Uri Bruck

Building on Giorgi Jibladze’s (Omedia) update 🛠️ MCP 1.2 brings big wins for AI-ready Drupal: • Official security coverage ✅ • OAuth support via simple_oauth_21 🔐 • Tools API integration for modular ops ⚙️ Also: improved config UX, LLM clarity tools, and support for both HTTP & STDIO transports. Explore what’s new: https://lnkd.in/gr8Xzgav #Drupal #OpenSource #WebDev #CMS

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𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝘀𝗿𝗮𝗲𝗹𝗶 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟳 The technology from the company Carbyne, which combines #AI with emergency call center management, is used in hundreds of centers worldwide, but not by the Israel Police - משטרת ישראל or Israel Fire and Rescue Authority. According to CEO Amir Elichai, the system could have significantly improved the response to Hamas’ terror attack by providing accurate real-time information, transcribing calls, and sharing data with field forces, enabling a faster reaction. Last week, Carbyne announced a $100 million funding round. According to Startup Nation Central, this brings the company’s total investment to $223 million. Elichai says the fundraising conditions were ideal: the company has been growing rapidly for several consecutive quarters, with a 477% increase in annual recurring revenue (ARR) over the past year, and revenues estimated in the tens of millions of dollars. The company expects to reach operational breakeven in 2026. The company also reports a 105% increase in the number of customers, many of them 911 call centers in various U.S. cities - nearly 300 centers in 23 states in the U.S. and other countries overall. With a 10% share of the U.S. market and a valuation estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars, Elichai says the company is prepared to compete in the American market and expand to additional countries. Participants in the funding round included several companies active in the security call center market, such as AT&T Ventures, Axon Enterprises Limited (maker of Tasers and body cameras), Cox Enterprises, Global Medical Response, as well as the funds Hanaco Ventures, Hercules Capital, Rokos Capital Management, Silicon Valley Bank, and several private investors, including former CIA Director General General David H. Petraeus, US Army (Ret.), Peter Thiel (through his Founders Fund), and Indian-American venture capitalist Sandiip Bhammer. Read the full story (in Hebrew) in ynet. The link can be found in the first comment.

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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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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!  [email protected]

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“𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝘁… 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘂𝘀.” Translation for many Israeli tech veterans? “You’re over 45.” Last week a colleague confessed that after 25 years of building production systems she was rejected for being “𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱.” Sadly, she’s not alone: A Jerusalem Post report warns that tech employees here fear being “𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱-𝗼𝘂𝘁” 𝗯𝘆 𝟰𝟱. 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁-𝗖𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗶𝘀𝗺 “𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗮𝘀,” 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗢𝗩𝗜𝗗-𝗲𝗿𝗮 𝗹𝗮𝘆-𝗼𝗳𝗳𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗶𝘁 𝟯𝟰 % 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝟰𝟱-𝟲𝟰. Government programs now retrain workers 45 + because Israel is short 78 k tech professionals. 𝗬𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗿𝗮𝗽 𝗯𝗶𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗵𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 “𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵” 𝗼𝗿 “𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿-𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱.” 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝘂𝘀 • 𝗟𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄-𝗵𝗼𝘄: Debugging a 3 a.m. outage is easier when someone in the room has already fixed it, twice. • 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘀: Replacing one senior architect with three juniors rarely shortens time-to-market. • 𝗪𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗴𝗮𝗽: With tens of thousands of open reqs, turning away battle-tested talent is a luxury we don’t have. 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 & 𝗩𝗖𝘀 𝟭. 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺, 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝟰𝟱 +? 𝟮. 𝗦𝘄𝗮𝗽 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝗱. 𝗔𝗴𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝘂𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆. 𝟯. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀-𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀. 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘀 • Keep skills current (AI, cloud, cyber—pick your lane). • Turn “too much experience” into a consulting super-power. • Share your story—normalizing the conversation is step one. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀: Have you ever been told you’re over-qualified? Drop it in the comments so we can put real faces to these numbers. 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 • Jerusalem Post – “Do scandals and ageism plague Israel’s tech scene?” (July 7 2023) Jerusalem Post • Calcalist-CTech – “The blight of ageism in the Israeli workplace” (Mar 7 2021) ctech • Times of Israel – “Israel to retrain workers over 45 to fill tech jobs” (Aug 8 2014) The Times of Israel • TheMarker – “שיעור העובדים בהייטק צנח ל-9.2% – וחסרים 78 אלף איש” (Jan 5 2025) TheMarker #StartUpNation #AgeDiversity #InclusiveHiring #TechTalent #Leadership Nissim Yves Ohayon MarketFit Sales Partners Startup Nation Central Calcalist כלכליסט CTech by Calcalist The Jerusalem Post TheMarker The The Times of Israel

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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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