Real Life Superpowers

In this episode, we’re excited to be joined by Donna Griffit, a world-renowned corporate storyteller, pitch alchemist, and best-selling author of “Sticking to my Story: The Alchemy of Storytelling for Startups”. Her ability to create, edit, and deliver powerful presentations, pitches, and messages has earned her a reputation as one of the most sought-after storytellers in the business world. For over two decades, Donna has been working extensively on a global scale, collaborating with Fortune 500 companies, startups, and investors across more than 30 countries. Her unique approach has led to outstanding results, with her clients collectively raising over $1.5 billion through her guidance. We discuss: • Storytelling for startups and personal growth • Donna’s journey and what the Japanese word “ikigai” has to do with it • The importance of empathy in storytelling The correlation between fear and excitement • The power of clear communication in business • The mistake of being too factual and straight to the point • Practical tips on how to improve storytelling • The role of credibility, likability, and momentum • Optimism and perception in challenging times • And more! Enjoy your listen!

In this episode, we speak with Roy Gottlieb, currently the co-founder and CEO of a backed stealth cybersecurity startup. Before embarking on this latest venture, he spent almost a decade on the investor front, co-founding and serving as a general partner at Cardumen Capital, serving as an investment manager at Samsung Ventures, and collaborating with industry titans such as Lightspeed, Team8, Insight Partners and more. He was also the co-managing director of the Israeli YVCF (Young Venture Capital Forum) for six years, helping shape the next generation of venture capital leaders. We discuss: • Imposter syndrome, walking around with feelings of not being good enough • The importance of understanding the breadth of a topic and diving deep into one industry • Decision making, focus and choosing what not to do • The unique qualities that make for an industry expert • Competing with the giants of the world • The true power of professional relationships and deal flow in sourcing capital • ..and much more Enjoy your listen

In this episode, we speak with Liron Azrielant, a Founding Managing Partner at Meron Capital - a VC at the forefront of investing in technology companies in Israel. Her track record speaks volumes as she's led investments in tech successes such as Loom Systems, Clear Genetics, Testim, and many others which were subsequently acquired. Prior to Founding Meron, she was a Principal at Blumberg Capital, where she led early-stage deals that also turned into successful exits. Before her venture capital career, she honed her skills as a Strategy and M&A consultant at top-tier firms like Bain & Co. and PwC's PE group in New York. She’s also a fellow of the Kauffman Fellowship, a highly sought-after two-year program for leading venture capitalists. Her list of accolades is long. We discuss: • Entrepreneurship and mental preparation during turbulent times • Resilience, and investment strategies in challenging times • Motivation, and Career Paths • Focusing on solving a specific problem, rather than pursuing fame or money • Developing a business partnership language to argue passionately but constructively • Building skills through practice and repetition • And much more Enjoy your listen!

In this episode, we speak with Asaf Yanai, a visionary entrepreneur and the Co-founder & CEO of Alison.ai. With a track record of turning ideas into reality, Asaf has left a lasting mark on the tech landscape, with Alison.ai being the third company Asaf founded after successfully selling two tech startups he’s built in previous years. We discuss: • Managing a startup during a crisis • Analyzing video content for fake news and intelligence • Growing up as the son of two entrepreneurs and co-founders • Entrepreneurship, family, and motivation • Learning from mistakes, and starting a business • Self-management, and post-mortem analysis • Personal growth • And much more! Enjoy your listen

In this special wartime episode, we speak with Asaf Shamly, a visionary entrepreneur and thought leader in the AdTech space, who co-founded Browsi, an AdTech AI startup back in 2017, with a mission to create a world where content and ads blend harmoniously. He’s been at the forefront of innovation in the AdTech industry for over 8 years and has a wealth of experience which he’s gained from involvement in three startups. He also takes a lead role in the open-source community, championing transparency. And here's the kicker – despite all his achievements, he’s just 30 years old. We discuss: • Being an entrepreneur during a war • Entrepreneurship struggles and emotional toll • The difference between selling to investors vs. clients • Emotional intelligence, EQ, and managing a team • The lonely road of entrepreneurship • Dealing with failure and learning from mistakes Have a good listen

