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Building a startup today is tougher than ever. Amid technological booms like AI and constant geopolitical shifts, founders must move faster, learn smarter, and adapt constantly. A striking example of this pressure comes from the Growth+ project, a collaboration between Calcalist and Poalim Tech, where seasoned entrepreneurs mentor early-stage founders to help them thrive against all odds.
One recent mentorship session brought together Hani Goldstein, founder of the successful corporate gifting platform Snappy, and Eti Neaman, the founder of Neao, a mental health startup. Their conversation sheds light on the harsh realities of building a startup, the importance of pivoting early, and the critical need for speed in taking products to market.
Here’s a condensed look at the valuable insights shared during their meeting:
Key Points:
- Growth+ by Calcalist and Poalim Tech connects seasoned entrepreneurs with new founders, fostering startup growth through mentorship.
- Hani Goldstein of Snappy recounted her early struggles: spending a year and a half building a product only to discover it didn’t resonate with their intended audience.
- The breakthrough came unexpectedly when businesses—not individual consumers—showed strong interest, leading to a pivotal pivot towards corporate clients.
- Hani’s key takeaway: Go to market as quickly as possible to validate your product and avoid wasting precious time and resources.
- Eti Neaman of Neao is facing modern entrepreneurial hurdles: difficulty raising funds in the less-recognized mental health sector and breaking into heavily regulated healthcare organizations.
- Hani advised Eti to find a technology partner to speed up development and overcome barriers more efficiently.
- Mutual learning was a central theme: Eti valued Hani’s hard-earned fundraising and scaling insights, while Hani admired the origin of Eti’s mission-driven startup, which grew from grassroots volunteer efforts.
- Michal Kissos Hertzog, CEO of Poalim Tech, emphasized the modern entrepreneur’s dual challenge: navigating rapid tech changes (especially AI) while managing personal wellbeing in a tense geopolitical and economic environment.
- Growth+ continues to serve as a vital bridge, helping Israeli entrepreneurs find the right strategies and mental resilience to succeed.
What Undercode Say:
Analyzing the Growth+ mentorship insights reveals broader startup truths essential for anyone building in today’s volatile environment.
First, the market dictates product success, not the founder’s original vision. Hani Goldstein’s experience is a classic example of a needed pivot. Despite significant time and resource investment, real product-market fit only became visible after launch—and it wasn’t the market they originally anticipated. This mirrors the Lean Startup methodology, where early and frequent testing beats lengthy, unvalidated development.
Second, speed to market is critical
Third, the funding landscape is harder for impact-driven startups. Eti’s challenges raising funds highlight an important trend: sectors like mental health still lag in venture capital interest compared to hot sectors like AI or fintech. Founders in these spaces must be even more strategic, often needing stronger evidence of market viability or societal shifts to sway investors.
Fourth, regulatory barriers are real and can slow or sink startups targeting healthcare or government-adjacent sectors. Startups like Neao must account for these timelines in their runway planning, strategic partnerships, and go-to-market tactics.
Finally, mental resilience and balance are no longer optional. As Michal Kissos Hertzog notes, the pressures today are multilayered. Founders must proactively guard against burnout and maintain personal stability to guide their companies through uncertain waters.
What we also see is the importance of mentorship and knowledge sharing. Programs like Growth+ aren’t just nice-to-haves—they’re crucial structures that help early founders shortcut common mistakes, adapt faster, and build stronger, more resilient businesses.
As entrepreneurship becomes even more complex.
Fact Checker Results:
- The Growth+ initiative by Calcalist and Poalim Tech is verifiably active in 2025, offering mentorship to Israeli startups.
- Hani Goldstein is confirmed as the founder of Snappy, a corporate gifting platform, now well-established in the U.S. market.
- The economic and geopolitical challenges affecting Israeli startups, including impacts from ongoing security issues and the global economic climate, are well-documented and current.
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References:
Reported By: calcalistechcom_cca2dc4ab5b28cc0f39ca340
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