Back in the old days, it was still called being an inventor.

There was no playbook.

No ecosystem.

No one to ask for advice.

And it's under these circumstances that he built his empire.

From the invention of the USB Flashdrive and a $1.6B exit, to his head-to-head fight with Apple and a $120M defeat that followed, all the way to the present day, where he leads Grove Ventures.

We finish this season with the person whose work fed an entire generation of entrepreneurs and whose vision will feed the future ones.

Meet Dov Moran.

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Others found startups.

And while few will start their journey in a Venture Capital fund, this week's guest started his career by... building one.

Sounds more like a dream than a nightmare?

Well... yes and no..

Roy Kimchi founded Cactus Capital while still a student.

This meant going through an expedited - and sometimes painful - learning curve.

What he gained in speed, he paid for with sweat.

In this episode, he shares what it was like. 

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She's a serial entrepreneur, also known as the unofficial ambassador of the startup nation.

Her passion is helping founders find their paths to success, and also - the people who can help them get there.

Meet Hilla Ovil-Brenner, the founder of the largest female-focused women organization in tech and the Managing Director of Techstars Tel Aviv.

A force of nature, Hilla opens up about the mistakes that shortened her life, and what can founders do to simplify their lives.

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Innovation isn't one of them.

But things are starting to change.

Thanks to folks like Stav Erez, the 5,000-year-old city is reinventing itself and slowly becoming a destination for a new type of pilgrims.

Stav, a partner at Labs/02, will share some remarkable stories from her trailblazing journey:

• Building an ecosystem from the ground up
• How worrying about someone weaken them
• Bridging the gap between the academy and private sector

...and a few counterintuitive tips for young parents who don't want to give up on their careers.

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He left behind a promising career and got off the hamster wheel.

Only to board a rollercoaster.

Today, he's a co-founder & the CBO of Osu, a rare Israeli fintech startup that just raised $3M.

In our chat, Daniel shares what he learned about Israel when eating falafel, how to create a truly diverse team and, also, gives his advice for anyone who wants to work in (and with) Israel.

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But in reality, running a business means managing one million $1 line items.

In this environment, your technology, team, brand and personal ambition are worthless.

You need to know how to run a tight ship.

To help you do this, we brought in a special guest.

His company offers 'CFO as a Service', and they are working with ±40 startups.

He has a unique ability to make complex things simple, and simple things practical.

His name is Itay Cohen, and we're not making a single business move without him.

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We sat down with Guy Lachman, startup lawyer, to discuss the most common (and painful) aspects of the intersection between the tech and legal worlds:

- How to not lose control over your company

- The importance of Founder Agreements

- Making changes in a Founding Team

- The legal logistics that will save your company

- Should you use legal templates?

- Avoiding the 'over consulting’ trap

And much, much more.

Tune-in for an hour that could save you tens of thousands of dollars,

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This week's guest has been featured as one of the 100 most influential people in Israeli tech and as one of the top 100 tech business women speakers in the world. 

She's a for­mer offi­cer in the Israeli Defense Forces who served in its elite intelligence unit - unit 8200. 

Having held numer­ous exec­u­tive posi­tions in lead­ing tech compa­nies, found­ed a series of pro­grams for inno­va­tors, spent years as a board member and launched a global leadership assessment firm, Syn­the­sis, 

Oh, and... 

She also wrote the book that deciphers the 'code' for Israeli ingenuity.

All this, and so much more, as we sit down with Inbal Arieli.

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From gig to gig, project to project, event to event, she got better and grew her reputation.

She then felt ready to throw herself into what became one of Israel's most successful international startup launches, taking Airobotics into a place very few startups have gone to.

Leveraging everything the ecosystem had to offer, she built a strong personal brand and created hyper-engaged professional communities.

If anyone earned the title superwoman, it's her.

Meet, Efrat Fenigson. Mindspace VP Marketing, personal branding expert and a community builder, as she joins us for an entertaining, revealing and inspiring hour.

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Again.

And again.

Tanja Sternbauer left one of the most livable countries in the world - Austria - to fully immerse herself in the startup dream.

With a bunch of startup experiences on her resume, Tanja was able to start connecting the dots.

Her understanding of the life she wants to live and the contribution she wants to make in this world became clearer, and eventually, gave birth to The Female Factor.

An international community that works to boost the confidence, competence and connections of its members, providing them with a competitive advantage in business and setting a new bar for conscious leadership.

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He spends his days behind the scenes, with the smartest entrepreneurs in the world.

Companies launch when he mentions them on social media

Alysa Milano follows him on Twitter.

He writes regularly for TechCrunch, Venturebeat, Inc., and the Jerusalem Post.

And what does he do with all of this clout?