In this special episode, we’re pleased to have Andy Ram as our guest. Andy made history by becoming the first Israeli tennis player to win a senior Grand Slam event. He achieved this feat at Wimbledon in 2006. His winning streak includes the French Open mixed doubles title and the men's doubles title at the Australian Open. He achieved a World No. 5 doubles ranking in July 2008. Throughout his career, he represented Israel at multiple Summer Olympics, and competed in 36 doubles finals, triumphing in 20 of them, often partnering with Jonathan Erlich, together known in Israel as "AndiYoni." Andy's success on the court is just the beginning of his incredible story. As a former Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldier, Andy used his platform as a tennis player to raise awareness and support for the IDF soldiers and their families. He's also dedicated himself to promoting peace and coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians through tennis. In these turbulent days, we discuss: • Resilience and hope in Israel amidst conflict • Overcoming obstacles to becoming a top tennis player despite not being a super talent (Andy’s words not ours!) or coming from a wealthy background. • Resilience and failure in sports and life • The importance of leaning on people for support during tough times • Finding solutions to problems through conversations and maintaining a positive outlook. • Positive thinking and energy management • Passion, discipline, and belief in achieving success • Overcoming challenges • And much more Enjoy your listen!

In this episode, we have the pleasure of interviewing Pamela Becker, a marketing executive for some of Israel's leading technology companies. After she was widowed with three small children in 2008, Pamela co-founded and remains the active chairperson of the Israeli charity Jeremy's Circle, which supports children and teens coping with cancer or cancer loss in their young families. We discuss: • Coping with losing a husband to cancer, with 3 children at home, in need of community support • Needing to be strong for everyone else, and the need to keep going no matter what • The power of healing through helping others: “The way to lift yourself up is to bring someone else up with you” • Mission-driven and powerful companies • The importance of being allowed to screw up • Preparation and proportions as key factors of success We hope you enjoy this profound episode!

In this episode, we're traveling to the crossroads of cybersecurity and blockchain technology, where our guest has been a prominent figure and an influential force. Our guest is Idan Ofrat, CPO and co-founder of Fireblocks, a groundbreaking platform dedicated to securing digital assets, with over 600 employees and a large global customer base. When it comes to defending the cyber frontiers, Idan's track record speaks for itself. Prior to Fireblocks, Idan was a key player at C4 Security, which was acquired by Elbit Systems. His expertise isn't confined to the realm of cybersecurity alone. He's also an expert in decentralized technologies. He was the co-founder and CTO at Yeloha, a disruptive platform aiming to decentralize energy trading, and VP of Product at Orbs, a public blockchain designed for high-scale apps. In our conversation, we discuss: - Balancing parenthood and entrepreneurship - How to decide whether or not to become an entrepreneur - The importance of market validation - Breaking up with Co-founders - The inherent challenges that arise once you raise money - Shutting down a startup - Bootstrapping vs raising money - The valley of death - Conducting difficult conversations We hope you enjoy your listen

In this episode, we speak with Yair Snir, he’s the managing partner of Dell Technologies Capital. With over a decade of experience in building companies, Yair has a keen eye for investing in innovative startups. His firm has backed over 145 startups, including some of the most successful companies in the tech industry such as DocuSign, JFrog, Netskope, Redis, and Zscaler. Prior to his role at Dell Technologies Capital, Yair held corporate leadership roles at ECI Telecom and Microsoft, where he gained valuable experience in managing teams and developing successful strategies. He's also founded and worked in various biotech companies, showcasing his versatility as a business leader. We discuss: • As a mindset, diving into deep waters and learning to swim • Along Yair’s career so far, what led him to choose his next steps • How navigating your career can be like riding a bicycle - keeping your balance and looking forward “If you look downwards at the wheel, you're most likely to fall“ • Overcoming naysayers (who will always be there) • The investment approval process in Dell Technologies Capital • What Yair looks for in a team • The revolution that is AI, and where data plays in • ..and more! Enjoy your listen! And if you want to contact Yair his email is: yair.snir@dell.com, his LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yairsnir

