Invested by Aleph

On this episode of Invested, Michael sits down with Nir Zohar, President and former COO of Wix.com, who helped transform the company from a scrappy Tel Aviv startup into a global platform serving hundreds of millions. A former naval officer and Chief Engineer on a missile boat, Nir reflects on how military discipline and his years leading the Israeli Scouts shaped his philosophy that management is service, not status. He recounts pivotal moments in Wix’s journey—from the risky Super Bowl campaign to the bet-the-company decision to rebuild on HTML5—and the creation of Wix’s “companies and guilds” structure to empower teams at scale. Nir also discusses leading through crises, from evacuating hundreds of Ukrainian employees during the war to navigating Israel’s upheavals, and why he believes resilience, empowerment, and values-driven leadership are the keys to building enduring companies. Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts! KEY TOPICS  00:00 – Intro 02:17 – Wix’s $10M Super Bowl Gamble 08:52 – Reinventing Retired NFL Legends 13:28 – Being in the Navy Taught Nir to Run a Startup 16:02 – Business Lessons from the Scouts 18:55 – Why Management Should be Service, Not Status 21:43 – Wix Strategy Offsites in the Water 27:25 – Why Wix Employees Bought Their Own Chairs 30:38 – Betting Wix on HTML5 39:41 – The Breakfast That Sparked Wix's IPO 46:18 – How Wix's Leadership Team Stayed Together for 18 Years 50:24 – Why Going Public Gave Wix More Control, Not Less 53:08 – Hiring a Chief Politeness Officer to Say "No" 55:57 – The $80M Bet on Base44 and Vibe Coding 01:02:31 – Cutting Off Russia While Protecting Small Businesses 01:03:33 – Chartering Planes and Building a Kibbutz in Krakow 01:12:22 – How to Lead a Company Through War 01:18:47 – Why Wix Runs on "Companies and Guilds" 01:25:10 – AI Inside Wix: Productivity, Process, and Team Flow 01:26:14 – Why Nir Is Bullish on Small Business in the AI Era RESOURCES Follow Nir on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nirzo  Follow Nir on X  - https://x.com/nirzo  Subscribe to Invested here: https://content.aleph.vc/invested Learn more about Aleph: aleph.vc  Sign up for Aleph’s monthly email newsletter: https://newsletter.aleph.vc/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aleph-vc/ Follow Michael on Twitter: twitter.com/mikeeisenberg Follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mieisenberg/ Follow Aleph on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikeeisenberg ‍Follow Aleph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-vc/ ‍Follow Aleph on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleph.vc/ CREDITS Executive Producer: Erica Marom  Producer: Myron Shneider Video and Editing: Ron Baranov Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar  Content and Editorial: Kira Goldring Design: Rony Karadi

On this episode of Invested, Michael sits down with Gigi Levy-Weiss, a former Israeli attack helicopter pilot turned entrepreneur, investor, and co-founder of the seed fund NFX. Gigi reflects on his journey from combat missions to leading companies like 888 and Playtika, highlighting lessons in leadership, military-style debrief culture, and the value of “good failures.” He shares his founder-first philosophy as a VC, his cautious stance on replacing CEOs, and his thoughts on the ethical complexities of tech - from online gambling to AI. Amid Israel’s political and security upheavals, Gigi also discusses civic responsibility and the vital role of grassroots leadership. Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts! KEY TOPICS  00:00 – Intro 02:00 – Why My Name is Gigi: A Personal and National Story 03:10 – From Helicopter Pilot to CEO: Gigi’s Unconventional Career Path 05:05 – The Israeli Air Force Method of Failure 09:30 – Teaching Civilian Teams to Debrief Like Fighter Pilots 11:45 – How to Build a Culture That Embraces (Good) Failure 14:25 – Celebrating Failure at Playtika 16:50 – Experience vs. Fresh Eyes: Who Should Lead After Failure? 20:10 – Why Gigi Rarely Replaces Founders, Even When They Fail 23:59 – Gigi Selling His First Company and Learning What Not to Do 26:45 – 888 and the Crash: From Private Jet Dreams to Crisis Mode 35:30 – Gigi’s Biggest Lessons from Running 888 38:55 – Hire for Talent Over Experience 40:00 – Building Playtika and Accidentally Creating Slotomania 46:50 – Wrestling with the Ethics of Online Gambling 52:20 – Facebook, Games, and Losing Faith in Tech’s “Goodness” 54:10 – If Gigi Were the AI Ethics Czar, He Would… 56:00 – The AGI Arms Race and the Collapse of Trust in Truth 59:20 – Are the Ultra-Orthodox Ahead or Behind? 01:01:00 – Founding NFX: From Angel Investor to Seed VC 01:06:00 – The Startups Gigi is Most Proud of 01:08:50 – Building Line Five: A Response to October 7th 01:10:55 – Why Gigi Took a Public Role in the Judicial Reform Protests 01:13:30 – Israel’s Founders Agreement Problem 01:16:30 – October 7th and the Rise of Civilian Emergency Networks 01:19:25 – Feature or Bug? When Citizens Replace Government 01:20:10 – The Next Generation of VCs That Give Gigi Hope 01:21:53 – Reflections on Responsibility, Legacy, and Leadership RESOURCES Follow Gigi on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gigilevy/  Follow Gigi on X  - https://x.com/gigilevy  Subscribe to Invested here: https://content.aleph.vc/invested Learn more about Aleph: aleph.vc  Sign up for Aleph’s monthly email newsletter: https://newsletter.aleph.vc/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aleph-vc/ Follow Michael on Twitter: twitter.com/mikeeisenberg Follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mieisenberg/ Follow Aleph on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikeeisenberg ‍Follow Aleph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-vc/ ‍Follow Aleph on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleph.vc/ CREDITS Executive Producer: Erica Marom  Producer: Myron Shneider Video and Editing: Ron Baranov Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar  Content and Editorial: Kira Goldring Design: Rony Karadi

