The Human Founder - Global

Tommy Barav - Co-founder & CEO at Magical - Part II

Join me for the Productivity mini-series - Part II:

 

How to master our time, and make tools for time accessible for everyone?

 

We all feel the challenge of managing our time in an effective way. So much content to consume, so many things to learn in order to optimize and grow in our various life aspects. As a founder that needs to manage so many projects at the same time - below are few hacks that you should consider implementing:

1. Time boxing is a very efficient way to manage our calendar. 

We begin with dividing our work into 2 buckets - (1) Deep work, which requires deep concentration (e.g  - prep a board PPT). It requires a higher cognitive intent. The rule of thumb for this kind of work is a 2-hours block. (2) Shallow work - a work that doesn’t require too much concentration, like posting on SM. The idea - is to block our calendar in order to avoid a situation where the shallow work is minimizing our deep work time. 

 

How can we avoid it? By designing the next week at the end of the previous week, and block 2 hours every day, usually at the same time (9-11am) to work on the 1 meaningful task that we have defined. That’s exactly how the Eisenhower Matrix Method is designed. All meetings can take place after lunch time, and that way the mornings are free for creative & deep work time. Make sure to close your email, and spend 20 min, 3 times a day, on your inbox processing. Try to avoid task switching - it takes our mind 16-23 minutes to recover from distractions. If you really need external help - Simplify helps you put constraints on your email and FB lite does the same for FB. The idea is not to delete the services - but to modify them to your own needs.

Remember - being a founder/ employer/ parent/ single - you are the same human being, personally and professionally wise. Hence, your calendars need to be synced, so that you will have a holistic reflection of the way you invest your time.  

 

1. Matt Mochary, a CEO Coach and the author of The Great CEO Within, speaks about Calender Audit. At the end of the year - you go to your calendar and print 52 weeks of the last year and take a few markers. You mark and circle in green (e.g) the events that boosted your energy. Then, you try to put in buckets all the other events that you didn't circle - as they didn’t raise your energy, according to certain patterns. First of all - you see the % of the events that weren't in a green circle - try to minimize that percentage. Then, you check what kind of substitutes you can offer to those tasks - that won’t take your energy. E.g - commuting doesn't serve you well - so you work remotely >> more time in your calendar for things you love. 

You have to see that you create the right categories that are shown in your calendar: family, network, IR, hirings, inbox processing, health… Each one and what is important to them.

 

1. Our brain can’t remember it all, and we can’t do everything we want in 24 hours minus sleeping. That's why we need to create an artificial brain - a second brain that documents information and helps us make decisions and save us precious time. Tools like Notion, clay, Roam Research (a note-taking tool for networked thought, easy to use as a document & as powerful as a graph database), mailbrew (create beautiful, automated newsletters with content from the sites and apps you love), readwise (grow wiser and retain books better: Readwise sends you a daily email resurfacing your best highlights from Kindle, Instapaper, iBooks, and more) and others - help in managing and saving our time by capturing, containing, indexing and pulling the right data/info we need for a specific task/decision. It works on the same logic of compound interest - the interest on interest. It is the result of reinvesting interest, rather than paying it out, so that interest in the next period is then earned on the principal sum plus previously accumulated interest. The same goes for the time you save and the knowledge you gain.

Learning and implementing methods like Space Repetition can help boost our productivity and ability to remember. 

 

Well, there are so many productivity and time management tools, and that is exactly the problem. How can we reduce the noise? Is there a one tool that syncs everything together? How can we create this ONE tool that is bettering our own productivity methods and techniques? 

 

That was one of the reasons why Tommy founded Supertools - a community that aims to expose its members to various tools with the purpose of extending & optimizing their time. Just like we have superfood - we all need a supertool. That brings another major question - how much technology should we consume? Are we managing the technology, or it manages us? Technology is not good or bad - it’s neutral. It simplifies our life - providing us with measurements (like apple watch), or stress and readiness levels (like Oura Ring) - but that’s not enough. We need the insights, the recommendations, in order to deal with decision fatigue. It’s a question of how we manage the relationship with technology tools.  We need to care about our time.

The problem with calendars is that they are broken. Their purpose is being our RSVP platform - but what we actually need, is a gatekeeper, not a bookkeeper - to minimize our bad time-decisions. The only way to become time billionaires, is to change our mindsets, put systems in place and become our own Chief of Time. In order to create a huge impact - there is a need to create software - and that’s what Tommy is working on now at Magical.

Tommy Barav - Co-founder & CEO at Magical - Part I

Join me for the Productivity mini-series - Part I:

 

How to master our time, and make tools for time accessible for everyone?

 

Tommy began his career at Rimon Music School, where he learned one of his first lessons - you need to work hard to be creative. There is no muse waiting out there to get the job done. He graduated from the Zell Entrepreneurship Program, where he also met @Liat Aronson, who was and is still a great mentor for him.

