"Sometimes the shortcuts will make the way much longer"
Sullivan & Worcester Managing Partner Oded Har-Even explains why the Israeli instinct to find shortcuts for the sake of efficiency proves counterproductive when it comes to global expansion.
Oded Har-Even, Managing Partner, Sullivan & Worcester
(צילום: סיני דוד, קרדיט- צילום ושידור: Streame )
"In Hebrew there's a phrase... 'what is cheap is expensive,'" explained Oded Har-Even, Managing Partner at Sullivan & Worcester – a sponsor of the recent ScaleUp House initiative by Calcalist and Showcase IL. Speaking to CTech's Amy Shapiro at Sullivan's Annual Client event in Tel Aviv, Har-Even examined the pitfalls that threaten Israeli founders when they decide to go global.
While he acknowledged that "many times you see companies trying to have shortcuts because that's a very Israeli way, which is in many ways very good," he cautioned that this short-term gains approach won’t pay the dividends in the long run. Going global necessitates finding a local ambassador in every market, advising founders to "follow the procedures, follow the protocol, because sometimes the shortcuts will make the way much longer."
Har-Even further emphasized the importance of this mentor and ambassadorship for means of a "cultural translator" to broker the entrance. "It's not about language difference, I think it's cultural difference. It's not about speaking Hebrew, it's about speaking Israeli. It's not about speaking English in the US, it's speaking American," he shared.
You can watch the full conversation in the video above.
