<p>In this special episode of <em>Big Shot</em>, 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<em> Fall in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution</em>, a must-read guide for entrepreneurs.</p> <p>In our conversation today, we cover: </p> <p>• Lessons on failure and prioritization from Uri’s father</p> <p>• A clever hack he used to pitch Waze with an incomplete product</p> <p>• The cultural drive behind the Jewish ambition to create positive change</p> <p>• The story of the many millionaires created by Waze’s acquisition</p> <p>• And so much more!</p> <p><br /></p> <p>A special thank you to ADL In Concert Against Hate. You can learn more here <a href="https://www.adl.org/adl-concert-against-hate-shines-light-heroes" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.adl.org/adl-concert-against-hate-shines-light-heroes</a></p> <p>—</p> <p><strong>In This Episode We Cover:</strong></p> <p>(00:00) Intro</p> <p>(01:40) How Uri’s father taught him the importance of failure</p> <p>(04:55) A story about prioritization</p> <p>(06:59) Uri’s solution for fundraising with an incomplete product</p> <p>(09:00) The ups and downs of the start-up journey</p> <p>(11:04) Why Jewish people are drawn to entrepreneurship and making a positive impact</p> <p>(12:58) The connection between the kibbutz community and entrepreneurship</p> <p>(13:25) The Google acquisition of Waze </p> <p>(13:58) The importance of keeping the main thing the main thing </p> <p>(15:11) How tikkun olam inspires Uri’s entrepreneurial ventures </p> <p>(16:48) Chutzpah and the Israeli experience </p> <p>(17:40) How Uri continues to be inspired by his father </p> <p><br /></p> <p>—</p> <p><strong>Where To Find Uri Levine:</strong> • Website: <a href="https://urilevine.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://urilevine.com/</a></p> <p>• LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/uri-levine/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/in/uri-levine/</a></p> <p>• X: <a href="https://x.com/urilevine1" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://x.com/urilevine1</a></p> <p>—</p> <p><strong>Where to Find ADL:</strong></p> <p>• Website: <a href="https://www.adl.org/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.adl.org/</a></p> <p>—</p> <p><strong>Where To Find Big Shot: </strong></p> <p>• Website: <a href="https://bigshot.show/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a><a href="https://www.bigshot.show/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.bigshot.show/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p> <p>• YouTube: ⁠<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@bigshotpodcast" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@bigshotpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>⁠  </p> <p>• TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@bigshotshow" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@bigshotshow⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p> <p>• Instagram: ⁠<a href="https://www.instagram.com/bigshotshow" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/bigshotshow/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>⁠  </p> <p>• Harley Finkelstein: <a href="https://twitter.com/harleyf" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/harleyf⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a> </p> <p>• David Segal: <a href="https://twitter.com/tea_maverick" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/tea_maverick⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p> <p>• Production and Marketing: <a href="https://penname.co/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://penname.co⁠</a></p>

Big Shot

Big Shot

How The Founder of Waze Went From Getting Fired To Building a Billion-Dollar Business | Uri Levine

DEC 12, 202419 MIN
Big Shot

How The Founder of Waze Went From Getting Fired To Building a Billion-Dollar Business | Uri Levine

DEC 12, 202419 MIN

Description

<p>In this special episode of <em>Big Shot</em>, 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<em> Fall in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution</em>, a must-read guide for entrepreneurs.</p> <p>In our conversation today, we cover: </p> <p>• Lessons on failure and prioritization from Uri’s father</p> <p>• A clever hack he used to pitch Waze with an incomplete product</p> <p>• The cultural drive behind the Jewish ambition to create positive change</p> <p>• The story of the many millionaires created by Waze’s acquisition</p> <p>• And so much more!</p> <p><br /></p> <p>A special thank you to ADL In Concert Against Hate. You can learn more here <a href="https://www.adl.org/adl-concert-against-hate-shines-light-heroes" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.adl.org/adl-concert-against-hate-shines-light-heroes</a></p> <p>—</p> <p><strong>In This Episode We Cover:</strong></p> <p>(00:00) Intro</p> <p>(01:40) How Uri’s father taught him the importance of failure</p> <p>(04:55) A story about prioritization</p> <p>(06:59) Uri’s solution for fundraising with an incomplete product</p> <p>(09:00) The ups and downs of the start-up journey</p> <p>(11:04) Why Jewish people are drawn to entrepreneurship and making a positive impact</p> <p>(12:58) The connection between the kibbutz community and entrepreneurship</p> <p>(13:25) The Google acquisition of Waze </p> <p>(13:58) The importance of keeping the main thing the main thing </p> <p>(15:11) How tikkun olam inspires Uri’s entrepreneurial ventures </p> <p>(16:48) Chutzpah and the Israeli experience </p> <p>(17:40) How Uri continues to be inspired by his father </p> <p><br /></p> <p>—</p> <p><strong>Where To Find Uri Levine:</strong> • Website: <a href="https://urilevine.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://urilevine.com/</a></p> <p>• LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/uri-levine/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/in/uri-levine/</a></p> <p>• X: <a href="https://x.com/urilevine1" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://x.com/urilevine1</a></p> <p>—</p> <p><strong>Where to Find ADL:</strong></p> <p>• Website: <a href="https://www.adl.org/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.adl.org/</a></p> <p>—</p> <p><strong>Where To Find Big Shot: </strong></p> <p>• Website: <a href="https://bigshot.show/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a><a href="https://www.bigshot.show/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.bigshot.show/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p> <p>• YouTube: ⁠<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@bigshotpodcast" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@bigshotpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>⁠  </p> <p>• TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@bigshotshow" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@bigshotshow⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p> <p>• Instagram: ⁠<a href="https://www.instagram.com/bigshotshow" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/bigshotshow/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>⁠  </p> <p>• Harley Finkelstein: <a href="https://twitter.com/harleyf" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/harleyf⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a> </p> <p>• David Segal: <a href="https://twitter.com/tea_maverick" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/tea_maverick⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p> <p>• Production and Marketing: <a href="https://penname.co/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://penname.co⁠</a></p>