At Zell, he was part of the founding team of @Argus - who were pioneering automotive cyber security, but all he felt was stress. 3 years later he left. It was a very difficult decision - but the right one for him, his health and his spirit. He chose to prioritize himself.

 

In a deep & fun conversation - Tommy and I dived deep into the secrets of productivity & effectiveness, and how to master our time.

 

Reflecting on self

Tommy did the Level 10 Life assessment - a productivity method created by Hal Elrod that helps you get a better understanding of how you feel about the current state of your life. The method allows you to step back and reevaluate your current life status, which will help you to take the right steps to improve.

I myself use this technique with the founders & investors I coach, and that helps me and them  to map out immediately where we need to begin in our coaching process. It’s a wonderful reflection of one's reality, and you are welcome to pause, dive deep with yourself and try it here - in Hebrew or in English.

 

Another essential book is Essentialism, by Greg McKeown. It talks about our undisciplined pursuit of more - which at the end, leads to less - less focus and less time, and our need in creating balance in what really matters.

In my clinic - I ask the founders I coach a very simple question - “Does it move the needle?”/ “Is it vital that YOU PRIORITIZE THIS task NOW?”. It immediately helps to create clarity in what matters and where the time & energy should go.

Another way to check where we are - is to have a weekly review at the end of every week - as an event in our calendar, and (1) create a list of questions that helps us estimate and review our focus and progress. Another way (2) is to have our Future Self talk to our Present Self - and ask him.her about his.her progress and what really moves the needle for him or (3) create personal OKRs that we can measure. 

 

Creating systems & rituals

 

Tommy believes that we should create systems rather than goals. Goals can be changed, but the systems help us create and internalize the rituals that are true for us - both personally & professionally.

Tommy has created himself a checklist of the DOs and DONTs of his life. That way - he doesn't question himself. It’s as simple as it is - either it’s in the list or not. Every morning - he goes through his list and follows the things that are important to him. The book Atomic Habits by James Clear helps in mapping our constructive habits and how to make sure they are present in our life. For example - drinking lemon water, red wine and sharing a daily productivity hack with my team in slack - are things that make me a better person and help me create the culture I want for my company, at the same time. That’s why they’ll be on my list. Also in the DOs list - sleep for 7 hours, make sure I have time for the things I want to read, the things I want to write and the things I want to shape. In the list of DON’Ts: don't eat sugar, don’t go to sleep too late, don't be too apologetic. The idea is to be 1% better every day.

 

Part of the secret of being productive - is not to get caught in our loop of thoughts. 

As founders, and human beings, we often find ourselves with so many thoughts and so many “sides”/considerations prior to making a decision. Don’t try to ignore it. True leadership comes from being vulnerable. When we communicate how we feel, it is simply contagious. The transparency is doing good for the team around you. Of course - don’t share everything and have boundaries, but make sure you are a mindful leader.

Here are 3 hacks to “break” the loop of thoughts:

1. Contain the feelings - Do you remember the flight attendant in the air planes explaining how we should first wear our own oxygen masks and only after we help our children with that? Only if we help ourselves - we can help others. Allow yourself a daily meditation - use any favorable app (Sam Harris who also has a great podcast series, calm, Kai, HeadSpace and many others) - Between a few minutes to an hour a day. 
2. Cold showers - The Wim Hof Method includes cold showers and breathing practice. Although it may seem counterintuitive, these showers are actually beneficial for both your mind and your body and he recommends incorporating cold showers into your daily routine, as it reduces stress levels, enables higher levels of alertness, more robust immune response, Increased willpower and supports weight loss.
3. Gratitude - Practicing Gratitude is known to increase our sense of happiness. One way to do it - is to practice daily- 3 things that we feel thankful and grateful for. Another way is creating an ‘appreciation block' in our calendar, in which we send ‘thank you’ notes to our team, stakeholders, and people that helped us along the way. It helps strengthen the relationships and our own sense of feeling appreciation and happiness. Making it a ritual - to really show gratitude for the little efforts that others do for us, and not taking it for granted - also makes wonders in the way we engage people into our life. ‘Firgun’ - means showing appreciation to others in front of everyone, and that’s also a great ritual to implement in your startup culture.

Ran Harnevo, Serial entrepreneur

About success & failures, and why perspective is a crucial mindset for the entrepreneurial journey

 

Ran is a multi-talent serial entrepreneur. He sold his company 5min to AOL back in 2016 for $65M, creating their dependency on their platform - that it was hard to get rid of them…

He had 150 employees, and his attitude was as he didn’t care if they would fire him every day. That enabled him to pursue his way, not to ‘kiss asses’ and to lead the company from $10M to $450M. He had a CEO & CFO who backed him, respected his Israeli attitude and saw his business leadership. It was then the rise of Google & Facebook, he saw that AOL is not on the same path and decided to leave at its pick.

 

He & @Hanan (Lashover) have been working together for 15 years. It’s a crazy ride, but they have a great relationship and handle things together. “We had so many wins together, much thanks to a very low overlap of responsibilities. He’s on tech, I’m on product & business. We had a great founder-founder fit…”

 

He was always passionate about content - from Hollywood productions with Steve Buscemi & Sarah Jessica Parker, to AOL & writing his own publications.