Welcome to our podcast, where we interview trailblazers who have made a significant impact by being human beings performing at their best. Today, we're excited to have Gur Shatz as our guest. Gur is an accomplished entrepreneur, having founded Incapsula, a cloud-based web application security and acceleration company that was later acquired by Imperva. In 2015, he co-founded Cato Networks with Shlomo Kramer, a leading all-in-one enterprise networking and security solution delivered from the cloud. Gur and Shlomo's vision for Cato Networks has been a resounding success. In just five years, they have raised an impressive $532M at a $2.5B valuation, and as of 2022, have surpassed $100M ARR. This makes Cato the fastest-growing networking and security startup, outperforming even industry giants like LinkedIn. In fact, Cato's growth rate is faster than many consumer-oriented brands, such as Wix, Zapier, Canva, and Shopify. We discuss: • How Cato Networks came to be and how experience in a field plays an advantage • How the team went about acquiring market acceptance • Selling to customers before you have a solution that’s 100% functional • The need to convey confidence while experiencing constant paranoia and concern • How past success can also be an impediment to future success • The fear of growing into a large non-agile organization • What happens when leaders lose touch with what’s actually going on in “the trenches” • Gur’s leadership formula for time management • The importance of blocking time eternal learning • And much more! We hope you enjoy your listen!

In this episode we speak with Jason Feifer, the Editor-in-Chief of Entrepreneur magazine, host of two popular podcasts, and the author of "Build for Tomorrow: How to Thrive in Today's Challenging World of Work". With over a decade of experience in the media industry, Jason has become a thought leader in entrepreneurship, innovation, and leadership. He’s interviewed countless successful entrepreneurs and innovators, gaining invaluable insights into the mindsets and strategies that have enabled them to achieve their goals. We discuss: • The path to mastery, and what it has to do with “gripping the wheel” • Using what Jason calls “the ZigZag payoff” to break the glass ceiling many of us create by limiting ourselves to a specific skill set. In a nutshell, it’s about tapping into the core interest that drove you to develop the skills that enable you to do what you’re currently doing (and are maybe feeling trapped in) • The power in asking yourself “What do I have? What do I need? What's available?” • Evaluating the cost of action vs. the cost of inaction • Framing new things we do as experiments rather than long-term commitments • What people afraid to lose their job/venture in an era of generative AI can do • And much more! Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a seasoned professional, or simply interested in becoming the best version of yourself - this is an episode you won't want to miss. Useful resources: • Jason’s newsletter https://jasons-newsletter-e2c0e6.beehiiv.com/subscribe • His book Build for Tomorrow: How to Thrive in Today's Challenging World of Work http://jasonfeifer.com/book • His podcasts Help Wanted https://link.chtbl.com/LsYdERXQ • and Build for Tomorrow https://www.jasonfeifer.com/build-for-tomorrow/

Welcome to another episode of the Real Life Superpowers podcast. Today, we have a guest who is a true pioneer in the world of AI and intelligence platforms. He’s currently the CEO of Aiola, a company on a mission to connect the promise of AI to the masses. With his extensive experience in commercial strategy and execution, our guest has driven over $1 billion in impact, for some of the world's leading Fortune 500 companies, across more than 20 industries. He’s held key positions at cybersecurity and digital marketing companies that have been involved in several notable acquisitions by giants such as Microsoft and Facebook. We discuss: • The moment in Amir’s life, after which everything was different, and he realized how fragile life is, and decided to make the most of his short time on earth. • The danger of becoming too comfortable. • The power of partnerships. • Predicting vs. reacting - what dots are you failing to connect? • The impact and potential of storytelling in business and in everyday life. • The threat that AI poses, if not handled ethically and responsibly. • ..and much more! Enjoy your listen!

