Growth+
"A philosophy that’s ahead of its time gets a lot of ‘no’s’"
As part of the Growth+ initiative by Calcalist and Poalim Tech, Ronen Lavi, CEO of Navina met with Dr. Gilad Lando, CEO of CatAmmon, to offer advice, support, and insights on entrepreneurship, startup management, and scaling companies for growth.
Ronen Lavie, co-founder and CEO of Navina, met with Dr. Gilad Lando, CEO of CatAmmon, which develops innovative technology for catalytic converters that turn toxic gases from vehicles into safer emissions. The conversation was held as part of the Growth+ project by Calcalist and Poalim Tech, now in its third year. It is based on one-on-one meetings between founders of Israel’s leading tech companies and entrepreneurs from promising startups, with the goal of providing advice, support, and practical tools on entrepreneurship, creativity, startup management, and building companies for growth.
Ronen, tell us about a crisis or challenge you encountered early on and what you learned from it.
"When we set out with Navina eight years ago, we chose the field of digital medicine because we believed it would change the world. It’s a field where raising capital is very challenging and requires an exceptionally high standard. Any technology entering healthcare takes much longer to develop and adopt. We built a story that we believed in, one that looked four to five years ahead. But when you come with a philosophy that is ahead of its time, you hear a lot of ‘no’s’ and can come away confused. Our early funding rounds were very difficult. We had to decide whether to continue building what we believed in as a long-term opportunity, or to shift toward what the market demanded in the short term. We believed in ourselves and understood that if you are addressing a major problem and the signals are right, you have to stay the course and persevere. Listen to criticism, but remain focused on the space you believe in. Make sure your story works both top-down and bottom-up."
Gilad, what was your most significant challenge this year?
"I strongly relate to what Ronen said, because we also heard feedback from the market that we didn’t like. At the beginning, the company focused on hydrogen production, but it became clear that this area is currently less attractive to investors, as the hydrogen sector has weakened. That forced us to make very difficult strategic decisions."
Ronen, what advice did you give Gilad?
"The main advice I gave him was to define as clearly as possible where to focus. When starting a company, especially in deep tech, there are two main approaches: either you are solving a clearly defined problem, like a ‘cure for cancer’, and you build the narrative around how your technology addresses it; or you start from a market need, where the technology itself is less visible to the end customer, and the challenge is driving adoption. You need to choose the right approach and stay focused."
What did you learn from each other?
Gilad: "I completely agreed with Ronen about the importance of focus. I initially presented three different products, and he told me, ‘You’re a small startup, you can’t pursue three products at once.’ We narrowed it down to two, which is a much more realistic direction."
Ronen: "I was exposed to areas I don’t usually deal with, like chemistry and deep tech, which are very different from the software and cybersecurity worlds I come from. Beyond that, I was reminded that early-stage startups have the flexibility to pivot quickly, but there comes a point when you must make clear decisions and commit to a direction. That applies across industries.""
What’s something interesting you discovered about each other?
Ronen: "We had different perspectives on happiness in Israel. We talked about how difficult things are here right now, and yet Israel still ranks highly in global happiness indexes. I believe what makes Israel unique is a sense of purpose, the ability to persevere and build together despite challenges creates meaning."
Gilad: "Ronen sees it as purpose; I see it as togetherness. When Israelis meet abroad, there’s an immediate connection. Even now, when we spend time in shelters, people don’t sit in silence, we talk, connect, and support one another."
Ronen Lavie’s golden advice
An entrepreneur needs a delicate balance between naivety and depth. The more you understand the challenges, the harder it can be to believe change is possible. You need deep knowledge and mastery of your field, but at the same time, you must retain a certain level of naivety, to keep believing in success and pushing forward.