Then came Bkstg, creating music tools for customers. They brought Justin Bieber & Ariana Grande. It was a red flag for him when they chose as a strategy to go top-tier to bottom and not bottom to top. It was dangerous. 

 

Ran understood he wants to control the DNA of the company. Living in NYC for several years now - he saw first hand the nature of immigrants' communities which led to founding Homies. FB Groups was a small product within FB. They raised $12M, and then FB changed their strategy - groups are suddenly the future. It decreased the need for their product. “Startup has 2 phases - to find the market-fit, and then to increase it to maximum valuation.” That’s when they’ve understood they need to raise a white flag, as they didn't have enough velocity and organic growth.

 

Closing the company

 

They approached 30-35 top VCs in the US, thinking of raising additional $20M. NY was Covidised, and Ran remembers his snow walks. They were very transparent with the management about the direction it goes, as Ran never saw himself as a cheerleader. The board strategized a plan. It took 4 more months and they closed. “…There’s a moment, when you need to be very analytical, mature  & honest with yourself, and decide not to raise more funds just to keep the company going, if you feel that it’s not good enough anymore.” 

 

How does it feel to fail others?

 

They didn't deliver the ROI. 85% of the investors were there in their previous companies, so it was a bit easier to digest and they were sensitive about it. “It’s all part of the game. In the game you sometimes lose. You know the game and you still go for it. It’s mentally hard to disappoint, which makes the choice of the right people to run alongside you even more important.”

 

Ran is considering his new opportunities. “The money is cheaper than the next 3 years of your life. The opportunity cost is crazy.”

 

Ran speaks warmly about NYC. He doesn't like SV. since 2008 when he first arrived till today - there are more than 400 Israeli startups operating in the city - “The Israeli Mafia”.

With his growing children, he felt this is the time to bring them back home. His daughter has a neurological syndrome, and it has impacted a lot on his journey as an entrepreneur and a father. 

 

For some years, Ran, who is full of charisma, felt unbeatable. Till he got bitten. That gave him a new perspective, a crucial understanding also of how much luck is needed. He nowadays knows that things are not as dramatic as they seem to be at a certain point of time.

Dr. Orna Berry, Director of Technology at Google Cloud CTO’s Office

Orna is a significant figure in the Israeli high tech ecosystem - the first woman to serve as Chief Scientist and Head of the Industrial R&D operation of the Israeli Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor. She was Vice President of Dell EMC & General Manager of Israel Center of Excellence, and an entrepreneur & business figure in Israeli companies like PrimeSense, Aladdin & Alvarion. Nowadays, she is the Director of Technology at Google Cloud CTO’s Office. The American technology magazine Red Herring ranked her as "one of the 25 most influential and important women in the world of technology for 2005".

 

Orna is the daughter of Yoash Tzidon, former IAF pilot, her mom was a nurse and she has 2 brothers - one is a professor of Economy and the other - a lawyer. Her family was always her source for strength, decency and commitment, and it led her through her career to a meaningful contribution by creating diverse opportunities. Technology was always in their house. 

 

Orna received MA and BA degrees in Statistics and Mathematics from Tel Aviv University and Haifa University, respectively. In 1980, she joined the University of Southern California (USC) in the United States and earned a PhD in Computer Science in 1986.

 

After a career in several tech companies, in 1993 she co-founded ORNET - Data Communication Technologies, in Carmiel - she wanted to bring the business into the periphery of Israel. Already then, Orna wanted to recruit diverse employees & talents. Orna took part in growing the VC sector in Israel, and for her - it was always about creating great partnerships with great people and being curious. 

 

“I’ll die from curiosity. I’m always trying new stuff. I could not envision the technological developments. I could not envision the market's development. I could not envision leaving the academy and I could not envision that I’ll become Chief Scientist.”

 

Orna sold Ornet to Siemens in 1995. 

 

They approached her to become Chief Scientist twice and she said no - then they pulled the Zionism card, and it worked. She got divorced that year, getting out of a domestic violence relationship. She asked her children for their opinion, and her daughter Yael said: “In this house everyone does what she wants”. And that paved the way for a personal and professional change. With her children, the rules were part of the “enablement game”  - allowing each other to grow and develop through a strong partnership - as they are in it together. 

 

Orna remembers she took a day off to celebrate her daughter’s birthday, but then there was an emergency call from Sheba hospital’s COO - Zeev Rotstein. So she brought her daughter with her and it ended in forming new initiatives for Rambam & Sheba.

 

She then spent 10 years at Gemini VC working with outstanding people. She learned she only loves working with people who want to work with her and accept who she is. 

In her recent 72nd b-day, her son, Amit, reflected to her  -”you never try to please anyone”. That is a meaningful reflection that has led Orna throughout her career. She always believed equality comes from people who work shoulder to shoulder.