In this episode we speak with Nir Eyal, an expert in behavioral design and author of the bestselling books: “Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products" and "Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life". He’s known as the habits guy, the one who can help understand how to get app users to come back again and again. Bloomberg business week named him “The Prophet of Habit-Forming Technology”. He’s a former lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He’s also founded and sold two tech companies, and he actively invests in habit-forming products such as Eventbrite, Kahoot, Canva, Product Hunt, and more. In this interview, we explore Nir's insights on how to design products that create user habits, the ethical considerations of persuasive design, and his strategies for overcoming distraction and staying focused in today's always-connected world. We discuss: • The difference between persuasive technology and cohesive technology • The hypocrisy of the media • The abuse of the concept of addiction, as an excuse to not take control of one's life • How to take control of our attention • Phubbing (phone snubbing) • Where pain plays in • The power of planning your day • Reactive work vs reflective work • How labeling feelings helps • And much more! Enjoy this deep dive into Nir’s mind and expertise!

In this episode, we speak with Ifty Kerzner. He׳s first and foremost a creator. He was a fairly known singer, and composer in Israel, with several successful hits, a tv host, and a journalist. But he wasn’t satisfied. So he realigned his goals and pivoted. He co-founded Kissterra - a startup that helps insurance companies increase profitability through artificial intelligence. They’ve raised a $76M Series A, and had refused an offer to sell for $40M (but we don’t go into that in our conversation). His energy can be felt from the get go. He’s sensitive and super passionate, speaking openly about pain and failure, not trying to paint a perfect picture of life. Which is admirable. Listening to him made us wonder how much charisma and the ability to hold a strong stage presence, can be an advantage in entrepreneurship. We discuss: - The difference between competence and arrogance - The effect of parenthood on his self-confidence - How pain fuels his life - The power of strong partnerships - Going to therapy with your business partner - Intuition and emotion - And much more Enjoy your listen

As we enter the next frontier in artificial intelligence, with generative AI leading the way, this conversation can be super relevant for entrepreneurs who are trying to navigate this new landscape and figure out what skills it makes the most sense to hone in order to stand out. The conversation is with Tomer Dean. He’s the co-Founder, and CEO of Audiolabs - a startup that builds AI technology to convert podcasts into short-form video clips. He’s a tech entrepreneur, listed on the prestigious Forbes 30 under 30, full-stack developer, guest writer at TechCrunch, host of 2 podcasts, the list goes on. Growing up in Silicon Valley, he started his digital career at the age of 15. He taught himself how to code his first website, which he later sold at 16 for $10,000. He hasn’t stopped coding and building since. During the years, he’s built many side-projects and companies in SaaS, media, consumer, and e-commerce. Some were bootstrapped, some VC-backed, and some sold. We discuss: • The momentum of generative AI as a perfect time to enter the market with a valuable product • Tomer’s rather aggressive approach to validating products (“we prefer to sell and then build”) • His experience-based, practical methodology for identifying and screening potentially successful ventures • The five elements investors are looking for when you pitch them • How to navigate pitches to investors in order to make sure you’re getting honest feedback (and improving your chances of moving forward with them) • Pro tips for cold emailing • …And much more! Enjoy your listen and if you do - don’t forget to rank the podcast on your native podcast app! We’re excited to collaborate with the Israeli website CTech by Calcalist, owned by Calcalist כלכליסט – Israel’s leading business newspaper. CTech is the gateway of Israeli high-tech to the tech world and vice versa. If you’re not already a regular reader, we strongly recommend you check it out and stay up to date on all high-impact stories from the Israeli tech scene. Zooming out, if you like listening to this podcast, make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss new conversations with peak performers, serving as a reminder we can all tap into the best versions of ourselves. You’re also welcome to follow Ronen and Noa on Linkedin: • Ronen Menipaz on Linkedin • Noa Eshed on Linkedin And if we may ask for a favor – please leave us a review on your native podcast app.

