ISRAELI CULTURE
This Yiddish term describes the boldness and confidence common in Israeli entrepreneurship.
What is chutzpah?
The IDF requires nearly all Israeli citizens to do this after high school.
What is mandatory military service?
This government body provides grants and R&D funding to startups.
What is the Israel Innovation Authority?
This STEM-focused university is often called “Israel’s MIT.”
What is Technion?
Because Israel’s market is small, startups are forced to aim for this from day one.
What is global expansion?
Israeli communication style is known for being this, helping startups iterate faster.
What is direct and honest?
This elite intelligence unit is known for producing many startup founders.
What is Unit 8200?
Launched in 1993, this program helped create Israel’s venture capital industry.
What is the Yozma Program?
Israel has a high percentage of graduates in this academic area.
What is science and engineering?
Israeli startups often first expand to this country because of close cultural and business ties.
What is the United States?
This cultural habit of questioning authority leads Israelis to challenge assumptions in startups.
What is debating or arguing?
Soldiers gain these two skills early: managing teams and making high-pressure decisions.
What are leadership and rapid decision-making?
The Israeli government reduces early-stage risk for founders by offering these.
What are innovation grants?
Research from universities like Technion is often commercialized into these.
What are startups?
The worldwide Jewish community provides Israeli founders with access to these two things.
What are mentorship and investment?
Israel’s history of limited natural resources helped create this necessary entrepreneurial trait.
What is resourcefulness?
Alumni networks from the IDF often become these in the startup world.
What are founding teams?
Israel invests one of the world’s highest percentages of its GDP into this.
What is research and development (R&D)?
Academia in Israel often collaborates with the private sector to transfer this from labs to industry.
What is technology?
The nickname “Silicon Wadi” refers to Israel’s high concentration of what?
What are startups and tech companies?
This societal value, meaning “improvisation” or “making do,” fosters fast problem-solving.
What is rosh gadol or yehiyé beseder?
The IDF teaches soldiers to adapt quickly using limited information, a skill essential to this startup practice.
What is pivoting?
This term describes government-supported startup hubs where young companies grow.
What are incubators or innovation hubs?
This prestigious research institution is known for breakthroughs in physics, chemistry, and biotech.
What is the Weizmann Institute?
These global companies, such as Google, Apple, and Intel, have major R&D centers in Israel.
What are multinational corporations?