On this episode of Invested, Michael hosts Micha Kaufman, the founder and CEO of Fiverr - the global freelance marketplace that helped define the gig economy. Since launching the platform in 2010, Micha has led Fiverr from a scrappy, bootstrapped startup into a publicly traded company offering millions of services across hundreds of categories. Before that, he built three other companies and began his career as an intellectual property lawyer, where he was involved in drafting what he describes as Google’s first patent in Israel. A vocal advocate for self-reliance in the age of AI, Micha believes freelancers are better equipped than corporate employees to adapt, automate, and thrive. He recently led Israel’s high-tech delegation to Auschwitz, a personal and national mission to preserve memory and meaning for the next generation. Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts!  KEY TOPICS  00:05:40 Why Fiverr Launched With a $5 Price Tag00:09:28 The Things You Can Do for Five Bucks00:17:42 The Infamous Four Seasons Debacle00:24:20 AI and the End of Low-Skill Tasks00:27:54 Freelancers Upskill Faster Than Employees00:33:30 You’re Responsible for Your Career Growth, Not Your Boss00:49:14 Automate Yourself, Then Create More Value00:58:00 Fiverr’s Mission in an AI-Driven Future01:04:32 Going Public: Lessons and Regrets01:16:17 Why Micha led a High-Tech Delegation to Auschwitz RESOURCES Follow Micha on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michakaufman/  Follow Micha on X  - https://x.com/michakaufman  Subscribe to Invested here: ⁠https://content.aleph.vc/invested⁠ Learn more about Aleph:⁠ aleph.vc⁠  Sign up for Aleph’s monthly email newsletter:⁠ ⁠⁠https://newsletter.aleph.vc/⁠ Subscribe to our YouTube channel:⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@aleph-vc/⁠ Follow Michael on Twitter:⁠ twitter.com/mikeeisenberg⁠ Follow Michael on LinkedIn:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mieisenberg/⁠ Follow Aleph on Twitter:⁠ https://twitter.com/mikeeisenberg⁠ ‍Follow Aleph on LinkedIn:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-vc/⁠ ‍Follow Aleph on Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/aleph.vc/⁠ CREDITS Executive Producer: Erica Marom  Producer: Myron Shneider Video and Editing: Ron Baranov Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar  Content and Editorial: Kira Goldring Design: Rony Karadi

