Daniel Halabi

And voila, your 2026 revenue targets are already in play! Israeli startups are phenomenal at building product. Global hiring is where too many lose time, burn cash, and miss targets. Not because the talent doesn't exist. Because the search is approached like a transaction instead of a strategy. Here's what we see at CQ Global again and again, when Israeli teams try to hire their first U.S. or European commercial leaders. *You hire for logo instead of fit to stage. *A scale leader is not always the right leader for zero to one revenue motion. *You focus on titles instead of defining outcomes. *VP Sales can mean builder, closer, manager, or all three. If you do not define the job, you cannot assess it. *You rely on inbound and your network which are limited. *You don't build a realistic achievable target as part of the search process. *You rush to “fill the seat” and forget the cost of being wrong. *You underestimate cultural and market nuance. That is not a pipeline. That is hope. And hope does not build a GTM team. Messaging, pricing, sales cycles, buyer objections, and even what “good” looks like changes by region. A miss-hire in a key commercial role is not a delay. It is a reset. Doing this better takes experience, attitude, depth, and precision. Treat the search like a partnership, with full transparency, honesty and speed. Build for the org you'll be in 12 months, not the org you are today. Clarify the role with precision and align all stakeholders. Benchmark comp and equity by region and stage. Map the real market, not the obvious names. Remember that the best people are not looking proactively. Assess for stage fit, operating style, and repeatable performance. Design an interview process that predicts outcomes. Drive closing with clean expectations on both sides. If you are an Israeli CEO building outside Israel, the question is not “Can we hire globally?” You can. The question is "Do you have the depth, clarity, knowhow and experience to find the best people? If you're planning a first U.S. AE, VP Sales, CRO, or regional leader, or are growing/upgrading your U.S. team, tell me what stage you're at and where you're hiring. I'll be happy to analyse your commercial/GTM challenges, share the three biggest pitfalls to avoid and map out the main success factors that can make a difference! #GlobalHeadhunting #ExecutiveSearch #GTM #SalesLeadership #IsraeliStartups #ScaleUp #TalentStrategy #BusinessSuccess

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Breaking into the Tel Aviv tech and startup scene requires more than knowing which companies are hiring. That information is everywhere on LinkedIn, shared daily and easily accessible. But after spending the past year at GoPerfect and speaking with thousands of talent acquisition leaders, recruiters, and HR professionals in both Tel Aviv and the U.S., one thing has become clear: the dynamics of the job market have changed, and resumes alone aren’t enough to differentiate you. Most roles today are inundated with applicants, and even highly qualified candidates struggle to stand out through traditional application channels. This is why creativity, relationship building, and genuine human connection matter more than ever. Tel Aviv runs on conversation and curiosity. It’s a city where directness is valued, where people are open to meeting, and where opportunity often comes from showing initiative rather than waiting in line. In Israel, chutzpah isn’t simply personality, it’s strategy. Those who take the time to reach out, ask thoughtful questions, and build authentic relationships consistently get further than those who rely solely on digital submissions. Consider the venture capital space as an example. For anyone trying to break into VC, few places offer more organic access than Sarona Market, home to a high concentration of funds and investors. Many spend their days conducting meetings there (with founders, LPs, operators, and each other). Sitting down for a coffee in that environment can lead to conversations that no online application could replicate. The same mindset applies across the broader startup ecosystem. Tel Aviv’s density means startups are often just steps apart, making it possible to walk into offices, introduce yourself, or reach out directly via LinkedIn or WhatsApp to build the right connections. If you want to enter the tech or startup world here, prioritize connection over volume. Be present in the places where people naturally gather. Seek out conversations, not just job posts. Follow up, stay curious, and offer value where you can. In Tel Aviv, opportunities are often created one meeting, one coffee chat, and one bold interaction at a time and those who embrace that approach are the ones who truly stand out. I’m happy to share some great sources, communities, and hubs to help you get started. And if anyone needs help strategizing or building a personalized game plan for breaking into the scene, feel free to reach out as I’m always glad to help.

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**HR Ops: The Unsung Hero** When HR ops run smoothly, hardly anyone notices. Life is good. 🍸 The moment something goes wrong, whether it is payroll delays, missing contracts, or compliance issues, everyone feels it. 📛 Having started a whole operation in Israel from scratch, I have lived this reality. Setting up payroll, aligning contracts with local labor law, implementing policies, managing vendors, and supporting employees involved hundreds of moving parts at once. 🔁🔁🔁 None of it was glamorous, but all of it was critical, so I did what I love the most: built a structure around the chaos (OCD much, Juls? 😆 ). Every process is documented, every task is tracked, and every policy is accessible. Not only to look organized, but to ensure nothing slips through the cracks and gets handled on time. Here is what I think strong HR ops deliver: 👉 Trust. Employees know that basics like payroll and benefits are handled no matter what. 👉 Compliance. Missing local requirements can be costly. 👉 Credibility. When ops are reliable, leadership sees HR as a true partner. HR ops are often the invisible backbone of the HR functions. You may not see it every day, but it is holding everything else up. Have I missed anything? Let me check my tracker 😜 #HROperations #PeopleOps #StartupLife #HRLeadership

