Growth+
"There are no books that will teach you entrepreneurship, just enjoy the journey"
As part of the Growth+ initiative by Calcalist and Poalim Tech, Guy Flechter, CEO of Sola Security met with Ziv Yankowitz, CTO of Surf Security, to offer advice, support, and insights on entrepreneurship, startup management, and scaling companies for growth.
Guy Flechter, founder and CEO of Sola Security, met with Ziv Yankowitz, partner and CTO of Surf Security, which develops security and visibility technology for browsers. The conversation took place as part of the Growth+ project by Calcalist and Poalim Tech, now in its third year, 1:1 meetings between founders of leading Israeli tech companies and entrepreneurs of promising startups. The goal is to advise, support, and provide tools, knowledge, and tips on entrepreneurship, managing startups, and building companies for growth.
Guy, tell me about a crisis you encountered early on and what you learned from it.
"One of the crises I remember well was during a fundraising round. We were in very advanced discussions with a fund, and there was an amazing connection with the partner. The investment committee went extremely well; the hardest question they asked was, 'How did you come up with the company's name?' We were so confident that we stopped all parallel fundraising processes we were conducting.
"The next day, the partner called and announced they had decided not to move forward. Those were very turbulent 24 hours because, just before the investment proposal, we had to recalculate our course. I realized I could either sink into disappointment, anger, or frustration, or learn from the situation and ask what we did wrong. We chose the latter, met with our investors, went into 'war mode,' and mapped out five investors we had spoken to in the past.
"Within 72 hours, we came up with an alternative investment proposal, which was actually better and ultimately led to an exit."
Ziv, what is the most significant challenge you have encountered this year?
"Our biggest challenge was with one of the largest media companies in the world. We started working with them as a small company facing a huge 'monster.'
"Our product met all their needs, and we beat the competition. The entire process took 3-4 months, during which all the company's attention was devoted to this huge contract. You are already expecting the money to come in, and then, out of nowhere, the client announces they need to go out to tender, which will take another six months. We weren't informed in advance. At this point, you could break down and give up, but we persevered, and in the end, the client became fantastic. It was a defining moment in understanding how to handle processes with large clients."
Guy, what advice did you give to Ziv?
"We talked about where to channel the energies of the business, especially after crises. We discussed market penetration strategy and how to look at the product to give it business and marketing twists to advance the technology."
What did you learn from each other?
Ziv: "The cyber market, in general, and our market in particular, sometimes behaves illogically. I gained a very pragmatic, eye-opening perspective from Guy on how to crack a market when the odds are against you. These were super-practical insights from real experience, not clichés like 'bring in a marketing person,' but down-to-earth advice."
Guy: "It's always fun to meet entrepreneurs with the passion and drive to solve problems and not give up. Ziv has been on this journey for 4-5 years, and many entrepreneurs at this stage get stuck in their own path. It was refreshing to see how attentive he is, willing to explore new directions and consider additional opinions."
Is there anything surprising you discovered about each other?
Ziv: "We realized that each of us is dealing with significant personal challenges, especially in today's situation. My son is currently serving in Lebanon, and Guy has three daughters. That puts things in perspective."
Guy: "Ziv's current struggles are where I'll be in the future. It's interesting to see the challenges at every stage and how life itself always fits into the business journey."
Guy Flechter's Golden Advice
"I recommend the book The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz. It talks about moments when there’s no money to pay employees, investors say no, and the war never ends. Just enjoy the journey."