Whares with the world how a country smaller than New Jersey in the most unstable region on earth became a unicorn factory and a global leader innovation leader.

Join us for a soulful conversation that will teach you to think longterm and how to turn relationships into a business.

Hint?

Don’t treat them as such.

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When this episode was recorded, she had just secured a $40M round.

By the time we publish it, 6 months later, she completed another round, this time for $100M.

She catapulted her startup into unicorn status and become the first Israeli female-entrepreneur to do so.

To think these are the least-interesting details of her biography is mind-blowing:

Growing up as an immigrant child to a handicapped mother, the identity-forming decade of hustling as a teenager, one global financial meltdown, two businesses and three kids later, Eynat Guez, Fo-Founder and CEO of Papaya Global, shares her story.

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The lows were devastating and included the dot-com bubble, 2008's financial meltdown, and, most recently, 2020's global collapse.

Luckily, equally extreme, were the highs:

She catapulted a bunch of startups into international scale, as its COO, helped Fiverr grow from a startup to an IPO, and, most recently, navigate her current company through the worst year in its industry's history.

Meet Vered Raviv Schwarz, the President & COO of Guesty, and one of the most sought after professionals in Startup Nation.

In this week's episode, Vered speaks about how to stay calm under pressure, what's the best way to get experience and how to bulletproof yourself to future crisis. 

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Until, of course, his parents found he was doing business with strangers on the internet.

Fast forward 15 years and Tommy’senemies' took on a very different form:

Tommy believes that distractions, procrastination and the lack of prioritization are robbing us of our productivity and that by surrendering to the demands of our work environments, we are compromising our happiness & future.

And it's only getting worse.

Tune in to learn how to bulletproof your time.

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The #1 reason startups fail?

They ran out of money.

We can talk about innovation, culture and values as much as we'd like, but it won't change reality:

Sustainable business = Sales.

Luckily, we have David Garcia onboard.

Few possess such a track record: David saw 3 startups through to a successful exit:

Imperva, IPO-ed in 2011.ARX, acquired by DocuSign in 2015. Cloudyn, acquired by Microsoft in 2017.

What do all of these companies have in common?

They sold real products, to real users, the right way.

Here's what we covered in this episode:

• Hiring and incentivizing salespeople
• Aligning Sales and Marketing teams
• Preparing a company for scale
• And... how to build a career in Sales, when your current role isn't preparing you for the next one.

A must-listen episode for anyone who's looking to level-up their commercial acumen.

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A mathematician, entrepreneur and innovator, Lyron Wahrmann is unlike most folks you'll meet:

An esteemed lecturer, he taught at the NYU Stern School of Business and the Israeli Interdisciplinary Center. He founded and lead Citi Bank's Innovation Center in Tel Aviv, and recently launched his own venture - Topicx.

Lyron is a remarkable example of the grit, depth and ingenuity required to successfully merge the wealth of academia with the harsh reality of building, running and scaling a startup.

Join us as we spend an hour with one of the brightest, most experienced folks in tech, exploring the tension between innovation and legacy and advise those who are caught in the middle.

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This week's guest didn't just go there.

He sprinted.

Yam Regev, an entrepreneur and CMO speaks to us about the cost of his ambition - from his hair to his health, he looks back on his choices and shares highlights and tips from his career:

How to negotiate your terms for your first senior role?

When is it time to throw in the towel and quit?

Why stepping down as CEO saved his startup?

What's the value of a personal brand in a self-obsessed world?

All of the knowledge, none of the fluff.

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In this week's episode we're interviewing Nitzan Gal, CEO of Clique.ai who helps us settle contradiction between perseverance and the ability to move on:

• When is passion 'optional', and when is it a must?
• How to have a clean and healthy separation with former partners?
• Why startups are a long-term game, played in short intervals?
• What to do when the stakes are high and there are no 'right' answers?

And finally - useful advice for men seeking to understand the challenges women in tech face.

Join us to learn how to hone and refine your internal compass when navigating the treacherous waters of innovation

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But not for Iris Shoor.

The 3-times Founder and CEO used the momentum created by her early success to venture even further, but not in pursuit of money or fame.

Driven by her curiosity and authenticity, Iris is using startups as her canvas,

In this week's episode, we explore what happens when Iris challenged managerial conventions, tested the boundaries of honesty, and the price she paid for her refusal to align with the cultural norms of the startup scene.

Tune-in to get to know the startup CEO that builds companies & products as a form of self-expression

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Disappointed from the type of knowledge and support he was able to access online, Boaz founded Wisdo, an app for those facing life’s biggest challenges.

In the space of just a few years, Boaz went from being a journalist, playwriter and activist into becoming a startup CEO.