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Last night I attended Her Tel Aviv's "Getting Hired Panel: Crack The Code to Landing Your Dream Job" meetup at the Nefesh B'Nefesh TLV office. Panelists included HR and Recruitment professionals: 🌟 Merav Blum – Fullpath 🌟 Adi Gdalyahu– Payoneer 🌟 Rachel Leon – Eisner Amper 🌟 Adi Orenshtein – D-ID 🌟 Tslil Shraiber – Agoda RE Moderated by Sivan Hadari-Avneri, HER Tel Aviv Founder Among the many wonderful insights the panel gave, I wanted to share some of their best tips for writing your CV to land your dream job: ⚫ Always show and discuss your metrics and success numbers. ⚫ If you have a title that isn't a usual one you see in the industry, find one that's more common and use that in your CV, so HR knows where you fit in. ⚫ Simplify your language so that HR understands your abilities and isn't lost in complicated explanations. ⚫ Tailor your CV to the role or HR might pass, especially if your resume lists previous positions that are irrelevant. Also, avoid uploading your LinkedIn profile as your CV because it's too broad for HR to read through to understand why you might be a good fit. ⚫ Make sure the information on your CV (titles, dates, responsibilities) matches what you wrote on your LinkedIn profile so that it doesn't raise any red flags. ⚫ Keep your resume in English (this is more geared towards the tech world) so that the ATS can scan it. ⚫ No pictures. No age. No city. Keep CV to max 2 pages. Keep to normal font size. ⚫ If you have a gap in between jobs, especially if it was for maternity leave, or aliyah or some other reason, write the reason for the break on your CV so HR doesn't have to assume the worst. ⚫ Make sure your CV uses keywords or buzzwords from the job description in order for it to stand out. Interview and application tips: - Read up about the company and understanding the role. Come prepared to an interview with what you want the HR to know about you beyond your past jobs or skills. Show some personality. - If you apply through an employee refferal, don't apply through the job board or LinkedIn first. That employee will not get the referral bonus. - Don't be shy, don't press apply: instead of applying thru a LinkedIn job post, do some research and see if you can have an employee submit your CV for you. You will get farther doing that than on LinkedIn. Any other tips you think we should add to this already wonderful list?

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Building US Go-To-Market teams as an internationally based startup. I had the pleasure of meeting with CEOs from a group of emerging Israeli AI companies yesterday.  My advice included: Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast Bottom up structure and standard operating procedures reduce mistakes.  Slow is Smooth - Smooth is Fast – SMOOTH SCALES Startups ARE HARD Raising Money is HARD. Being a startup with a founding team based in Israel with an intention of scaling in the US is HARD. Don't take shortcuts.  Don't chase shiny objects.  Take a breath.  Map it out. The best US candidates for early stage companies tend to share certain characteristics. They want to fall in love with what you are doing and ideally who you are. They want to be inspired.  Real human emotions underlie all our decisions. They very often will think and act like investors.  This is especially true when a meaningful component of their compensation package may be in equity.  They will want clear, believable and compelling answers/information on: Ongoing entity status…  Cap table.  Current funding.  Cash burn + run rate.  Prospects for the next raise.  Which firms have invested? Which ones are either on the board and/or are playing an active advisory role in your US based success? Why do you exist?  It's key to speak convincingly with one voice. Is the company a sprinter (think Noah Lyles) or a marathoner (Eliud Kipchoge)?    Has the founding team done this, or something relevant to this, before?   Any way in which you can de-risk the story for the candidate will go a long way. Core tactical/logistical items - to consider BEFORE beginning US build out  How will you handle the full breadth of the Human Resources function? How are you going to pay employees?  You need to establish a US entity and all that goes along with it.   Compensation needs to be set at competitive US levels which likely will be meaningfully higher than Israeli equivalents. How are you planning to provide benefits packages - health insurance, etc? Think about retention right from the beginning - Establish a real onboarding process as a starting point for what should be an ongoing effort across the full employment lifecycle. Where should you start with the hiring process?  Bottom up?  Top down?  Something else? My strong preference is top down. Something to consider in advance of the US team build stage.  Are you, as a founding CEO, willing to relocate to the US for the first few years?  If yes, do it!  Assuming you are not going to relocate to the US, hire a US Commercial Leader who will be the next best thing. Screen for resilience and adaptability.   Be more focused on tactical and strategic fit rather than a simple reliance on pedigree. Once you have brought on your commercial lead, empower them. Working with a search partner Let’s talk!  giles.vanpraagh@avantsearch.com