On this episode of Invested, Michael hosts Samuel Arbesman, the Scientist in Residence at Lux Capital. In addition, he is an xLab senior fellow at Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management and a research fellow at the Long Now Foundation. He is the author of The Magic of Code, Overcomplicated, and The Half-Life of Facts, and his writing has appeared in such places as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and Wired, where he was previously a contributing writer. He lives in Cleveland with his family. The first computer he used was a Commodore VIC-20. Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts!  KEY TOPICS  00:00:00 The Intersection of AI and Creativity 00:03:11 What it Means to Be a Scientist in VC 00:05:55 The Frontier of Computation and Biology 00:08:51 Biology as a New Computing Paradigm 00:11:45 The Future of Personalized Simulations 00:15:10 Applying Complexity Science 00:17:49 Sci-Fi Ideas in Biotechnology 00:21:07 Ethics of Biohacking and Human Enhancement 00:24:14 Humility and Personal Values in Science 00:36:57 Embracing Uncertainty in Knowledge 00:39:20 The Power of Incremental Progress 00:40:38 Learning from History and Tradition 00:43:59 Reconciling Science with Tradition 00:46:01 The Role of Community in Modern Life 00:48:41 Individualism vs. Community in Tech 00:50:06 Cultural Foundations in Tech Development 00:57:09 AI: Evolution or Revolution? 01:03:06 Finding Meaning in a Post-Scarcity World RESOURCES Follow Samuel on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/arbesman/  Follow Samuel on X  - https://x.com/arbesman  Subscribe to Invested here: https://content.aleph.vc/invested Learn more about Aleph: aleph.vc  Sign up for Aleph’s monthly email newsletter: https://newsletter.aleph.vc/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aleph-vc/ Follow Michael on Twitter: twitter.com/mikeeisenberg Follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mieisenberg/ Follow Aleph on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikeeisenberg ‍Follow Aleph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-vc/ ‍Follow Aleph on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleph.vc/ CREDITS Executive Producer: Erica Marom  Producer: Myron Shneider, Yoni Mayer Video and Editing: Ron Baranov Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar  Content and Editorial: Kira Goldring Design: Rony Karadi

On this episode of Invested, Michael hosts two of the co-founders of Dream, Shalev Hulio and Sebastian Kurz.  Sebastian Kurz is a former Austrian politician who served as Chancellor of Austria from 2017 to 2019, and again from 2020 to 2021. A member of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), he began his political career in the party's youth wing, rising to prominence as State Secretary for Integration (2011–2013) and Foreign Minister (2013–2017). Kurz led the ÖVP to victory in the 2017 election, becoming one of the world's youngest heads of government at age 31. Since leaving politics, Kurz has worked as a global strategist and entrepreneur. Shalev Hulio is a serial entrepreneur and cybersecurity expert. He co-founded NSO Group in 2010, serving as CEO until August 2022, where he oversaw the development of Pegasus, a controversial spyware used by governments to track criminal and terrorist activity. Prior to NSO, Hulio co-founded several tech ventures, including CommuniTake and Kaymera Technologies.  Together with Gil Dolev, Sebastian and Shalev founded Dream Security in January 2023, which specializes in AI-powered cyber defense. Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts!  KEY TOPICS  00:00:00 The Unexpected Birth Story of Dream 00:05:50 From Politics to Tech Entrepreneurship 00:11:48 Cybersecurity: From Offense to Defense 00:14:35 Why AI Matters in Cybersecurity 00:17:32 Cyber Attacks and National Security 00:20:55 NSO & Building Trust in High-Stakes Environments 00:23:54 The Future of Cybersecurity and Ethics 00:26:53 Investing in Times of Crisis 00:29:34 Cybersecurity and Geopolitical Tensions 00:32:59 Dream’s Vision and Market Strategy 00:35:42 Cybersecurity: Challenges and Opportunities 00:44:48 The Importance of Leadership 00:56:29 The Birth of Dream 01:02:01 Cybersecurity as a National Threat 01:06:23 The Changing Landscape of Defense Spending 01:10:32 The Growth of Dream 01:12:01 Navigating Ethical Boundaries in Cybersecurity RESOURCES Follow Sebastian on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastian-kurz/  Follow Shalev on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shalevholy/  Follow Sebastian on X  - https://x.com/sebastiankurz  Subscribe to Invested here: https://content.aleph.vc/invested Learn more about Aleph: aleph.vc  Sign up for Aleph’s monthly email newsletter: https://newsletter.aleph.vc/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aleph-vc/ Follow Michael on Twitter: twitter.com/mikeeisenberg Follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mieisenberg/ Follow Aleph on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikeeisenberg ‍Follow Aleph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-vc/ ‍Follow Aleph on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleph.vc/ CREDITS Executive Producer: Erica Marom  Producer: Yoni Mayer, Myron Shneider Video and Editing: Ron Baranov Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar  Content and Editorial: Kira Goldring Design: Rony Karadi

