Good OM Reading: A Start Up Nation

I just finished a book that is a bit outside my usual OM-oriented reading.  Start-Up Nation (by Dan Senor and Saul Singer, Twelve, 304 pages) is about the entrepreneurial nature of the State of Israel.  I had co-founded the Rollins College Center for Entrepreneurship about a decade ago, so this is a topic of personal and academic interest.

          The authors describe Israel as the world’s “techno-nation”, a tiny state torn by war that attracted as much venture capital in 2008 as Germany and France combined.  In 2009, there were 63 Israeli firms on NASDAQ, more than any foreign country.

          So why did Cisco buy nine Israeli start-ups?  Why did British Telecom put up a $3.5 billion plant to make chips?  And why did Buffet pay $4 billion for part of a high-tech tool maker?  The authors’ answer:  The culture of the military.  “You have minimal guidance from the top,” they write.  “It’s the leadership, teamwork, and mission oriented skills and experience Israelis receive.”  Ever soldier is expected to improvise, even if this means breaking some rules.

          An easy, one day read that can help us be better, more innovative managers