An interview with Naftali Dratman, CEO of
Brian Wallace: Greetings everyone - today's guest is Naftali Dratman, the CEO of Israel Innovation Springboard. Welcome Naftali!
Naftali Dratman: Thank you.
What is Israel Innovation Springboard?
Brian Wallace: OK, so let's jump into it. What’s the story behind the company and why you’ve started it?
Naftali Dratman:
There's an interesting story behind it. Basically, I spent a good part of my career in Corporate Innovation based here in Israel. I've worked with a lot of the startups and organizations in the Israel ecosystem and connected them to corporate needs. The startups here are sometimes familiar with how to deal with European partners, but most of the time they really don’t know how to connect on a deeper level with most opportunities. This is especially true in the US. The startups are sometimes too focused on their tech without understanding who they’re dealing with.
Having worked for corporations like Airbus, General Motors, LG Electronics and Oppo which are respectively based in Europe, the United States, Korea and China, I’ve had to deal with understanding nuances and bridging insurmountable obstacles due to culture, business challenges posed and way of thinking. I’ve managed to initiate some large programs between various corporations and local companies as a result.
In addition, having worked for a couple of startups, I’m familiar with their challenges and mindset. I’m in a unique position to understand what’s necessary to make partnerships happen and get to situations where everyone benefits.
Unicorns and Rocket Ships Fail. Springboards are Achievable
Brian Wallace:
It's great stuff man and it's very ambitious. I feel like among my travels and all the people that I talk to in the United States in Israel and across the world I feel like the word pairing of Israel innovation is nothing new. I feel like a lot of people talk about innovation, but I think when you add the magic word of springboard, it really adds a lot of depth and dimension. Let me say one thing on that and I'm curious about your thoughts so I think that in Israel and in the greater tech world and innovation world.
People are obsessed with unsustainable irrational, over-the-top self aggrandizing words like unicorns and rocket ships and things that are way way too aggressive. Everything has to be 100 X and I think when people understand the magic third word the springboard a springboard is something that if you're in a pool, you can use a springboard and jump into the pool so it is more of a linear rather than massively exponential growth because there is a lot of growth that happens between zero and one can you comment on this?
Naftali Dratman:
Well, I’m in agreement with you, and I’ll add to it so you understand the reasons for what I’m doing. I don't like that there are many overused words over here in the ecosystem. Unicorns are just a valuation number and don’t reflect the success of a company, and believe me, there are many issues with startup unicorns having trouble. What really matters is if the startup has the means to market the technology in a timely manner and has interested parties wanting to bring the technology to market.
The point of a springboard is to focus on what matters. Divers need to hit the springboard at just the right point and moment in time to propel themselves to where they need to go, and they need to enter the water without making too much of a splash. You may need to perform some acrobatics along the way, and this is all part of the whole movement. A springboard doesn’t necessarily represent linear growth as much as it’s an understanding of timing and what kind of motions you need to go through and to reach the point you want to get to perfectly without a splash.
Brian Wallace: Outstanding. Just for sake of gravity I'm going to call your company IIS. I asked just so everybody can keep up with us.
Naftali Dratman: OK. Yes, I know it is a bit of a mouthful. But, as I mentioned, the marketing value of springboard is important to represent what I’m doing.
Brian Wallace: Sounds like your firm is more of a consulting operation. Can you kind of explain a little bit on what you plan on having it do and who are the right entities to work with IIS
Getting the Work Done: Doing It vs Talking About It
Naftali Dratman:
Let's start with the latter question first. The right companies to work with IIS are startups in various industries in Israel that aren’t receiving enough of a focus and are at a stage where they are ready to break into the market. There’s so much untapped potential that’s not flourishing which can create a stronger economy overall in Israel.
I also think it's very important to focus on the type of technology. I'm interested in working with platform technologies that are going to solve several problems for various industries.
If you take, for example, some kind of AI imaging system you can imagine that that system could be suitable for detecting cancer or surveillance or detecting anomalies in agriculture.
I don’t view what we're doing as consultancy. A consultant will advise startups and corporations where to go. IIS will work with its network to be involved in the nitty gritty of springboarding the various opportunities and doing almost all the work to get the partnerships going and this involves a lot more than just simple advice. In addition, we’ll be helping grow Israel’s GDP, and this isn’t consultancy work.
Brian Wallace:
OK, well I like metaphors so let's use a video game metaphor to tie it all in and bring it home. I think something that is worth thinking about here for those of you gamers and even if you're not a gamer, everybody's sort of super Mario so when you're playing super Mario Brothers and your Mario or whatever character you are.
You're on level plane and you're on some blocks or you're on a platform and then you jump a.k.a. springboard to the next level so I think what you're saying is if I'm wrong you're taking the startups from Startup Nation of Israel, and you're helping them springboard correctly with both timing and execution with the right partners.
Naftali Dratman: Yes, that’s basically it.
Bringing it All Together
Brian Wallace: I love it, and I guess one final question. What if you're a start up in America or somewhere else in the world would you think that that also could be a good fit for bringing them into the Israel market?
Naftali Dratman: This is a main focus of ours. But I’d change the word startup to any company or investor in the US that wants to gain a technological and business advantage with Israeli technology. We want to open up both sides to more business and partnerships, and we have the networks and capabilities to do so.
Brian Wallace: Great stuff, sir. It’s a very ambitious project and I'm glad that you're bringing this forward to the world.
Naftali Dratman: For sure, thank you!