This archive report was first published on 21 August 2020.
Published on August 21, 2020, a book titled Start-Up Nation: The Story of Israel's Economic Miracle by Dan Senor and Saul Singer has shed light on the secret to Israel's start-ups success.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres once said, 'People prefer remembering to imagining. Memory deals with familiar things; imagination deals with the unknown.' This foreword sets the tone for the book, which delves into the story of Israel's economic miracle.
According to the book, innovation in Israel started in agriculture. The late PM, David Ben-Gurion, once said, 'All the experts are experts on what was. There is no expert on what will be. To become an “expert” on the future, vision must replace experience.' This mindset has driven Israel's human capital to find solutions in various fields, including healthcare and science.
The book highlights the conscription-based army model and the nation's openness to learn and admit fault as key factors in their success. This has led to the creation of a petri-dish of chain reactions, including their aptness at fundraising for start-ups and tenacity to keep pitching and going at negotiations.
Israel's technological developments and scientific advancements are deeply rooted in their origins and conflicts. The book suggests that any nation can learn from Israel's 'secret sauce' and apply it to their own nation-building efforts.
Kenya, with its 'Silicon Savannah' and Konza City, can leverage on the leapfrogging that Israel has achieved to host R&D centres and gain foreign exchange earnings. The book, Start-Up Nation, is a great class in nation-building and the importance of improvisation.