And as if this wasn't hard enough, Wisdo took on a huge task:

Fill the knowledge gap that Google's algorithms can't, and re-connect us as humans, like Facebook won't.

Join us, as Boaz shares how his personal mission became a wakeup call for the entire world.

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Noa Matz is a Startup Psychologist and an Operating Partner at the venture capital firm, F2.

It's Noa's job to mentally & emotionally support the fund's entrepreneurs throughout the ups, downs and sideways jerks of their journey.

Join us for a rare glimpse into the practice of a startup psychologist.

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The Jewish community is in serious danger, and the state of Israel, with fresh memories of the holocaust, brought in 1.5M immigrants in just a few years.

Many of them left everything behind.

One of them was Boris Korenfeld.

Formerly GETT's CTO and today, the Head of Waze Carpool.

In this week's episode, Boris tells a compelling story of immigration, determination and... the Mossad.

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To do draw some inspiration, we spoke with the #1 expert on failure.

Yosi Taguri raised $20M over 10 years, for 4 different startups he led.

One of them almost became Instagram.

Others established dominance or introduced groundbreaking innovations.

And yet, judging by magazine-cover standards, they 'failed'.

Tune in as Yosi shares his most scarring stories, including the one where his company got shut, shortly after signing an acquisition agreement and announcing the exit.

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It takes a special character to see what is yet to be built.

To believe in what is yet to be proven.

To pursue the things that others deem too risky.

Too unlikely.

Too far fetched.

But when you get it right, you finish 2020 with a $400M exit and a successful IPO.

Tal Tochner is an early-stage venture investor at PICO Partners, and this was her year.

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What allowed Inbal to progress as quickly as she did is playing to her values, and in this episode, she shares exactly how she did that:

Curiosity: the ability to find an interest in a variety of fields and unveil the synergies between them.

Community: being able to connect with people, and connect them with one another, is key to unlocking opportunities.

Creativity: a not-so-secret-weapon that's hard to utilize in times of stress, but one that can also be your way out of it.

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Flocks of international dignitaries, following a political assassination.

2008's economic crash.

Missile attacks on Tel Aviv.

And then came 2020.

His company had plans to open 24 hotels worldwide, and grow beyond the company's 600 employees.

Instead, they had to let go of 90% of the company, as their revenue went from 8 figures to 0.

Tune-in to hear how Leon and his team fought back

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But, rather than focusing on the details of her journey, we dug deep to the core of her unique entrepreneurial mindset, unconventional choices and, well, incredibly contagious laugh.

No matter what industry you are from, or what stage you are in your journey, inspiration guaranteed.

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Unfortunately for him, that meant starting a startup: a move that had cost him the ability to spend time pursuing his passions. 

In an unbelievably articulate interview, Albert de Symons Azis-Clauson, Co-Founder and CEO of UnderPinned, shares his most intimate experiences:

- Staying focused on your passion, while upholding your responsibilities

- The how-to (and ethics) of raising capital from family and friends

- When shouldn't you raise money for a startup?

- How to handle questions you don't know the answer to?

- Motivation tips for doing things you absolutely hate

Tune in for the last episode of Startup Nightmare's 1st season, for an hour-long masterclass the uncomfortable sides of building a startup.

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Hannah Keal and the crew at Unleashed have realised that, and they are on a mission to kill HR and replace it with something human.

This episode chronicles the changes that the workforce had gone through and offers advice on designing company culture and the processes to help it thrive.

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Paul worked at London's most prominent venues for years.

Despite the industry's demands, relentless competition and infamous employee turnover, a career in hospitality was near-inevitable.

Fast forward to today, and Paul is a startup executive in a fast-growing, fast-moving co-working company, in a role that is equal parts leadership, management & operations.

Attention to details, as well as the ability to create joyful spaces & memorable experience, are just a few of the things Paul brought with him, and in this episode, we get a glimpse to Paul's unique management style, processes and approach to work.

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His career strategy goes something like:

- Get the best education possible

- Back it up with hands-on experience

- Max your personal contribution to the business

- And then, zoom out to grow your influence through introspection and alliances.

Sounds simple, but with so many fires to put out every day, it's sometimes not about doing the right thing, but about doing things the right way.

Guy provides a glimpse into the complex and nuanced life of a startup VP.

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As strange as it may sound, Timothee de Mierry owes some of his success to this unlikely scenario.

The 2001 'Patriot Act' prevented him - a French national and a recent MIT graduate - to work for any company that had a contract with the US Government.

When discussing aeronautics, that meant practically every company.

These unusual circumstances led to an inspiring career, stretching from Investment Banking to Strategic Development for Palantir - one of the world's most discrete and intriguing tech giants.

