situation no matter what side of the confilict one is on.
July 17th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
Great post and insight. I want to know why Israel is so hot in the web2.0 tech startup scene? Is the field heavily supported by the government?
July 17th, 2009 at 11:40 pm
Mohamed – a little biased, aren’t we? You are incorrect in stating that Jewish people did not live in Israel before the Diaspora, as there are many Jewish families who have been living there for generations.
I think that you are adding unnecessary political discussion into this post, as it has nothing to do with politics.
Once again, I loved your post, Jessica. You have some great insight
July 18th, 2009 at 9:42 am
Great read / interesting perspective! I saw a lot of the “startup culture” attitude you talk about here even during a super brief visit. Glad you enjoyed Israel though I knew you would — hope you got some shawarma, too.
July 18th, 2009 at 10:24 am
Re Jakub and Mohamed: when I went on the Taglit trip many of those issues weren’t just covered, they were a major focus. The difference between Israel and many of the totalitarian regimes that oppose it is that Israelis can have differing opinions of government policies. Getting a uniform message on one of these trips would be a miracle in itself. =)
Now some responses to a few of Mohamed’s points:
Conscription: One of the reasons for it is that Israel has to defend itself to survive. If Israel depended on the UN or anyone else for its defense, it wouldn’t be around today. I agree that it would be nice if it wasn’t necessary, but that’s not the current reality just yet–although it’s getting closer to that. Instead of complaining, most Israel has made the army into a way to improve the society, with army roles varying from combat to helping in immigrant absorption centers and healthcare.
Tel Aviv and “stolen” lands: There’s an ancient port city near Tel Aviv called Jaffa, it dates back to ~1500BCE. In the late 1800’s it had a population of a bit less than 20 thousand people, with a significant Jewish minority. The land where Tel Aviv was founded was really nothing but sand dunes–you can take a look at the early pictures. Those entrepreneurial immigrants/refugees built an entire city, with schools, gardens, and a sewage system out of nothing. The land wasn’t “stolen”; it was bought. An interesting thing about Tel Aviv’s growth was that it was actually aided by those opposing it (the Ottomans banning Jews from Jaffa and Arab riots against the Jews under the British). I think it’s a great lesson that in response to adversity, the early residents of these neighborhoods worked even harder to make their communities better places to live.
Survival not being tough with US/European support: US/European support is there when it suits the US/EU. If Israel depended on US/EU support to survive, it wouldn’t be around today. Israel often sacrifices strategic moves to appease the US. The only reason Arafat lived to sponsor the post-Oslo terrorism is because the US stopped Israel from taking him out in the mini terror state he created in Lebanon. The US assistance to Israel is an insignificant portion of the GDP and actually started after Israel forfeited 2/3rds of its land to Egypt. Egypt got nearly the same package just for stopping its attacks. Again, instead of complaining, Israel accepted the reality and took the necessary steps to move forward. In this case, Egypt also made some effort. While I’m not a fan of the structure of Carter’s Peace Accords, I do see the tremendous courage it took for both Begin and Sadat to sign them and move their countries forward.
Borders: given the history of all conflicts in the world, one can’t help but wonder about the relevance of UN border definitions, but nonetheless when I went on the trip we actually visited many of the border areas. Those UN borders didn’t mean much to the people shooting missiles into the Israel from the Golan and sniping at the Israeli farmers, nor to the guys that attacked the nursery at Misgav Am. One interesting thing to note about the Golan, is after Israel took over the area, there were no reprisal attacks against Syria and Lebanon. The area was secured and the country focused on other problems that needed to be solved.
Sinai: I hardly think gaining territory while defending your country from destruction–and I’m not exaggerating, you can listen to translations of Naser’s speeches–is “theft” and (this is just my opinion) but countries who lose land in needless wars that they start shouldn’t get them returned along with a US aid package. I think Israel’s willingness to sign those accords and give up all that land showed that it was more interested in making peace and cooperating with its neighbors than in getting their land.
Nuclear: How many times have we heard Israel threaten the complete destruction of its neighboring states? (I can’t think of any) How many people think Israel would attack a neighboring country just because it exists? (I doubt anyone living in a country with even a remotely open press would think so) Now compare Israel’s behavior to some of its neighbors’. The Israeli nuclear program’s only “threat” is defensive. As far as Vanunu, I guess traitors exist within every nation. I do agree that the length of his claimed solitary confinement was too long. I think the nuclear program is also a business lesson, how overall Israel focuses on development and defense rather on big claims and intimidating statements, something especially impressive with all the crazy personalities in the Knesset.
The Separation Fence: Before the wall went up there were 15 suicide bombings and other attacks in Netanya alone, after the wall went up there haven’t been any. That alone is a good enough reason for me. BTW the reason some places use just fencing while other places use concrete is due to sniping at the roads. I have trouble understanding why the barrier is “racist” but I guess it makes its a good word to make things sound more sinister. I think the wall is a far better option than having soldiers stationed and patrolling all the roads and surrounding the towns. Although this is a bummer for trade and interaction, I think it’s the quickest and simplest option for saving lives.
