An internship note from a Chinese girl in an Israeli start-up company

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There used to be a magazine rating the image of a number of countries around the world, because Israel is located in the Middle East and the surrounding countries continue to conflict, we have been instinctively equated to Iraq, Palestine and other Arab countries. In fact, Israel, as a Jewish state, since its inception has some characteristics of the Jewish people, especially scientific and technological achievements.

A book about Israel, the country of entrepreneurship, is a must-read for every one who comes to Israel. The book mentions a passage:

Israel, which covers only 1/459 of the country, has spawned a number of technology companies, with the number of companies from Israel being ranked third in the US Nasdaq-listed companies, second only to the US and China. At the same time, outside the United States, Israel is the largest technology start-up company in the region, the business covers from the Internet to software development in various fields.

The book is a model of the "national marketing" case. In recent years, Israel has begun to reshape its national image vigorously, its core selling point is its "High-tech" and "innovative entrepreneurship." While studying in Israel, one of the school alumni who had been in business for many years joked in his speech: "Why go to America, this is the Silicon Valley of the 21st century!" After reading the book, I wondered how to experience the entrepreneurial culture of the exotic country.

Results internship opportunities such as "mishaps" general accidents. A South Korean friend told me that an Internet startup is about to open up the Chinese market and urgently needs Chinese people. So I cast a resume, after a simple Exchange interview, I became a marketing department intern. With the expectations of the entrepreneurial country and the development of Israel's internet industry curiosity, I lasted 5 months, "into the internal, careful exploration." The internship was spent with 9 men and 1 male dogs.

1. "Global Leader" flat organization

My internship company, as of now, has 10 Israeli men, 1 Chinese women, and me. The work site is located in Israel, the United States and China. Although only two years of startup, it has already started to internationalize, spanning three time zones. The company's original founder has 3 people: a CEO to co-ordinate operations and attract VCs, need strong business communication skills as well as strategic thinking; a CPO product manager, as an indispensable role in the Internet industry, communication between the market and technology, more importantly, the need to understand customer psychology and needs; a pure technical CTO , CTO is usually the core of High-tech startup. In the early days, the strength of the core technology directly determines whether it can survive the first round of financing. Israel has a reputation for high-tech production, thanks to the Jewish engineers. Another person in charge of the MKT, compared to the comprehensive background belongs to the family members of the family--European elite graduates, consulting plus multinational companies for many years of work experience; There is also a guy in charge of BD. Moreover, in the Israeli office, all that remains are technical geeks.

Such company personnel structure is very common in the startup of Israel. I've participated in four or five start-up conferences, and most of Israel's High-tech startup numbers are in the 5~10 range. Although there are only such a few people, but you have to admire a few people's company can also operate efficiently, production significantly.

2. Gender "surprise" imbalance

The company sex ratio, can not be laborious to calculate. In the Israeli office, I was only a woman for months. 2-3 days a week, I need to be in a room with so many men and a male dog. Purebred Middle Eastern men are mostly able-bodied, hairy, dog is a hybrid shepherd, length of 1 meters, Big dog. I deeply felt the sense of embarrassment of gender and stature, and hate could not instantly become a pure man. And the toilet is to the boss desk, the noise effect is slightly poor. Technical men, but one by one so "free and easy uninhibited", and as I go to the toilet, but always to "cautious."

Entrepreneurship is the case, whether China or Israel, or anywhere in the world, especially High-tech, is basically a male-dominated world (in fact, where is not the man to dominate it?). Entrepreneurship is a great feast for the Geek of the world, and for the small and ambitious businessmen who want to conquer the world.

In Israel, the most active number of startup, a class for the Internet, a class of biotechnology. Interestingly, although the internet is basically exclusively male-dominated, biotechnology will encounter a number of female doctors founded startup--These women, generally speaking more forthright, full of self-confidence and the goal of firm. In a man's world, if a woman to do startup preach, it will win a lot of chips. It just needs to have the ability to hang with men for a long time.

3. "Silicon Valley Style" workplace

My startup, located in Herzliyah, is a 20-minute drive from the capital city of Tel Aviv. I live in Ramat Gan, I need to do half an hour to 40 minutes bus to Tel Aviv, and then transfer to the two-station train, about 10 minutes to the company. Herzliyah belongs to the northern seaside city, which is a relatively developed area of Israel's economy. If you look at the Israeli startup Map, you can see that most startups are in it. Herzliyah has many world-renowned big company's research and Development center, but also has many small startup, mainly gathers the IT industry partial "soft" company. Our office in a residential villa, in addition to a homeowner living in a 2-storey, the other two floors were rented to 3 startup, one to do the internet, a cranial nerve, there is a we, do the Internet two-dimensional code. Not far from the company, is an Israeli industrial park, gathered in Microsoft, LG, VMware and so on.

The Government society has provided a lot of convenience for the startup workshop. There are NGOs, to provide start-up exchange café, entrepreneurial enthusiasts have just begun, is a table, a few notebooks, a few cups of coffee, began to night and night "unrestrained". There are also incubation centers, such as the Jerusalem Startup hub, which can provide office space for hire to individuals or small teams. These venues are also different in background, with government subsidy and personal investment.

Israel is a typical Mediterranean climate, the sun is very bright all year round, brilliant to be able to easily blind your eyes. Every time in the company, see the next row of a small Mediterranean-style villas, with a unique coastal date of the number of small style, very pleasant. Scattered around the startup hidden in the humble small building, outwardly placid, but the interior is pregnant with to change the world's great ideals. Despite the others, Israel does have a bit of a sense of Silicon Valley, saying that "The second Silicon Valley" is truly true.