In this deeply personal episode, Michael Eisenberg pauses the usual cadence of Invested to deliver a powerful message about the unfolding war between Israel and Iran. Five days into a conflict triggered by Iran’s escalating aggression, Michael shares an unfiltered account of the situation on the ground, from nightly missile attacks targeting civilians to Israel’s unprecedented precision response across 2,000 kilometers. He explains the motivations behind Israel’s military strategy, the human toll on Israeli families, and the indomitable resilience of a nation innovating under fire–including the story of Shalev Hulio, the CEO of Dream and IDF reservist, who is currently saving lives by day and taking customer calls at night. This episode is more than a wartime update. It’s a call to understand the moral clarity of the moment, the sacrifices being made, and the profound implications for the future of Israel, Iran, and the broader Middle East. Listen for a rare, intimate window into a pivotal moment in history–and what it means for the world. Listen and subscribe to Invested: https://content.aleph.vc/invested RESOURCES Subscribe to Invested here: https://content.aleph.vc/invested Learn more about Aleph: aleph.vc Sign up for Aleph’s monthly email newsletter: https://newsletter.aleph.vc/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aleph-vc/ Follow Michael on Twitter: twitter.com/mikeeisenberg Follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mieisenberg/ Follow Aleph on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikeeisenberg ‍Follow Aleph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-vc/ ‍Follow Aleph on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleph.vc/ CREDITS Executive Producer: Erica Marom Producer: Yoni Mayer Video and Editing: Ron Baranov Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar Content and Editorial: Kira Goldring Design: Rony Karadi

On this episode of Invested, Michael hosts Gali Arnon, former Chief Business Officer at Fiverr, the global freelance marketplace that connects businesses with independent talent. Gali joined Fiverr in 2017 as Chief Marketing Officer, helping lead the company’s transformation into a globally recognized brand and guiding its growth through a successful IPO. She later served as Chief Business Officer, overseeing Fiverr’s core marketplace operations and strategic business initiatives.           Prior to Fiverr, Gali held executive roles at Brightcom, an ad tech company, where she served as CEO, and at 888 Holdings, where she led multiple departments and business units and served as VP of Professional Services. She began her career at Wall Street Institute Israel, eventually becoming its CEO. Gali holds a BA in Communication and Psychology and an MBA, both from Tel Aviv University, and is a longtime advocate for women in tech and leadership. Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts!  KEY TOPICS  [00:00:00] The Evolving Role of the CMO [00:03:05] Core Values and Personal Journey [00:05:58] Gali’s Competitive Drive and Leadership Style [00:09:03] Fiverr Rebranding from $5 Services  [00:12:02] How AI Is Shaping Freelancing and Work [00:15:08] Women in Tech and AI Adoption [00:17:58] The Future of Work: Humans vs. AI [00:21:08] Embracing Change in the Age of AI [00:25:50] AI FOMO and Information Overload [00:28:00] Choosing Between AI and Human Services [00:35:07] Branding as a CMO in a Changing World [00:38:59] Emotional Branding in the AI Era [00:46:55] Brand Lessons from Fiverr’s Journey [00:51:02] Personal Values and Branding Responsibility RESOURCES Follow Gali on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gali-arnon/ Subscribe to Invested here: https://content.aleph.vc/invested Learn more about Aleph: aleph.vc  Sign up for Aleph’s monthly email newsletter: https://newsletter.aleph.vc/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aleph-vc/ Follow Michael on Twitter: twitter.com/mikeeisenberg Follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mieisenberg/ Follow Aleph on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikeeisenberg ‍Follow Aleph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-vc/ ‍Follow Aleph on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleph.vc/ CREDITS Executive Producer: Erica Marom  Producer: Yoni Mayer, Myron Shneider Video and Editing: Ron Baranov Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar  Content and Editorial: Kira Goldring Design: Rony Karadi

