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We always hear about Israeli tech startup successes. What have they done differently from the Europeans that has allowed them to succeed?

fredoliveira 13y ago
Start-up nation is a pretty good book that tries to answer that exact question: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Start-up_Nation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Start-up_Nation (I'm not affiliated in any way) The authors argue that a major factor for Israel's economic growth can be found in the culture of the Israel Defense Forces, in which service is mandatory for most young Israelis. The authors believe that IDF service provides potential entrepreneurs with the opportunities to develop a wide array of skills and contacts. They also believe that IDF service provides experience exerting responsibility in a relatively unhierarchical environment where creativity and intelligence are highly valued.[6] IDF soldiers "have minimal guidance from the top, and are expected to improvise, even if this means breaking some rules. If you're a junior officer, you call your higher-ups by their first names, and if you see them doing something wrong, you say so."[1] Neither ranks nor ages matter much "when taxi drivers can command millionaires and 23-year-olds can train their uncles," and "Israeli forces regularly vote to oust their unit leaders."
netcan 13y ago
It's always tricky looking back and trying to work out why some piece of culture developed. The inevitable self congratulatory nationalism and the counteractions makes it even harder. That said, Israel has (1) a highly concentrated educated, urban population. (2) A large number of people who spend 3-10 years in military tech early on. No long established industries (the country has only existed for 2 generations). (3) A very recent history of young "entrepreneurship," if you extend the definition to include all of the "ideological" settlements ranging from leftist Kibbutzes (communes) to nationalist settlements in the West Bank to religious settlements you will find a lot of exposure to entrepreneurial endevours. Everything in the country was "established" by some form of entrepreneurship within living memory. (4) Solid R&D culture (5) Difficult trade relations making ethereal goods a more attractive option. Construct your own narrative. Personally, I credit the (Socialist/Marxist) settlement culture of the 20s-60s. It feels like an analogy to the US' 'go west' initiatives, homesteading and the various mining booms and such. I think that kind of thing breeds entrepreneurship into a culture. *Israel is not Europe. There is European influence, but most of it is eastern European and it's mixed with Arab/Middle Eastern and lots of other things.
cyphunk 13y ago
over 10 years ago the Israeli gov started to invest in tech research to spurn more VC funding in certain industries. The EU is only starting to do this now.

fredoliveira 13y ago

Start-up nation is a pretty good book that tries to answer that exact question: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Start-up_Nation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Start-up_Nation (I'm not affiliated in any way) The authors argue that a major factor for Israel's economic growth can be found in the culture of the Israel Defense Forces, in which service is mandatory for most young Israelis. The authors believe that IDF service provides potential entrepreneurs with the opportunities to develop a wide array of skills and contacts. They also believe that IDF service provides experience exerting responsibility in a relatively unhierarchical environment where creativity and intelligence are highly valued.[6] IDF soldiers "have minimal guidance from the top, and are expected to improvise, even if this means breaking some rules. If you're a junior officer, you call your higher-ups by their first names, and if you see them doing something wrong, you say so."[1] Neither ranks nor ages matter much "when taxi drivers can command millionaires and 23-year-olds can train their uncles," and "Israeli forces regularly vote to oust their unit leaders."

netcan 13y ago

It's always tricky looking back and trying to work out why some piece of culture developed. The inevitable self congratulatory nationalism and the counteractions makes it even harder. That said, Israel has (1) a highly concentrated educated, urban population. (2) A large number of people who spend 3-10 years in military tech early on. No long established industries (the country has only existed for 2 generations). (3) A very recent history of young "entrepreneurship," if you extend the definition to include all of the "ideological" settlements ranging from leftist Kibbutzes (communes) to nationalist settlements in the West Bank to religious settlements you will find a lot of exposure to entrepreneurial endevours. Everything in the country was "established" by some form of entrepreneurship within living memory. (4) Solid R&D culture (5) Difficult trade relations making ethereal goods a more attractive option. Construct your own narrative. Personally, I credit the (Socialist/Marxist) settlement culture of the 20s-60s. It feels like an analogy to the US' 'go west' initiatives, homesteading and the various mining booms and such. I think that kind of thing breeds entrepreneurship into a culture. *Israel is not Europe. There is European influence, but most of it is eastern European and it's mixed with Arab/Middle Eastern and lots of other things.

cyphunk 13y ago

over 10 years ago the Israeli gov started to invest in tech research to spurn more VC funding in certain industries. The EU is only starting to do this now.