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When he left the startup had grown to 2,000 people company.

In this episode we deep-dive into the principles and processes that facilitated that growth.

Today, Val has his own startup, Kiko, and in this, episode he shares what he took with him from Revolut, but also - what he chose to leave behind.

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In his relatively short career, Jonathan Riftin had done a lot.

His experiences at Google, a VC, a scale-up and a Startup built his confidence and led to an inevitable conclusion:

It was time for Jonathan to break on his own and become a founder.

What he couldn't plan for is Covid-19.

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Their life were pretty exciting even before meeting each other, but it's after they got together that things took some wild turns.

A story of love, authenticity and vandalism, sprinkled with Brexit, bravery and babies.

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In a brutally honest conversation, Ellen offers detailed and actionable advice to both startup founders and employees on topics like:

- How and who to hire for your startup?

- How to choose a startup to work for?

- What can you do to maximize your chances of landing a job?

- What to do when hitting a rough patch at work?

A mix of professionalism, optimism and critical thinking for anyone who sees themselves in the startup playground for the long-run.

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Keeping it going meant bringing in £10K per month.

Keeping out of trouble meant figuring out how to deal with a £100K debt.

Keeping alive meant reinventing herself when the WeWork fiasco went down.

The global pandemic that followed didn't help. Corona landed and crushed co-working.

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The era of career-hopping presented a lot of opportunities, but also created a lot of painstaking knowledge-gaps, and when dealing with people, these knowledge gaps have real, dire implications on real people's lives, and the lives of their families.

Hiring, firing, crisis and change management, industry changes and new technologies that make entire generations redundant overnight - Amy's been through them all, and in this jam-packed episode, Amy shares some of what she learned.

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In an unlikely journey, Jay went from stealing computer parts, to printing t-shirts and after university and a tour of duty as a salesperson, he founded his own company, raised money for it and pivoted it.

The company is called Imagen, and they connect Gen-Z consultants with big brands.

In an extremely open conversation Jay shared how he got to be pulled out of his criminal ways, how lucky he was to 'stumble' upon an investment and how little he actually knew about running a startup when the mistakes started piling up.

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Bayo Adelaja founded Do IT Now Now to bridge the disenfranchisement gap, and if you are not entirely sure about what it means and how it manifests itself, this episode is even more relevant.

A decade into her work in tech, Bayo had already seen much of the industry's darker side: exploitation, discrimination, workaholism, burnout and even IP theft.

The fuel that keeps her going? believing that the innovations that will change the world for the better are living in the minds of people who are too scared, too tired and too poor to be able to action those ideas, and, most importantly, that this doesn't have to be this way.

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Originally from Argentina, Felix relocated to Europe to pursue his dream - landing a job with a 'big 4' consultancy.

Capitalizing on a successful 'tour of duty' with Bain, he transitioned to a management role with LinkedIn.

There, he quickly gained the respect of his directs and appreciation of his managers.

Felix's future was looking bright, but something was brewing inside of him and he could no longer ignore it.

In his search for meaning and impact, Felix decided to leave the lucrative, comfortable and predictable life in corporate and took on a VP Strategy & Business Operations role in a fast-growing startup.

Without the safety rails of a mature, publically traded company, things started getting interesting.

Uncertainty, cultural differences and a whole new set of stakeholders were about to give him a wake-up call: welcome to Startup Country.

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Several panic attacks later, he was determined to make a difference and replaced his stressful lifestyle as Head Of Growth, with that of a startup founder.

Refusing to accept the current structure and dynamics of the workplace, he started Juno, a marketplace connecting employees to wellbeing experiences, on-demand.

In this episode, Ally busts one startup myth after the other: from the '5AM club' to the paternalistic roles companies have in their employees' life and the infamous 'unlimited holidays' policy.

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After years of denying the effects that stress and anxiety had on her body, Katie made learning about it her sole focus, spending the next few years developing and refining techniques to help break the cycle of stress and anxiety.

In this episode, Katie provides practical tools that help keep stress and anxiety to a minimum, while acknowledging the lifestyle that comes with working for startups and in other high-pressure environments.

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She currently runs a creative communications consultancy called Tribe 3 but in another life she was one of Cambridge Analytica's first employees. In fact, when she joined, they were still called SCL Group and behaved like any other market research and strategic communication agency. 

Alex shares with us what was it like working for Cambridge Analytica, how it felt being there when the company won the Trump contract and how the she felt during its collapse. 

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StartUp Nightmares is a podcast that aims to inspire those who work in the startup-world to do the best work they can in the best way possible.

Each of our guests have been to dark side of the innovation ecosystem and have come back to tell their tale in a series of candid conversations with some of the most prominent startup operators out there.

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