This is a summary review of Start-Up Nation containing key details about the book.

What is Start-Up Nation About?

Start-Up Nation by Dan Senor and Saul Singer examines Israel’s success as a hub for innovation and entrepreneurship in the face of adversity. (Full Summary…)

Start-Up Nation Summary Review

“Start-up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle” provides a comprehensive and insightful exploration of Israel’s extraordinary economic success in the realm of startups and innovation. Written by Dan Senor and Saul Singer, the book delves into the factors that have allowed Israel, a small and relatively young country facing geopolitical challenges, to emerge as a global leader in creating and nurturing innovative businesses.

The authors tackle the central question of how a nation with a population of 7.1 million, limited natural resources, and a history of conflict manages to outshine much larger and more stable economies in terms of producing startup companies. Senor and Singer attribute Israel’s economic prowess to a combination of its adversity-driven culture, the flattening of hierarchies, the elevation of informality, and government policies focused on fostering innovation.

The narrative unfolds with the savvy of foreign policy insiders, providing readers with a deep understanding of the unique aspects of Israeli culture that contribute to its success. The book emphasizes the role of the country’s military experience in shaping an innovative mindset, drawing connections between military service, the informal nature of Israeli society, and the ability to question authority.

The authors skillfully highlight real-world examples, such as the development of the 8088 and 386 computer chips during times of conflict, showcasing how Israel’s ingenuity thrives even in the face of adversity. They also explore the impact of venture capital, government reforms, and the shift to a more entrepreneurial mindset in driving the startup boom.

One of the book’s strengths is its ability to distill complex economic and geopolitical concepts into accessible narratives. The reader gains insights into the intersection of technology, business, and government policies that have propelled Israel to the forefront of the global startup scene.

While the book effectively captures the essence of Israel’s economic miracle, there are some notable areas for improvement. Citations are well-documented for the most part, providing a solid foundation for the book’s claims. However, the occasional lack of citations for certain assertions, particularly in areas like education in the Arab world, leaves room for skepticism.

Additionally, the book could benefit from addressing potential criticisms or counterarguments. While it makes a compelling case for the positive aspects of Israeli innovation, a more balanced exploration of potential downsides or challenges would contribute to a more nuanced understanding.

Despite these minor shortcomings, “Start-up Nation” stands as a captivating and informative read that goes beyond a mere economic analysis. It offers readers a glimpse into the cultural, historical, and political factors that have shaped Israel’s entrepreneurial spirit, making it an invaluable resource for anyone interested in understanding the dynamics of innovation and economic development.

Who is the author of Start-Up Nation?

Daniel Samuel Senor is an American-Canadian columnist, writer, and political adviser. He was chief spokesman for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq and senior foreign policy adviser to U.S. presidential candidate Mitt Romney during the 2012 election campaign.

Saul Singer is formerly the editorial page editor at The Jerusalem Post, Singer co-wrote with Dan Senor Start-up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle, a best-seller which investigates Israel’s innovative prowess.

How long is Start-Up Nation?

• Print length: 304 pages

What genre is Start-Up Nation?

Business, Nonfiction, Economics

What are good quotes from Start-Up Nation?

“Four guys are standing on a street corner… an American, a Russian, a Chinese man, and an Israeli…. A reporter comes up to the group and says to them: “Excuse me…. What’s your opinion on the meat shortage?” The American says: What’s a shortage? The Russian says: What’s meat? The Chinese man says: What’s an opinion? The Israeli says: What’s “Excuse me”? —MIKE LEIGH, Two Thousand Years”

“A reform happens when you change the policy of the government; a revolution happens when you change the mind-set of a country.”
“Dov Frohman, the founder of Intel Israel, later said that to create a true culture of innovation, “fear of loss often proves more powerful than the hope of gain.”

“You rarely see people talk behind anybody’s back in Israeli companies. You always know where you stand with everyone. It does cut back on the time wasted on bullshit.”

“it is a story not just of talent but of tenacity, of insatiable questioning of authority, of determined informality, combined with a unique attitude toward failure, teamwork, mission, risk, and cross-disciplinary creativity.”

“In the Israeli army, soldiers are divided into those who think with a rosh gadol—literally, a “big head”—and those who operate with a rosh katan, or “little head.” Rosh katan behavior, which is shunned, means interpreting orders as narrowly as possible to avoid taking on responsibility or extra work. Rosh gadol thinking means following orders but doing so in the best possible way, using judgment, and investing whatever effort is necessary. It emphasizes improvisation over discipline, and challenging the chief over respect for hierarchy.”

“in the Israeli military, the tactical innovation came from the bottom up—from individual tank commanders and their officers. It probably never occurred to these soldiers that they should ask their higher-ups to solve the problem, or that they might not have the authority to act on their own. Nor did they see anything strange in their taking responsibility for inventing, adopting, and disseminating new tactics in real time, on the fly.”

“A 2006 Harvard University study shows that entrepreneurs who have failed in their previous enterprise have an almost one-in-five chance of success in their next start-up”

“What the Soviet émigrés brought with them is symptomatic of what Israeli venture capitalist Erel Margalit believes can be found in a number of dynamic economies. “Ask yourself, why is it happening here?” he said of the Israeli tech boom. We were sitting in a trendy Jerusalem restaurant he owns, next to a complex he built that houses his venture fund and a stable of start-ups. “Why is it happening on the East Coast or the West Coast of the United States? A lot of it has to do with immigrant societies. In France, if you are from a very established family, and you work in an established pharmaceutical company, for example, and you have a big office and perks and a secretary and all that, would you get up and leave and risk everything to create something new? You wouldn’t. You’re too comfortable. But if you’re an immigrant in a new place, and you’re poor,” Margalit continued, “or you were once rich and your family was stripped of its wealth—then you have drive. You don’t see what you’ve got to lose; you see what you could win. That’s the attitude we have here—across the entire population.”

“According to the pioneering work of Nobel Prize winner Robert Solow, technological innovation is the ultimate source of productivity and growth.22 It’s the only proven way for economies to consistently get ahead—especially innovation born by start-up companies.”
“The cultural differences between Israel and the United States are actually so great that Intel started running “cross-cultural seminars” to bridge them. “After living in the U.S. for five years, I can say that the interesting thing about Israelis is the culture. Israelis do not have a very disciplined culture. From the age of zero we are educated to challenge the obvious, ask questions, debate everything, innovate,” says Mooly Eden, who ran these seminars. As a result, he adds, “it’s more complicated to manage five Israelis than fifty Americans”