Tips for managing your business
in stressful times based on Israel's experience
Aviram Eisenberg, Ignite Ltd
IT Spring, Dnipropetrovsk 2015
Are you Crazy?
“A lot of people ask me if I am crazy?“
“You are living in Ukraine? In these times???”
Well, I live in Israel, we are kinda used to state of war…
I am just replacing this:
With this:
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About Me
Father of 3 wonderful children
High-Tech professional for the last 30 years
- computer geek in my teenage days
- platoon commander in the Army Intelligence (computer related)
- computer Science Graduate from the Technion
- chief Architect at Mind CTI
- founder and CEO Of Ignite – a global IT company
- chairman of the Israeli R&D Managers forum
Lives in Kiev (Ukraine is my second home!),
8 Years ago I came to Ukraine for the first time…
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Where is Putin?
Where is Putin?
A…
B…
C…
D…
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Israel & Ukraine are young states
67 years old
Wars
10 wars (every 5-10 years)
24 years old
2014 - now
1947-1949, 1956, 1967, 1967-1970, 1973,
1982-2000, 2008-2009, 2010, 2012, 2014
Daily living under possible terrorist attacks
Back in 1948 all Israel had was
- brave people with no weapons
- 5 Arab state armies around
- and a desert to live in…
How do I manage the company and risk?
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War Factors
Low psychological threshold to risks of business failure
Boy, you are alive! And someone is not…
Strong desire to control your own fate
No fate but what we make (Terminator 2)
War creates opportunities…
For those who are in the right mood to take advantage of it
War creates new circumstances and force you to reivent
yourself
The cycle of nature
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The benefits of WAR
It’s an employer market again, thanks god!!!!
No one leaves you (unless they go abroad)
Better control of labor costs increase
During the crisis a lot of good people are moving around
Ability to reduce overhead expenses
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The opportunities of WAR
Tighten the connection between employer to employee
The USD-UAH exchange rate
Credit shift
Invest!
Reinvent yourself
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The Risks of WAR
The brain drain
Uncertain future
There will be tax scheme changes – I don’t think they will be good to the
industry
Canceled projects + low credit = financial crisis
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10 War Tips for IT companies
Create a safe and peaceful environment within your
offices
Show that you are a rock solid against the storm
Help your employees
Mobilization support
Lawns
Protect their salary value
Look for new available talent
Large American corporates hate wars - lot of good people are
moving
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10 War Tips for IT companies
Reduce your expenses
A lot of things get cheaper and your $ is the king!
Raise cheap credit and use it wisely
Increase your investments
the Time to invest is when the blood is on the streets
Don’t avoid talks with your customers about risks
Find back-up solutions to minimize possible risks together.
Stress that Ukraine is huge and despite the war in 2014, Israel
made a record $15b. in high-tech exits that year
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10 War Tips for IT companies
Focus on mid-range customers
they are more tolerant to the risks in Ukraine
Promote Ukraine as a place of change and opportunities
Be active in media: comment and share your opinion, write articles. Not as
fast as we desire but positive changes do take place
Prepare fallback plans for changes in tax scheme
Re-invent yourself
from IT to High-Tech
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Questions?
Follow me
facebook.com/aviram.eisenberg
linkedin.com/in/AviramEisenberg
AviramEisenberg.com
twitter.com/aviram
www.igniteso.com
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