“Entrepreneurship is an instinct, it’s not about experience. It’s either you have it, or you don't. You can learn some of the traits, but I think it's something that is mostly instinctive”. [we apologize for the quality of the sound in this episode, we’re aware it’s challenging to listen to Udi but we decided to release it despite the technical obstacle here because we think he’s worth it] In this episode, we speak with Udi Ziv, CEO of Earnix - a startup that he’s stepped into to scale and successfully turned into a unicorn. He’s a serial entrepreneur, selected by the Wall Street Journal as one of 100 Israeli tech leaders you need to know. He has a lot of experience-based insights on what it takes to succeed as an entrepreneur. We discuss: • Balance as a theme in life • The product vs service dilemma • Finding a product market fit through providing services and finding commonalities • The problematic trend of overlooking profitability in the pursuit of growth • The shift from startup to enterprise • And much more Enjoy your listen! We’re excited to collaborate with the Israeli website CTech by Calcalist, owned by Calcalist כלכליסט - Israel's leading business newspaper. CTech is the gateway of the Israeli high-tech to the tech world and vice versa. If you’re not already a regular reader, we strongly recommend you check it out and stay up to date on all high-impact stories from the Israeli tech scene. Image credit: Eli Dasa Zooming out, if you like listening to this podcast, make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss new conversations with peak performers, serving as a reminder we can all tap into the best versions of ourselves. You’re also welcome to follow Ronen and Noa on Linkedin • Ronen Menipaz on Linkedin • Noa Eshed on Linkedin And if we may ask for a favor - please leave us a review on your native podcast app. Some further resources: • Real Life Superpowers podcast on Ctech • The podcast website

In this episode, we speak with Eilon Reshef, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Gong. He’s a serial entrepreneur. After successfully selling his previous e-commerce startup Webcollage, he went on to co-found Gong, a SaaS solution that as they like to describe themselves - “unlocks reality to help people and companies reach their full potential”. Gong is growing at a rapid rate and is very well known across the sales and marketing industry, having acclaimed several awards and doing marketing work that simply can’t be ignored. We discuss: • Life after an exit • Bringing a new venture to life • Getting your first client and putting your idea into action • Experience-based insights on pitfalls to avoid • The power of hyper-focusing • Hiring people who are underqualified instead of overqualified (don’t) • Why be an entrepreneur in the first place? • ..and much more! There’s a lot to learn from Eilon’s professional and entrepreneurial journey. Enjoy your listen! We’re excited to collaborate with the Israeli website CTech by Calcalist, owned by Calcalist כלכליסט - Israel's leading business newspaper. CTech is the gateway of the Israeli high-tech to the tech world and vice versa. If you’re not already a regular reader, we strongly recommend you check it out and stay up to date on all high-impact stories from the Israeli tech scene. Zooming out, if you like listening to this podcast, make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss new conversations with peak performers, serving as a reminder we can all tap into the best versions of ourselves. You’re also welcome to follow Ronen and Noa on Linkedin • Ronen Menipaz on Linkedin • Noa Eshed on Linkedin And if we may ask for a favor - please leave us a review on your native podcast app. Some further resources: • Real Life Superpowers podcast on Ctech • The podcast website

In this episode, we speak with Oded Barak. Having identified a need in the insurance landscape, he left a promising career as an executive in leading global corporations, to co-found his startup Five Sigma. To date, they’ve raised $26 Million USD, and dozens of insurance carriers and Insurtechs use their solution. We discuss: • The motivations of stepping outside of your comfort zone and walking away from a stable career to “hunt your own food”. • Identifying a supply and demand gap and doubling down on it. • The importance of experimenting and testing ideas, embracing uncertainty, and navigating with it as a given. • The power of agility, paying attention to feedback and not sticking to a “set in stone” plan. • What you need to consider in your go-to-market strategy. • How to work your way up to tier-1 clients for your startup. • Navigating stress. • Actively seeking blind spots. • And much more! Enjoy your listen! We’re excited to collaborate with the Israeli website CTech by Calcalist, owned by Calcalist כלכליסט - Israel's leading business newspaper. CTech is the gateway of the Israeli high-tech to the tech world and vice versa. If you’re not already a regular reader, we strongly recommend you check it out and stay up to date on all high-impact stories from the Israeli tech scene. Zooming out, if you like listening to this podcast, make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss new conversations with peak performers, serving as a reminder we can all tap into the best versions of ourselves. You’re also welcome to follow Ronen and Noa on Linkedin • Ronen Menipaz on Linkedin • Noa Eshed on Linkedin And if we may ask for a favor - please leave us a review on your native podcast app. Some further resources: • Real Life Superpowers podcast on Ctech • The podcast website

