In a new wrinkle, add to that the COVID factor. Add to that the technology driven by the security industry and military, which are a result of the wars, and throw in mass emigration from the post-arms-race Soviet Union, and you have a story. It’s an origin story that begets a spirit of adventure - and also its cousins, innovation and entrepreneurship. That paradigm was right for a scrappy society that has never known true peace and is composed mostly of immigrants or their children. There are easier ways to make a good living in much of the EU, while in Israel, with its less established legacy economy, tech entrepreneurship was long a more appealing path. It is a success so profound that it begs for explanation.įor starters, Europe’s business culture is far more risk-averse than Israel’s, for reasons grounded in its past success. Compare that with Europe, which has a much larger population and just 125 unicorns. That’s why Israel is pushing 100 unicorns - privately held companies (essentially all in tech) valued at a billion dollars or more. And Israeli chutzpah can sometimes do the rest. These employees-turned-founders have skills and backgrounds sought by investors. 15 at Uber or Instagram: The companies may offer somewhat less of a halo - but not that much less. 10 at an Israeli success story like or SentinelOne is somewhat akin to being employee No. And a version of it is happening in Israel, where it is not uncommon for employees to manifest total conviction that they can do better than the founders who brought them riches.īeing employee No. These things happened with early employees of companies like Google, Uber and Twitter, who became investors or founders.

Mass effect human ships