Sabra and Shatila: You’re right, they didn’t discuss this that much. However, it’s interesting that after Palestinian terrorists killed the president-elect of Lebanon and the Lebanese Philangists took revenge for the murder of their leader that the matter is considered an Israeli atrocity. It was an atrocity, but I personally don’t see it as an Israeli one. What one can see here was how Israel took responsibility. First the press and public outrage that the IDF could let such a thing happen, then the quick setup of a commission investigate this, and the resignation of Israel’s Minister of Defense. Would we expect such swift reaction and responsibility to take place in any other country? I think this openness to criticism and taking responsibility for mistakes has helped Israel correct its mistakes and become a better country. Also, an interesting fact: the people defending Ariel Sharon’s home during those massive protests were the Arab farmers he worked with. Something not often published in reports about the matter.
Palestinian Refugees: actually they did talk a lot about Palestinian refugees. While much of Israel was built in barren areas, the tours highlighted the lands ancient history, including that of the Arabs. They also took us to Arab and Druze neighborhoods, restaurants, and families. I know it’s not a very deep dive in, but it is an acknowledgment and pay of respect nonetheless. Although mine was mostly a general trip, there are specific trips focusing on justice/equality/war/peace issues that explore the topics in further depth. Interestingly, one thing we never hear about is that the majority of Israelis are from families that were refugees from the Middle East, not Europe. It’s an interesting contrast that one group of refugees managed to set up an open, industrious society despite war and terrorist attacks, while another group still calls themselves refugees even in the third and fourth generation and still lives in poverty. I’m not saying everything is perfect in Israel and in fact there was/is a lot of friction and injustice even amongst the Jewish groups, but there definitely is a focus on moving forward and building a better life.
Angels and Devils: Thanks for making this point. I agree. I just find it interesting that whenever someone mentions something about Israel, there are always comments trying to dismiss all the miraculous accomplishments Israel has achieved. There are goods and bads in every society, but one big difference in Israel is that the government, press, and school system work hard to keep an open and respectful population. It may seem like a wishy washy point but it’s an important one for both nations and businesses. If only more of Israel’s neighbors would take the same steps to accept their neighbors they themselves would have a far better place to live. That openness is what creates peace and progress, not UN declarations, threats, or summits with big leaders.
This is a general statement, mostly about the direction of the society, not every single person in it (Disagree if you like. It’s just my opinion): Jews / Israelis have had lots of problems and setbacks, but they put this energy into building new things, adjusting policies, improving, and starting anew. There is a lot of debate, very heated debate, in what to do next, but the focus is on what to do next and how to get better. Many of Israel’s neighbors have also had setbacks and problems, some due to Israel others due to Soviet and Western Imperialism and many due to bad leadership. One of the reasons that Israel, with limited resources, fierce opposition, and having to worry about its very survival, has prospered the way it has, while its neighbors haven’t, is that, rather than complaining and making excuses for the past and present, Israel works hard to build a better future every day. I guess the same lesson could apply to just about anything, whether its parenting, sports, or businesses.
Thanks for the awesome article Jessica, to all the comments, and to anyone that bothered to read this overly long reply.
Cheers,
Boris (@livetruly)
July 20th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
I’m glad you had a great time in Israel! I am going for the first time during the month of May – each year my school takes the senior class
July 21st, 2009 at 6:27 am
Hey Jess! =) Love your post and I totally agree. Someone in one of their comments stated that maybe you have this picture perfect image of Israel because of a ’staged’ trip. As a reply to that, yes, they tried to show us the best of Israel. However, it’s impossible to control a country and it’s people (millions and millions of people) for a couple of hundred Americans. We not only saw the businesses, we saw the culture, the passion, and the determination exhibited by the average guy on the street and that is what was most inspiring to me.
-Galina
July 26th, 2009 at 10:17 pm
Excellent blog read, except for:
No “normal” person in the states would want to join the army.
What about:
No “normal” person in the states would want to join a startup!
I think most young men and young women, who join the Army, USMC are very patriotic. Yes, they are young and without fear (without experience), hey sounds like a startup. Yes, there’s just a few who are not normal (defiantly sounds just like a startup).
The US military also mints some great young leaders: Oracle’s Co-President Charles Philips was a USMC Captain. Just like many start-ups mint great leaders. Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Oracle, IBM.
Perhaps it comes back to perspective.
If you’ve a liberal education full of opportunities and you’re fearless, passionate and smart you see great opportunities in start-ups.
If you’ve a conservative education with limited economic opportunities and you’re fearless, passionate and can learn skills you see your future in the army.
Rather great if we can use our EECS and founder skills to level the playing field of opportunity for the many unemployed but degreed young Arabs engineers. Then we need less Army (I hope).
A couple of MIT friends have startups offices in Beruit, Lebanon. Many more needed (how about it Jess?).
August 3rd, 2009 at 1:55 pm
I found your site via Inc mag. Nice writeup, found it just when I’m getting depressed with my own projects progress agian. You inspire me to keep working.
Thanks.