On this episode of Invested, Michael hosts Eli Ben-Sasson, a co-founder and CEO of StarkWare, and Chairman of its Board of Directors. StarkWare is a Sequoia-backed startup whose latest fundraise was at a $8b valuation. StarkWare specializes in the productization of zero knowledge proofs via Starknet, a permissionless blockchain that scales both Ethereum and Bitcoin. Eli has been researching cryptographic and zero knowledge proofs of computational integrity ever since he received his Phd in Theoretical Computer Science from the Hebrew University in 2001. Eli is a co-inventor of the STARK, FRI and Zerocash protocols and a Founding Scientist of the Zcash Company. Over the years he held research positions at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton, Harvard and MIT, and, most recently, was a Professor of CS at Technion, which he left to co-found StarkWare. Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts!  KEY TOPICS   [00:00:00] The Core Innovation of Blockchain  [00:02:59] What Starkware Is and Why It Matters  [00:05:59] Zero-Knowledge Proofs Made Simple  [00:09:09] Building Trust and Integrity in Blockchain  [00:11:51] Foundational Principles of Blockchain  [00:15:02] Why Decentralization Matters  [00:17:52] From Academia to Blockchain  [00:21:09] Blockchain and the Future of Finance  [00:23:50] Barriers to Blockchain Adoption  [00:26:56] Israel’s Contribution to Cryptography  [00:30:08] Blockchain and the Future of Governance  [00:36:33] Rethinking Banking with Blockchain  [00:40:05] What’s Broken in Financial Systems  [00:42:13] Trust and Integrity in Transactions  [00:47:51] Making Sense of the Crypto Cycle  [00:51:05] Trust, Integrity, and What’s Next  [00:54:36] Why Math Will Always Matter  [01:01:27] Personal Reflections and Takeaways RESOURCES Follow Eli on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/eli-ben-sasson Follow Eli on X - https://x.com/EliBenSasson Subscribe to Invested here: https://content.aleph.vc/invested Learn more about Aleph: aleph.vc  Sign up for Aleph’s monthly email newsletter: https://newsletter.aleph.vc/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aleph-vc/ Follow Michael on Twitter: twitter.com/mikeeisenberg Follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mieisenberg/ Follow Aleph on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikeeisenberg ‍Follow Aleph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-vc/ ‍Follow Aleph on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleph.vc/ CREDITS Executive Producer: Erica Marom  Producer: Yoni Mayer + Myron Shneider Video and Editing: Ron Baranov Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar  Content and Editorial: Kira Goldring Design: Rony Karadi

On this episode of Invested, Michael hosts Katie Stanton, the Founder and General Partner of Moxxie Ventures, which is an early-stage venture fund. Prior to Moxxie, Katie served in numerous executive operating roles at Twitter, Google, Yahoo, and Color. In addition to working in Silicon Valley, Katie served in the (Obama) White House and State Department and began her career as a banker at JP Morgan Chase. Katie sits on the Board of Vivendi, a French multinational media company headquartered in Paris, and previously served on the Board of Time Inc.  Katie started her venture career as a Founding Partner of #Angels and has invested in over 100 early-stage companies including Airtable, Calm, Cameo, Carta, Coinbase, Literati, Modern Fertility, and  Shape Security. Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts!  KEY TOPICS  [00:00:00] Intro [00:02:57] The Value of Service  [00:06:01] Moving from Private to Public Sector [00:09:06] Getting into Tech and Innovation [00:11:52] Inside the Obama White House [00:14:59] Challenges of Government Work [00:18:09] Twitter and Social Media Dynamics [00:20:54] Trust and Safety on Social Platforms [00:23:59] Future of Social Media and Community [00:40:48] Today’s Role of Media Companies [00:45:33] Trust and Mistrust in the Media [00:49:07] How Media Shapes Society’s Future [00:50:23] From Operator to Investor [00:54:00] Why Katie Started Moxxie [00:57:06] Facing Challenges in Venture Capital [01:01:21] How AI Will Change Healthcare [01:06:32] Health Tech and Regulatory Hurdles [01:11:08] Reflections on Life and Loss RESOURCES Follow Katie on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiestanton/  Follow Katie on X - https://x.com/katies Subscribe to Invested here: https://content.aleph.vc/invested Learn more about Aleph: aleph.vc  Sign up for Aleph’s monthly email newsletter: https://newsletter.aleph.vc/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aleph-vc/ Follow Michael on Twitter: twitter.com/mikeeisenberg Follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mieisenberg/ Follow Aleph on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikeeisenberg ‍Follow Aleph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-vc/ ‍Follow Aleph on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleph.vc/ CREDITS Executive Producer: Erica Marom  Producer: Yoni Mayer Video and Editing: Ron Baranov Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar  Content and Editorial: Kira Goldring Design: Rony Karadi

Sarah Tavel, General Partner at Benchmark, shares her journey as a pioneering female partner in venture capital and her insights from leading investments at renowned firms like Bessemer and Greylock. She discusses the critical balance between ambition and caution in tech investing and explores how AI can revolutionize business models while reducing friction in various sectors. Tavel emphasizes the evolving competitive landscape and the importance of personal branding for VCs, alongside the unique challenges faced by women in the industry.