In this episode, we speak with Alon Gilady. He is a serial entrepreneur who is currently leading Renovai - his third technology startup. He co-founded his first startup while studying for his BA in economics and philosophy. That venture was in the sports and entertainment collectibles industry. He was able to close licensing deals with brands such as FC Barcelona, NBA, and Disney, selling over 1.5M units through retailers in Europe and the USA such as Walmart, Target, Toys R Us, Tesco, and more. In 2017 he co-founded a 3D-rendering studio with ten employees. The company created virtual reality experiences for architects and interior designers. Based on the knowledge and experience gained in this venture, the idea of Renovai was born with an ambitious mission: to empower online retailers with AI to make professional design and stylist services affordable and accessible for all. We discuss: • His “impossible is nothing” mindset, and how he was able to “skip the line” and close deals with some of the world’s leading sports brands and retailers, with zero experience. • His approach to achieving moonshot goals • The power of persistence • Where luck plays in • Pro tips for cold outreach • And much more! Enjoy your listen! Zooming out, if you like listening to this podcast, make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss new conversations with peak performers, serving as a reminder we can all tap into the best versions of ourselves. You’re also welcome to follow Ronen and Noa on Linkedin • Ronen Menipaz on Linkedin • Noa Eshed on Linkedin And if we may ask for a favor - please leave us a review on your native podcast app. Some further resources: • Real Life Superpowers podcast on Ctech • The podcast website

'If you're an entrepreneur, you need to show me evidence that you've gotten in with these customers, and these customers are just chomping at the bit to get what you have, and they can't get it elsewhere. Because these are the companies that break through. If they can get it from a lot of other sources, you're just never gonna grow really fast, you're gonna be a small - maybe if you execute really well - a medium sized company, but you're never going to take the market.' In this episode, we speak with Steve Hoffman, also known as Captain Hoff. He’s a venture investor, serial entrepreneur, award-winning author, and CEO of Founders Space - a global startup accelerator, that’s been ranked by both Forbes and Entrepreneur magazines as the #1 incubator for overseas startups. Under his many hats, he’s constantly leveraging his vast experience to mentor and empower entrepreneurs, helping them navigate the good, bad, and ugly. He’s down to earth and has his sleeves rolled up ready to share his knowledge. We discuss: • What qualities he looks for in entrepreneurs and companies he invests in • The importance of surrounding yourself with the right people (this is a clear common theme, so many of our guests emphasize this) • Where trust plays into teamwork • His unusual career path, led by identifying opportunities and following his passions and interests • The power of listening to your heart in decision making • Identifying where your talents truly lie • When it’s time to give up • How startups fail by assuming they can create demand, something that Steve says is not possible to do. Steve says truly great entrepreneurs don't focus on “just” building a product, they’re what he calls demand hunters. • Why “humans as a service” (consultancies for example) is never a truly scalable type of business • How to recruit talents • How he navigates stress and anxiety • And much more! Enjoy listening to him! We’re excited to be collaborating with the Israeli website CTech, owned by Calcalist - Israel's leading business newspaper. CTech is the gateway of the Israeli high-tech to the tech world and vice versa. If you’re not already a regular reader, we strongly recommend that you check it out and stay up to date on all high-impact stories from the Israeli tech scene. https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/home/0,7340,L-5492-580237,00.html Zooming out, if you like listening to this podcast, make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss new conversations with peak performers, serving as a reminder we can all tap into the best versions of ourselves. You’re also welcome to follow Ronen and Noa on Linkedin • Ronen Menipaz on Linkedin • Noa Eshed on Linkedin And if we may ask for a favor - please leave us a review on your native podcast app. Some further resources: • Real Life Superpowers podcast on Ctech • The podcast website