 

She made another change - when she was 61+1 day - Leading the EMC excellence center in Israel. Couple of months ago - she stepped into her new position at Google Cloud.

 

It was 2015, when she discovered she had cancer, and it was a “death sign on the wall”. She understood she’s going to face a difficult time and many struggles. Her HMO did not want to approve the drug she needed, and later - although they say “the patient is in the center '' - it doesn't seem nor feel that way. As a scientist - she understands how crucial it is to make the data accessible and draw a holistic view of the patient. Every struggle she wins - she teaches the voluntary bodies the tricks - so they can help others.

 

When I asked her - what would the mature Orna say to the young one - she smiled, thought of her teenage grandchildren and said: “focus on your capabilities, desires and in each step also think of the society to create a greater good”.

Ohad Tzur, Co-founder & COO, Kahoona.io

Ohad decided to pursue his dream at the age of 28 and go for an MBA at an Ivy League. He didn't have all the answers about his path and where it would lead him, but he believed in himself, and had the grit to pursue it. He understood back then that one shouldn’t fear going outside their comfort zone - that’s where growth happens and where people thrive.

 

Team Building

Ohad shares his 5-years of experience at Google in Silicon Valley and what he learned about team building. He shares the various initiatives he led that helped him see how much intrapreneurship is vital to a company's growth.

We spoke about key elements in nurturing teams and making them move fast:

1. Ownership. That should be a key-value in startups. Leaders should provide their teams with an arch and a goal, and let them figure it out while guiding them. Once you put timelines in place and expected key results - then the checks and balances work well, and as a leader - you have enough opportunities to make sure the team is moving in the right way. 

Feedback is a critical part of it, and when giving feedback - it’s better for it to be direct, focused, and conveyed as a question so that your team members will reflect on their work, such as what they learned from it or what was challenging for them. 

1. Situational Leadership - people are different. Therefore, as leaders, we should personalize how we coach them. We have to identify the level of each team member and address them in a suitable manner. Of course, that in various life cycles of the employee/ the company - those levels of need leadership can vary, and as leaders, we have to keep our hand on the pulse:

• Entry level/ less experienced employees need their leader to direct them. That’s why as managers, we should provide him with guidance.
• More experienced employees - need coaching>> we should be questioning them questions that will help them evolve and grow.
• Senior managers need support. As their leaders - we should be there for them when needed.
• Executives need their leaders to delegate things to them and let them lead.

1. Pause. Leaders need to pause often and ask themselves, ‘what do you do to build your credibility & inspire others?’. Credibility is based on value and not necessarily on the things you’ve done in the past.

 

Decision Making

Ohad left Google to be an executive in a startup. The question is, WHY?

We have two pillars guiding us in life - the emotional axis and the logical one.

While the mental axis reflected that he was too much in his comfort zone, the logical one made him do an in-depth risk assessment for where the new startup will be in the next few years.

By gaining information over several months, he helped himself bridge the gap between the emotional and logical axis and make the move. 

 

We spoke about how it feels being an executive employee in a startup - which involves holding the truth that it’s not yours. This led him to a new startup, after which he built one of his own.

 

Holacracy

Holacracy is a managerial method that moves the hierarchy and power, and empowers the employees. It is a much more flexible method that puts the employees in the center, as it’s built-in circles, and the employees can have a few roles within the organization. The employees need to reflect that they need some assistance/mentoring in various fields, which leads to a governance where everyone has a voice. This method does not fit all kinds of CEOs and usually applies to slightly more mature startups - once they have +100 employees. On the employees’ side - it requires them to be super proactive about what will enable their growth. 

 

We spoke about the new venture Ohad is pursuing and how to choose the right co-founder for you - which means that first of all , one should do a clear assessment of their skills. Then comes trust, then the “working day” - you should work together for a few days and see how it feels; after which, ask for referrals. At last - try to find a ‘Founders-Market Fit’ - and check, if you are as co-founders, can really differentiate yourself in the specific market, and if the idea will change (which it probably will) - you will survive and evolve.

Sagi Schliesser, Founder & CEO of Crazy Labs, Angel Investor

From a Founder to an Angel Investor - Being Brave to Pivot, Part Ways from Your Co-Founders & Sell Your Company

 

Sagi found himself asking several times in his career - “What Can I Be The Best At?”

He was always into computers and psychology, figuring out how to combine those dual inherent skills & passions of his.

He founded several ventures in the sports arena that were the beginning of his entrepreneurial journey.

 

Every Year There is a December

Sagi created for himself a very useful ritual - a Yearly December Mental Notes Routine - which in fact - he was considering whether to rehire himself to the same position - not only professionally wise. He was going over various aspects of his personal & professional life and checking the pulse, then making decisions whether or not he should continue in the same path. Sometimes - decisions were too complex to be taken in the coming December - so he would add a mental note for the future, and reconsider with himself in the following year.

 

When he had to choose between several good job opportunities, which was not an easy decision, one driven by ego-money-title - he cut a deal with himself - and “signed tentatively” - which enabled him to review his decision,reassess where it brings him to in the future, and to keep a space open to choose the other path, if needed.