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𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝟱𝟬–𝟭𝟬𝟬 𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁-𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝘁. 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀? Last week I had the amazing opportunity to hear Marty Cagan live at Yotpo. They brought him to Israel for a week-long transformation workshop led by CEO Tomer Tagrin., and generously opened the sessions to leaders from other companies as well. Marty couldn’t understand why more companies don’t invest in 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆: fast, lightweight prototyping that’s now quicker than ever with AI tools. The process starts by validating prototypes with internal stakeholders - engineering, marketing, sales, and the CEO, and then moving on to customers, prospects, or design partners. This way, 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗲. Marty shared this 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗵: Most startups need 50-100 iterations to reach product-market fit. If each iteration takes weeks, you’ll likely run out of money before you reach product-market fit. If you can do tens of prototypes a week, validate quickly, and adjust fast, your odds skyrocket. As Marty quoted Christian Idiodi: “Everyone does product discovery, only some companies do it after the release.” 🙃 Although Marty spoke mainly to product managers, I think this matters just as much for 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀. Here's what you can do: - Make it easy for your PMs to prototype fast - Join them in prototyping, focusing on implementation feasibility - Save the “proper” engineering effort for the stage when the solution is validated And yes, I had my fan moment - asked to be photographed with Marty. A little embarrassing, totally worth it.

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Wix just made a huge move. They acquired Base44 for $80 million. This is a game-changer for Israeli tech. Base44 is transforming app development. It allows anyone to create apps using simple language. → No code. → No dev teams. → Just ideas that come to life. Maor Shlomo built Base44 all on his own. He started it after reserve duty in October. In just a few months, he achieved the impossible: → Closed deals with eToro and Similarweb. → Turned a profit fast. → Outgrew every expectation. Now, Base44 joins forces with Wix. This partnership isn’t just about tech. It’s about a shared vision for the future. Wix sees AI as the heart of creation. Base44 will be their new AI engine. Wix President Nir Zohar said it best: ↳ “This wasn’t just about features. It was about DNA.” Even in tough times, innovation shines through. → This is resilience. → This is vision. → This is execution. Kol hakavod to everyone involved. 🔥 Have you used Base44 yet?

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“𝘏𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘨𝘢-𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳, 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 Wiz’s $32 𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘤𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵 $7 𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯 Armis 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘭, 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘰��𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘐𝘴𝘳𝘢𝘦𝘭𝘪 𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮.” Following a year marked by global economic uncertainty, optimism among investors in Israel’s tech sector has rebounded sharply, with 20 percent rating the industry as excellent compared with only 1 percent previously. Was a pleasure to speak with Israel Hayom ישראל היום along with other industry leaders about what lies ahead for innovation and growth in Israel in 2026 and beyond. Read the full piece here 👉 https://lnkd.in/ds7VxgmP Reut Yehuda Golan Lia Cromwell Yaniv Golan Chaim Schiff Talor Sax

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700 laid off at Playtika. 100 more at Axonius. And this is no longer shocking. Since 2023, layoffs in tech and global companies have not really stopped. They just became part of our reality. Today it is one team, tomorrow a department, and next time it can be any of us. Even top performers. Even loyal employees. Even people with years of experience. So what do you do in a world with no real job security anymore? Accept the uncomfortable truth: no one is fully protected. That means you must always have a Plan B. Your CV should be updated and your LinkedIn profile should work for you, bringing real opportunities consistently, not only when you are already in trouble. Networking is not optional. It is your safety net. Real relationships with people in strong companies who can open doors when you need it. Staying relevant is survival. Experience is the foundation, but without constant upskilling in what is hot today like AI, automation, data, each in your own field, you simply fall behind. A financial safety cushion is not a luxury. It is what allows you to search for your next role calmly and strategically, not out of panic. The reality has changed. The question is not whether there will be more layoffs. The question is who will meet them prepared. If this post made you stop for a second, it probably came at the right time.

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🚀 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐙𝐞𝐫𝐨 𝐭𝐨 $𝟖𝟎𝐌 𝐢𝐧 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟔 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬 — 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫. What happens when AI meets audacious execution? An Israeli developer, Maor Shlomo, just sold his six-month-old startup Base44 to Wix — for a staggering $80 million, all cash. No VC backing. No huge team. Just a powerful idea, executed at lightspeed. 🔍 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲𝟰𝟰? A platform that lets users build complete web and mobile apps — simply by describing what they want. No code. No traditional dev teams. Think: AI + UI/UX + Dev all rolled into one engine. 📈 In just half a year: • 300,000+ users • $3.5M ARR • $189K MRR profit • Partnerships with eToro, Similarweb • And now — a major acquisition by Wix And the most impressive part? 🔹 Fully bootstrapped 🔹 Built with a tiny team 🔹 Led by one clear vision: empower people to build without limits This isn’t just a win for one founder. It’s a signal — of how fast AI is shifting the rules of entrepreneurship. The era of requiring millions in funding and giant teams to ship world-class products? It’s fading fast. Today, small teams with AI leverage are playing in billion-dollar arenas. Tomorrow, they might own them. — 🔥 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗜 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁 — 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿: 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗺 #AIStartups #BootstrapSuccess #Base44 #TechInnovation #WixAcquisition #Entrepreneurship #NoCode #AIRevolution #MaorShlomo #BuildWithAI

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