DiscoverInvested by AlephGigi Levy-Weiss on How the Israeli Air Force is the Best Model for Running a Company, How Playtika Exploded Overnight by Accident, the Uncomfortable Truths About Working in Gambling, and the Coolest Companies in the NFX Portfolio
Gigi Levy-Weiss on How the Israeli Air Force is the Best Model for Running a Company, How Playtika Exploded Overnight by Accident, the Uncomfortable Truths About Working in Gambling, and the Coolest Companies in the NFX Portfolio

Gigi Levy-Weiss on How the Israeli Air Force is the Best Model for Running a Company, How Playtika Exploded Overnight by Accident, the Uncomfortable Truths About Working in Gambling, and the Coolest Companies in the NFX Portfolio

Update: 2025-08-13
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On this episode of Invested, Michael sits down with Gigi Levy-Weiss, a former Israeli attack helicopter pilot turned entrepreneur, investor, and co-founder of the seed fund NFX. Gigi reflects on his journey from combat missions to leading companies like 888 and Playtika, highlighting lessons in leadership, military-style debrief culture, and the value of “good failures.” He shares his founder-first philosophy as a VC, his cautious stance on replacing CEOs, and his thoughts on the ethical complexities of tech - from online gambling to AI. Amid Israel’s political and security upheavals, Gigi also discusses civic responsibility and the vital role of grassroots leadership.


Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts!




KEY TOPICS 


00:00 – Intro


02:00 – Why My Name is Gigi: A Personal and National Story


03:10 – From Helicopter Pilot to CEO: Gigi’s Unconventional Career Path


05:05 – The Israeli Air Force Method of Failure


09:30 – Teaching Civilian Teams to Debrief Like Fighter Pilots


11:45 – How to Build a Culture That Embraces (Good) Failure


14:25 – Celebrating Failure at Playtika


16:50 – Experience vs. Fresh Eyes: Who Should Lead After Failure?


20:10 – Why Gigi Rarely Replaces Founders, Even When They Fail


23:59 – Gigi Selling His First Company and Learning What Not to Do


26:45 – 888 and the Crash: From Private Jet Dreams to Crisis Mode


35:30 – Gigi’s Biggest Lessons from Running 888


38:55 – Hire for Talent Over Experience


40:00 – Building Playtika and Accidentally Creating Slotomania


46:50 – Wrestling with the Ethics of Online Gambling


52:20 – Facebook, Games, and Losing Faith in Tech’s “Goodness”


54:10 – If Gigi Were the AI Ethics Czar, He Would…


56:00 – The AGI Arms Race and the Collapse of Trust in Truth


59:20 – Are the Ultra-Orthodox Ahead or Behind?


01:01:00 – Founding NFX: From Angel Investor to Seed VC


01:06:00 – The Startups Gigi is Most Proud of


01:08:50 – Building Line Five: A Response to October 7th


01:10:55 – Why Gigi Took a Public Role in the Judicial Reform Protests


01:13:30 – Israel’s Founders Agreement Problem


01:16:30 – October 7th and the Rise of Civilian Emergency Networks


01:19:25 – Feature or Bug? When Citizens Replace Government


01:20:10 – The Next Generation of VCs That Give Gigi Hope


01:21:53 – Reflections on Responsibility, Legacy, and Leadership




RESOURCES


Follow Gigi on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gigilevy/ 


Follow Gigi on X  - https://x.com/gigilevy 


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Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aleph-vc/


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CREDITS


Executive Producer: Erica Marom 


Producer: Myron Shneider


Video and Editing: Ron Baranov


Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar 


Content and Editorial: Kira Goldring


Design: Rony Karadi

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Gigi Levy-Weiss on How the Israeli Air Force is the Best Model for Running a Company, How Playtika Exploded Overnight by Accident, the Uncomfortable Truths About Working in Gambling, and the Coolest Companies in the NFX Portfolio

Gigi Levy-Weiss on How the Israeli Air Force is the Best Model for Running a Company, How Playtika Exploded Overnight by Accident, the Uncomfortable Truths About Working in Gambling, and the Coolest Companies in the NFX Portfolio

Michael Eisenberg