 

0-1

Sagi is a zero-one person. He knows how to build things from scratch and grow them.

He joined @IDIT in the InsurTech sector, and worked with the biggest Insurance corporations in the world. He was there for 7 years (In the Jewish religion 7 is a special number with a deeper meaning - a typology number. Same goes to Sagi’s journey, and we’ll get to that number again). Moving on to @Sapiens - Sagi led amazing operations also for 7 years, but along the way - he felt that his soul needed to be nourished with something else. So he went to his boss, who saw him, and allowed him to start working on a side project that would nurture Sagi’s creativity. Guy, his future Co-founder - joined him. And they started again - 0-1.

Sagi always wrote a lot. So at the age of 35 - instead of just writing to the drawer - he also published his children’s book - dedicated to his daughter - “HighTech Dad”. He wrote about his passion for what he does, with the trade-offs it contains in it. His smart daughter who saw through him told him - “keep on doing what you love - just come home a bit earlier”.

 

His “side project” got bigger, and he felt he had to cut the cord and go all in - in his startup. That’s when TabTable became a key player in the gaming industry.

 

I asked Sagi, as a dad who leads a gaming company - how does he feel about what he does with nowadays children’s addiction to screens, tech & gaming. “There's hypocrisy in many of the things we do. We solve the problem of being bored. At the end, or actually the beginning - it’s on us, the parents, to educate and be a role-model. Kids like to imitate - and they see us with the mobiles all day long - they simply do the same”. 

And I add - maybe boredom is not the problem we should solve? Adults & children need to learn how to contain boredom and feel comfy with themselves & with being uncomfortable sometimes as well, instead of resisting it and feeling an urge to fill it with screen time. 

 

Pivoting & splitting

TabTable was a gaming company, focusing on games for children. 7 years - and they felt a change had to happen. That’s when they pivot to @Crazy Labs, focusing on adult games. “We constantly change. Change structure, products. The market changes, the users - we have to adapt and be constantly ready to see what comes.” 

That’s also when it hit him, that change is not for everyone. When you’re more of a conservative person - change can be hard. People evolve differently, and Sagi felt that he and his partner were seeing things in a different way. The company was profitable, but Sagi didn't want just to optimize things - he wanted to continue to grow. That’s how the chaos began. From working together every night - to not communicating at all. It was too emotional and draining - they understood they had to split. 

Sagi speaks about founders' relationships and how important it is to understand who is the owner. CEOs need to make hard decisions and that can cause a dispute in the leadership. That year, he didn't do his December Routine. He also got divorced and altogether - things were hard.

 

Sagi grew Crazy Labs, leading it to a great deal, selling the company to a Sweden corporation. The market was hot, 2 co-founders left, there was momentum, the shareholders thought it’s a good play. The new company manages everything in a very transparent way, and as you can guess - they built together a 7-year plan in which Sagi leads Crazy Labs in a full autonomy.

 

From a Founder to an Angel Investor

Sagi invests in a diverse portfolio of companies - bringing his extensive experience in startups into the companies he chooses to invest in. He looks at the team & the product - to clearly understand its needs. The chemistry with the team is priceless - it needs to be a good fit. He was one of the 1st angel investors in @Jfrog and @safeDK, so - so far, there are great instincts involved.

 

Sagi is a very dedicated entrepreneur, founder, leader and dad. He saw a lot. 

He speaks frankly about how to part ways with your co-founder, and if necessary - how to try and manage the process through mediation as opposed to lawyers. For him personally - it was already impossible to mediate at that point. He recommends very much to have someone at the board, that both of the co-founders feel comfortable with and trust - so that in case of a dispute - he.she can help mediate.

When I asked him if he believed the investors should take sides in a case of a major dispute - Sagi says it depends on how well they are involved in the company and familiar with what’s going on there. As a founder - he only wanted the investors to take side and be aligned- otherwise it’s a deadlock to the company.

Shira Eting, Investor at Vintage Investment Partners

What does it mean to “Be Yourself” and shape your life journey accordingly?

 

Shira is a daughter to a father who is a pilot and a psychoanalyst mom.

She was born and raised in an atmosphere where freedem of choice is present and a message that everything is possible - sex doesn’t play a role.

When she was 10 years old - she remembers the first woman who graduated from the flight academy in the Israeli Air Force - and that was a meaningful moment for her.

Growing up - she did “Shnat Sherut '' in a “Mechina” at Kanot - another milestone that emphasizes her values and some of the choices she'll make later on in life. Volunteering was something she had to do, and during the Mechina - the bubble exploded. She saw many young boys and girls who were very talented - but didn't have a chance, due to the life circumstances they came from. The Mechina strengthened a few building blocks of her social activity path - to think of others, to volunteer and to be resilient.

 

Being a woman pilot at the IAF

@Alice Miller paved the way for women to serve as pilots in the israeli Air Force.

