In this special episode of Big Shot, recorded live at the iconic Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., we’re joined by Uri Levine, the co-founder of Waze. Uri is a visionary entrepreneur whose journey includes building Waze, the world’s largest community-based traffic and navigation app, which Google acquired for over $1 billion. Beyond Waze, Uri has co-founded several impactful startups like Moovit (acquired by Intel), FeeX, and Engie. He’s also the author of Fall in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution, a must-read guide for entrepreneurs.
In our conversation today, we cover:
• Lessons on failure and prioritization from Uri’s father
• A clever hack he used to pitch Waze with an incomplete product
• The cultural drive behind the Jewish ambition to create positive change
• The story of the many millionaires created by Waze’s acquisition
• And so much more!
A special thank you to ADL In Concert Against Hate. You can learn more here https://www.adl.org/adl-concert-against-hate-shines-light-heroes
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In This Episode We Cover:
(00:00) Intro
(01:40) How Uri’s father taught him the importance of failure
(04:55) A story about prioritization
(06:59) Uri’s solution for fundraising with an incomplete product
(09:00) The ups and downs of the start-up journey
(11:04) Why Jewish people are drawn to entrepreneurship and making a positive impact
(12:58) The connection between the kibbutz community and entrepreneurship
(13:25) The Google acquisition of Waze
(13:58) The importance of keeping the main thing the main thing
(15:11) How tikkun olam inspires Uri’s entrepreneurial ventures
(16:48) Chutzpah and the Israeli experience
(17:40) How Uri continues to be inspired by his father
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Where To Find Uri Levine:
• Website: https://urilevine.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/uri-levine/
• X: https://x.com/urilevine1
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Where to Find ADL:
• Website: https://www.adl.org/
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Where To Find Big Shot:
• Website: https://www.bigshot.show/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bigshotpodcast
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bigshotshow
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigshotshow/
• Harley Finkelstein: https://twitter.com/harleyf
• David Segal: https://twitter.com/tea_maverick
• Production and Marketing: https://penname.co