4. An atmosphere of equality and relaxation

As for the atmosphere and culture of the Israeli startup, there is no suspense, perhaps you know what I should say.

The idea of modern enterprise management has undergone changes for nearly more than 100 years, and most of them find that only respecting human nature and returning to equality can inspire creativity and productivity. Western culture is less hierarchical than Asian culture. At the same time, in the start-up companies, there are few "Grandpa" class figures appear, so for the new people, it is removed from everywhere cautious worry. The end of tea poured water to show their efforts, here is completely inapplicable. No one is particularly concerned about the so-called CEO, CTO title, because the title here is really not a description. Therefore, in your work communication, you will not realize that it is the CEO, and you will be asked to help you accomplish a task. The best way to integrate into the environment is to speak boldly and put forward your ideas and indirect.

In addition, the startup of the pursuit of innovation, so the working atmosphere is very casual. It guys, slippers, beach pants, beach shirts, no haircuts, no shaving, and how to be sloppy. Can even bring a dog to work, this casual feeling is evident. Later I also simply, scattered with my waist long hair, cross-legged sit. In order to better integrate into the atmosphere. They even see the wind, back a bag, wear a casual shoes, also began to talk about things. This may be a little different from the domestic, I heard an entrepreneurial friend angrily told me that because of wearing crocs, the incubator of the management of entrepreneurial "education." I said, next time you should wear a bathing suit to work, tell him what is innovative entrepreneurship.

In addition, everyone is not so punctual to work hours, 9 o ' clock to work, and no one will say you 10:30. But everyone in the company seems to like to stay late and go out late at night, usually at seven or eight o ' clock.

5. Cultural clashes with "chutzpah"

In Israel, however, equality does not mean peace. When I first came to Israel to attend classes, I heard that the office of Israel was often a few meters away from each other. Later, I also deeply received such a "chutzpah" culture which they are proud of, and this, as Chinese, is very difficult to accept.

In the country of entrepreneurship, there is an explanation for "chutzpah" culture, which I think is very much in place. Excerpt as follows:

According to the Jewish scholar Leo Rostendui's description of Yiddish (Yiddish is a near extinction, "unbridled" (chutzpah) means "resentment, impudence, truculent, amazing" guts, abandonment and arrogance, which no other word or language can describe.

Outsiders can see wanton shadows anywhere in Israel: the way college students talk to their professors, employees challenge their bosses, sergeants question their superiors, clerks criticize government dignitaries. For Israelis, this is not "unbridled", it is a normal way of behaving, anytime, anywhere--whether at home or in the wrong--Israelis feel that self-confidence is ordinary, taciturn or zhuangzi may cause you to lag behind people.

Therefore, in the Israeli startup, need to do a full psychological preparation to be yelled at. The first time I was yelled at, incredibly still can not help crying, face all uppercase English letters, there are not polite language, I still do not make full preparation, and do not have to roar back. Speaking of language, many scholars have done research and found that people who speak Hebrew are more savage than those who speak English. It is obvious that this culture has created their style of acting.

Another feature is that Israelis speak very directly. If they find that there is a problem, they will question you directly in a way that makes you uncomfortable, even if they just don't feel logical. It was a very confident questioning that caused a slight self-doubt: Was I wrong, and why did he ask? In Israel, people just think of what to say, not too much, it does improve some of the efficiency of communication, but on the other hand, it brings another problem, too much noise, Disorder can also cause confusion and inefficiency.

Our Chinese classmates always say that in Israel is "The crying child has milk to eat", the characteristics of nomadic ethnic origin can find traces here. Fortunately, they do not feel that fighting is an insurmountable contradiction, and that they "do things wrong". Not because of the quarrel in the back to you nakedly.

6. What's the fate of startup?

My company, currently in a fast-growing period, and belongs to the very few third year to enter the Chinese market and is expected to set up foreign-owned companies. Mainly the rise of China's micro-letters, led to the two-dimensional code of the upsurge, the product has brought unlimited possibilities-and such a situation in Israel is not much.

In Israel, everyone says that the 70% startup will eventually fail. Even so, we are still willing to try. The culture of risk preferences, tolerance of failure, the practice of unremitting, let the Israeli startup in endlessly. However, it is also because of the risk of startup, so that people do not too much to think about whether or not to be able to succeed in the future of the problem, as long as the right to do in the present.

As a result, Israel's startup is basically a "fast exit" style, which means that once a good deal has been bought, it will be out of the field. True, startup's high risk means high returns. For example, Israel's ICQ (the prototype of QQ) in 1998 by the United States online at 400 million U.S. dollars in price, the recent Israeli map application Waze was Google to buy 1 billion U.S. dollars. The fate of the big Branch, Israel, is mostly to wait for a high price to be acquired, or technology to resell. As a result, although Israel is the second Silicon Valley, it does not appear to be the giant companies of Cisco, Microsoft and Oracle.

But some Israelis have jumped out of this group and criticized the fast-selling act. Think that most entrepreneurs too much pursuit of immediate interests, and from a real business point of view, and did not fully raise the company, not very good development, they can not wait to make a fortune. Indeed, because of haste, the entrepreneurial mentality of quick success, easy to produce many problems, especially the basic staff management, easy to cause the failure of startup. This is also my internship in deep experience. Have the opportunity to discuss the issue exclusively.

China's entrepreneurial wave has only begun in recent years, and many of these ideas have drawn on the United States and Israel. I used to agree with the idea that young people who have no experience in doing business are nonsense. But after such a long time in Israel, I was thinking that it was our society that imposed too many "social norms". Young will fail, failure is stupid, silly force should not toss. In fact, think about it, work in the company will fail, learned is to do things experience, entrepreneurship will fail, learned is the experience of entrepreneurship.

When can our society "eclectic"?