Back then, as an 18 years old girl - Shira wanted to prove that being a girl - she has the same skills and attributes for success just as the boys have. Over the years - she saw and felt first hand the gaps in the perception and reality - as women are a minority, there are logistical & operational gaps, soft skills gaps and there is a way to bridge those gaps. 

So how did she cope as a woman?

1. She had a lot of support from her family and friends
2. She asked herself - “What does it take to succeed?” And the answer was - “I need to be more like a man. Men don’t cry, men are very assertive” - she wanted to be one of the guys. 

The grown-up Shira, knows today that men are men, women are women, and instead of making us be like them as the rightful standard - both in the IDF and so does society - we need to enable women to be themselves, as long as we’re not compromising the end result.

 

Shira took a lot from her service as a helicopter pilot:

1. Her inner confidence which is rooted in her

Professionalism in everything she does

1. Accuracy - doing things all the way through and in the best way possible 
2. Debriefing - both the good & bad results 
3. Start with our strengths - the things we know we’re good at
4. Resilience and grit - Shira spent 8.5 years in the IAF

 

Out of her comfort zone

8.5 years of military service - and Shira had to choose whether to leave or stay. Leaving - meant letting go of her dream to be a commander, and moreover - she had no idea what she was leaving for. She had a lot of blindspots.

What helped her?

1. Going to therapy with a psychologist
2. Acknowledging her blind spots, something which some people who are driven by their ego don’t do, as they are blocked by their arrogance
3. Enabling herself not knowing and learning how to be humble about it
4. Shira has a metaphor she likes to use: I have a very strong right arm - now I have to strengthen my left arm

 

First step in strengthening her left arm - was going to learn sustainability at @Oxford. It was eye-opening. Everyone there was brilliant. Everyone had better English. Once again - Shira asked herself - “What do I need to do to be better than them?”

This ability to have a clear view on the situation, being able to reflect to ourselves on our deepest fears - is a virtue that shira has been caring for since her flight academy years.

 

She applied to McKinsey in London, but wasn't accepted. She came back to Israel.

She wanted to focus on sustainability - but understood she misses the economic angle. And the same question came to mind - “What do I need to do to be better at it?”

She went to @Milken Institute in Israel - to learn economics - but from a more mature perspective, where she knows she can’t know it all, yet she wants to be better. At this point, Shira emphasizes the risk of getting out of focus - when we're going too wide in our ‘not knowing' feeling, trying to grasp too much, instead of accepting the fact that we won’t know everything - and that’s totally OK.

Shira applied again - this time to @McKinsey Israel - again, strengthening her left arm.

She was there for 18 months and it was an amazing school for her.

 

The horrible disaster at Nahal Zafit happened, and Shira felt an urgent need to help. The stars aligned, her way to give back - Shira joined @Mechinat Bnei Zion as a CEO, to lead the organization, re-build the place, and bring methods from the IAF - all connected to her own experience as a younger woman at Mechinat Kanot.

But it was too early, too hurtful, and she understood she cannot bring her vision into these complex circumstances. As much as she wanted it to work - she could understand the pain of the others who didn't. With zero energy, she had to listen to herself. It's time to leave. Shira found out once again that she has the strength to make brave decisions.

 

Her picture on her phone - “be yourself” - was a clue to what will come next.

 

She then joined Vintage investment Partners - a $3b investment fund that invests in funds and companies. She needed to feel grounded, stable. Working in one of the largest funds in Israel - Shira makes investments in venture funds and companies, working with amazing people, focusing on health and sustainability. It’s a great school for her, and once again - she embraces her blind spots and sees it as a growth engine.

 

The “Be yourself” pic was vivid. Shira was single for 2 years, frustrated by her friends getting married and having children.

 

Then she met Shani.

 

She decided to listen to herself - and in a brave way - she shared it with her parents and friends.

Shira knew deep down inside her she was interested in women, since she was a young girl, but she didn't make room for those feelings. Being ‘part of the boys’ during flight academy, reaching the highest achievements - it was always convenient not to dive deeper with herself. Only when she hitted the lowest of lows - she found herself.

 

Shira and Shani are expecting a baby girl.

 

The mature Shira, who instructs future pilots and lectures to young entrepreneurs - focuses on the following, all are part of her own life journey:

1. Always believe in yourself - and have a vivid picture of how you can succeed
2. Debrief your actions - both good and bad results
3. Keep on your resilience in the path life takes you
4. Listen to your own voice and live according to it.

May Piamenta, Co-founder & CEO of Vee

How to find your place and keep up to your promise, as a 22-years-old woman founder? 

 

Imagine taking the bus from Dimona, dreaming about helping people and establishing your own startup at the age of 22. That’s May’s story. A Cinderella one - and it ain't no easy to keep up the high expectations when everyone is watching. 

 

May cut her hair and donated it when she was 13. That’s how early she understood that she’s gonna do things that not everyone will understand. 

In her youth - she joined @First - an organization that promotes tech, science and social entrepreneurship, shortly after that - she led the whole operation in Israel with more than 10 millions volunteers.

