Israelis are a driven people. With less than 60 years of statehood under their belt, Israelis have built leading companies, developed ground-breaking technologies, and even managed to attract Warren Buffet’s first investment outside of the US. So what drives them so hard?
I recently held a meeting with a client about creating the content for the website of their new desktop application. I asked the CEO by when he would like the copy to be ready. He looked me in the eyes and said, half-seriously, “Today.” He was actually demonstrating more flexibility than most other Israeli business owners whom I meet and work with, who when asked the same question, answer “Yesterday.”
I observed to this particular client that Israelis are always in a rush to get things done, and asked him what he thought about that. He smiled and said, “We Israelis have always worked at a crazy pace, but we never really understood why. But now we know what’s been driving us – the threat of a nuclear bomb hovering over our heads.”
That’s business in Israel!
