Start up Nation – Dan Senor
Background -
Key connections and adversity add way more into our life's ambitions and achievements than we give them credit for. My life has been one littered with opportunity to create relationships with a whole range of people from different backgrounds and expertise.
Only recently I have come to realise just how incredibly important networking and learning from others truly is in the sum total of my life. In my opinion, it is one of the most important passtimes for any endeavour or growth.
The Book -
Like it or hate it Israel is home to a high density of innovation and entrepreneurship and an impressive number of creative start-ups. This book argues that the reasons behind Israel’s remarkable economic success can be found in the country’s history, culture and geopolitics. Israel's enemies that surround it geographically force the nation to cut bureaucracy out of its lexicon and adopt unorthodox and adaptive ways to create a secure environment for its people.
This of course ties into both its culture and history but the key environmental factor the book talks to is the conscript military service that generates the relationships to make it successful in the business world.
The Lessons -
The relationships formed within Israel's military force has lead to this nation becoming one of the biggest suppliers of technology to countries all around the world. These close relationships, coupled with the requirement to think out side of the box to defend the country has now directly impacted Israel's ability to not only do business but to become the best in the world per capita.
The result - This book has allowed me to fathom and prioritise two key principles. Prioritise your relationships with people you know who are taking risks and try to set aside time to learn from and support them.
Think about unorthodox solutions for common problems. No one ever achieved great things by doing what they had always done. Reward exists in the unknown. If nothing else this book is a very interesting take on how to do business better and should be read by all