 

She opened her 1st business when she was a teenager - an e-commerce platform for bathing suits, and a 2nd business for website creation within 24 hours - just after the army service.

 

So beyond the impact @Vee brings into this world - May, as its co-founder and CEO, needs to hold it all together at a very young age, and miss important milestones of her likewise friends.

To do so, therapy and supporting surroundings is a must for her.

 

May shares how difficult it is sometimes to stand in front of investors or talents that don’t believe that you can make it, and that you've got what it takes. 

She speaks openly about her lack of managerial experience and decision making, how overwhelming it can be, and what she does in order to overcome those challenges. 

 

Not being ashamed and believing in yourself is a must, so that when investors want to replace her - she simply asks - WHY?

Having strong, experienced and supporting co-founders, makes it all much more possible. 

When she started - she didn't even speak English, and now - there are so many people that want her to win. All together - it’s not easy to live up to these expectations. 

 

As all CEOs understand early down the road - in the good times - everyone is with you, but in the hard times - you are on your own. And it’s a very lonely place to be in. May understands many life truths in a very early stage - for example, that it’s OK not to be OK. She’s afraid to fail all the people that put their trust in her - so she is keeping a very practical mode.

 

May’s family has been through a lot. It’s part of what makes her determined to succeed. Earlier this year, when she participated in a panel in the @Peres Center for Peace and Innovation - her parents and friends were in the audience - that’s where she felt her worlds merged together - family, friends & Vee. 

 

May has a very strong sense of people - or in her own words - “Moroccan sense” - to see people’s authentic intentions. It’s a very strong virtue that guides her in business. 

 

She also understands the power of being a young CEO - as you understand inside-out your target audience. 

 

May recently came back from the @WEACT delegation to @Silicon Valley, organized by @Darya Henning Shaked, and many more good things that we will hear about soon - are on the way.

 

So is it a Cinderella story? I don’t think there is a specific time-sensitive or financial milestone that will confirm or deny it - seeing May’s passion, commitment and efforts to succeed, grow Vee and bring value - is inspiring. She definitely has what it takes.

Ron Gura, Co-Founder & CEO of Empathy

Ron is a serial tech entrepreneur who has brought his love for developing empowering products to startups and major international corporations alike. 

Ron’s family is intertwined into his entrepreneurial journey in various ways; He speaks admiribily about his mom and how it all began with her, and shares about his brother @Eyal Gura - his life-long role model. Eyal’s character, wisdom & friendship are a strong foundation for Ron’s path.

He remembers in a very vivid way when Eyal closed his 1st startup. He then understood that as an entrepreneur - there are uncomfortable parts you just have to embrace and push through, take care of your people and move on. They crafted a beautiful dynamic between them, where each one's success is driving the other forward.

 

Selling the 1st startup to eBay

“The Gift Project” was a pretty smooth ride. Ron describes it as a “rare thing of luck & timing”. His biggest win - was an amazing team of talented and wonderful people - who are nowadays leading founders in the tech arena. He was led by naivety & curiosity, asking himself “who are the smartest people we can bring along?”. An acquisition after only 18 months - he describes the eBay experience as ‘finesse’. eBay was an amazing school - all the process, methods, learning from the inside how corporations work. Ron also remembers clearly how an interaction with his Marketing Director - put a spotlight on how important it is to manage the relationships with your colleagues and keep a transparent and open communication channel in order to avoid the slippery slope of relationships clash - and what a lesson it was about leadership.

 

EIR in a VC

Leaving eBay, Ron joined @Eden Shochat & @Michael Eizenberg at @Aleph VC, a $550M early-stage venture capital fund. It was a very meaningful and transformational year in his journey. He learned the VC processes inside-out, saw the Board interactions first hand, hung out with amazing startups, listened to them and helped build a community of promising founders and companies. “Different is better than better” - his listening muscle grew stronger, and his eyes got wide open. Those days were the days when some of the most successful founders in the startups scene met each other and kicked off their ventures - @shai Wininger & Daniel Shreiber from @Lemondae, @Eran Shier that later on started @Nexar and many more. 

 

From a startup to scale-up

WeWork was one of the companies Ron fell in love with those days at Aleph, when they still were a young startup. From few people to thousands of employees worldwide - Ron led the global R&D center of 250 team members, and was responsible for the tools and systems that helped the company scale operationally. Once again - he gathered around him an amazing team of talented people. Ron keeps his people close - his future co-founder at Empathy - Yan - worked with him in WeWork. They built an organization together. 

The decision to leave was hard but needed. The company changed its approach to more of a real estate company than leading the future of work, and Ron had to learn to let go. Many great people have left, and he did whatever he could to help them outside of WeWork. He felt first hand the ride of a rapidly growing startup.

 

Disrupting the way families navigate loss

Fear of death is something most of us experience, but loss doesn’t skip anyone. Death is untouched. Yan & Ron wanted to offer “the friend you wish you had when you lose a loved one”, as confronting death involves overwhelming emotional stress & grief together with logistics. That's what drove them to Empathy.

