Every spring, Jewish families around the world sit down for the Passover Seder. A highlight of the event will be reading “Four Questions.” Against the backdrop of recent challenges, including the aftermath of the October 7 Hamas massacre and economic uncertainty marked by rising inflation and interest rates, there are signs of optimism in Israel's high-tech industry. We reached out to leaders in our industry and asked them our unique Four Questions to get them thinking about their challenges, decisions, successes, and dreams. Here are their reactions:
assignment
What challenges has your industry faced recently in the aftermath of October 7th and the war in Gaza? How have you overcome them?
We are a multinational company. Half of the company is in the US, with some Europeans and an office in Tel Aviv. Leading up to October 7th, we have always strived to be consistent in our messaging to departments within our company around the world. After October 7th, we knew that had to change. It was not the same experience for the Israelites who went through it, nor for those who came from outside. Our message to our international clients, investors and employees was: “No matter what happens, we will continue to produce results.” We do not miss client meetings or use October 7th as an “excuse” for anything. We sent a clear message. “We are a global company and we have not seen any delays or declines in quality or service from our side. We have shown great resilience. And we have said we will do better. We won't just be as good as before; we'll be even better.
We said to our Israeli employees: “Whatever you need, we're here.” Some have traveled abroad, some have stopped working completely, some work part-time, and some have stopped coming to work. We've made it clear that everyone, even reservists, can take the time and space they need for equipment, family help, extra time off, or whatever they need.
This later brought everyone together again, not through pressure or force, but because people knew they were valued and had an important role to play. We are one of the leading companies in our industry, so we have to deliver at all costs, even now. It is our responsibility to Israel and the economy.
That message that we have a role to play and a national mission resonated with our employees, and it has proven so. Against all expectations, we achieved overwhelming success in the second half of last year and we end 2023 in a very healthy position as a company.
decision
Looking back, what decision do you think was best for your career or business and why?
I worked in a corporate environment for many years and held some very senior positions. I would say I was at the pinnacle in terms of compensation, work-life balance, and professional accomplishments.
Back then, I used to ride my bike and ride and ride. I have been pedaling for years and have reached an almost meditative state. One day, as I pedaled, I felt something was missing. It wasn't that I was missing out on money or career accomplishments, per se. But I thought I could do more.
I had to put myself in a place where I could fail. That's one of the big reasons I became an entrepreneur and founder. I wanted to create something that would test myself. No matter where I went, I knew it would be difficult and time consuming, but I knew I would succeed in the end. And here was the test. This is a project that could be a huge success, but it could also be a huge failure because they understood there was a real gap in the market.
An outsider might say you have a family and a successful career. What do I need this headache for? You have a lot to lose. You're not 30 anymore. But for me, that inner voice was clear. Listening to that inner voice and starting Datarails was the best thing for my career. Because I wasn't interested in staying in one place or being comfortable. I had to put myself to the real test.
success
What accomplishment or success are you most proud of and what lessons did you learn?
my child! It may be a cliché, but it's true.
But if I'm talking technically, it's definitely Datarails and our advancement in the company.
You know, a few years ago, there was an atmosphere in the technology industry where the most important thing for companies was to grow at all costs. All that mattered was that you grew up fast. There was money on the floor. If you can show that you're growing, it doesn't really matter how successful you are as a business, you can raise a lot of money fairly quickly. And suddenly, for many reasons coming together at the same time, the entire climate reversed.
As a rapidly growing company, we therefore had to completely rethink our direction. The challenges were completely different. It's not just about attracting more clients, it's about attracting clients efficiently. We needed to build a business and organization that was more sophisticated, more focused, and more financially scalable.
So we had to go through a major transformation as a company. This included layoffs, but not only. We have changed our organizational structure in almost every department, including marketing channels and sales models. I mentioned earlier that I took on a role that had the potential to fail, and this reminds me of that possibility. we felt it. Not all companies were able to survive the technology crisis without getting caught up in the fallout from judicial reform and war. But we made changes and came out stronger and more resilient. To be honest, we're a smarter business today than we were in the past. So I'm very proud of that.
dream
What are your aspirations and goals for yourself or your organization in the coming year?
We will become a multi-billion dollar company with a significant impact on the world market and will have an equally significant impact on the Israeli economy. We want to become a household name in the financial profession and change the way finance teams around the world work. That's my dream for Datarails, and I think we're well on our way to making it a reality.
Didi Gurfinkel is co-founder and CEO of Datarails.