Talking about Empathy made Ron open up and share about his own personal loss of his beloved brother. Amir’s death was very present in his life. It raised lot’s of questions as a young boy that came back again later on in his life. 

He once again gathered a group of amazing and talented people who share his mission to offer empathy and comfort for people dealing with grief. I find it beautiful and touching when we build a company that helps us heal our very own wounds.

Irad Eichler, Co-Founder & CEO of Circles

The Power of Groups in Improving Startup Leaders’ Well-being. Remember - #strongpeopleshare

 

From living in the Kibbutz, surrounded by a circle of people, to a startup that creates circles of support for others - Irad is an extraordinary serial social & tech entrepreneur, named by the World Economic Forum’s “Social Entrepreneur of the Year”.

 

Irad’s mom coped with cancer for 7 years. He spent a lot of time with her during that period. But despite his help and efforts, his mom said that he couldn't understand what she’s going through, and she felt lonely. It was only when he overheard her speaking with a friend who is going through the same thing - she sounded happy as she finally felt understood.

When Irad coped with her loss - his siblings were the closest people to share it with.

It was then clear to him that people need to feel belonged.

Nowadays - loneliness is something that everyone is dealing with. Being part of a quality group of people, who share similar experiences - is the thing that fills the emptiness so many people are suffering from.

 

So what’s the story of groups?

 

Groups are all around us - in the family, with peers, through shared experiences (e.g - IDF units). Groups enable us to feel:

1. Belonging
2. Feeling normal
3. Helping others and by so - giving to others - which is something that makes us feel meaningful
4. Group symbolizes a micro-cosmos of life itself

 

Groups should enable a psychological safety and hence there are 3 main components               for a group:

1. Its members:

A well-structured group optimizes the group members & balanced dynamics. 

Few things that impact the group dynamic that you may never think about - 

• The surrounding environment has a lot of impact on the group’s dynamics (e.g - think what happens when you're in a board meeting, and there are 5 empty chairs; or when you’re in a product session - and a bird flies into the room… Imagine how the surroundings impact the people in the situation).
• Your own place in your origin family - whether you are the oldest/ youngest/ somewhere in between. The sibling dynamics have a lot of impact on the way you’ll behave within groups.

 

1. Facilitator:

A group can be moderated by a professional facilitator or by the members themselves. There's a difference between professional therapy groups and support groups. In therapy groups - it’s more about the personal progress each member is making. In a support group - it’s more about the reflections and progress the members are going through around a specific life event (similar also to FB groups or communities).

 

1. Setting:  

The way you structure the group - weekly session, F2F or via zoom etc. 

one should also take into consideration the privacy setting of a group (both physically and in-person or digitally).

 

Think of an early-stage startup as a group

 

When it grows - think of the various groups within the startup - leadership team, product group, marketing, finance, etc. Think of the support potential each startup has uniquely due to its specific characteristics, and use it as a growth engine. 

Co-founders, which are in fact a group, have basic fundamental needs - to be seen & heard. And as we all know - it’s not always coming to fruition. 

Irad shares the behind-the-scenes of his relationship with his co-founder - @Dan Landa, and how they have stopped listening to each other at one point.  How afraid he was of the 'snowball effect’, as problems don’t go away by themself. “It was all too much… We started to go to a couple’s therapy… We started talking again. I suddenly felt relieved”.

Irad describes how he uses the method of sharing in groups for the Circles Team - every weekly meeting is opened with a question followed by the answers of the whole Team - a practice that enables an open & warm atmosphere and builds the company’s culture in the right direction.

 

One of the techniques I teach the founders I work with - is the Brief Communication method (G.B.L) (do you remember the briefs from the advertisement agencies?), that helps keep effective communication channels, effective meetings, and get things moving. It should include the following:

1. Strict title - provide the framing and gain the attention of others
2. High level mission/ task - make them listen
3. Details & dead-lines - be clear, specific, transparent, direct, accurate, measurable
4. Reflection - make sure the other side really understands what you are asking from him, that’s the only way to maximize mutual results 

 

#Strongpeopleshare

People avoid sharing when something is wrong with them. It’s hard to share when this is “bad news”, cause it makes people feel like they are broken. But, we see it the other way around. Strong people share. Strong people talk about it. And strong people care. Strong people know that sharing is an act of strength not weakness. And people who share - are not broken and there’s nothing to be fixed. On the contrary - they want to improve and grow. Here’s a good tip - next time you are coping with something - share it with just 4 people. Most of the possible reactions will happen then. That’s it - you did it, and nothing happened. Maybe, just maybe, you will also feel comforted by those reactions, stronger, more positive and with an open heart for what comes next.

So remember this hashtag, and share.

 

Prior to Circles, Irad founded and still serves as a board member at @“Shekulo Tov” - an NGO with the mission of including people with disabilities in organizations and making them feel they belong. He won the UN award for this amazing activity.