Tech Leaders: Ori Manor Zuckerman, CEO, SubStrata

Welcome to my Tech Leaders Interview Series, where I interview impactful leaders and ask them to share tips and techniques that have benefited them, both in their personal and professional lives. 

This interview is with Ori Manor Zuckerman, Co-Founder & CEO of SubStrata. 

About Ori: 

Ori Manor Zuckerman is 40 years old, married+1 lives in Tel-Aviv. He served in a special Naval Intelligence Unit (Israeli Navy). Co-founded several startups, including DiscoverCloud.com, Dadaviz (Acq. by Vocatic), Unomy (Acq. by WeWork). Today serves as Co-founder & CEO at SubStrata.

 Q: What are your main productivity tips? 

• Keep an active (daily) journal, either digital or physical. Mine is digital, and I’ve been consistently writing in it for over three years now. It helps me endure the constant pressures of startup life and stay on track. It’s also a great way to record your journey.
• Read “Getting Things Done,”: and if you already have, read it again and implement as much as you can. It offers a very solid method of dealing with today’s information overload—pure gold. 

Q: What is your favorite drink? 

Coke Zero, unfortunately. 

Q: How do you deal with stress and anxiety?

 On top of what’s said above, I (try) to stay in shape, do plenty of physical exercises and stay as socially active as possible.

Q: Your tips for aspiring entrepreneurs? 

1. Entrepreneurship isn’t a hobby: Don’t do it unless you’re seriously in love with what you do. This will help you go through many (inevitable) tough moments.
2. Choose your co-founders/partners very carefully. Make sure they are good and naturally driven people (i.e., this isn’t a hobby for them either).
3. A great/lucrative idea is far from being enough: your idea needs to be something you’re mentally and emotionally willing to back, fight for, and nurture for well over a decade.
4. Know your target market and industry better than anyone (and then spend some more time on getting to know them even better).

Q: Who in the Tech industry would you like to meet for lunch? 

Satya Nadella & Eric Schmidt.

Q: If you could live anywhere, where would it be? 

Where I live today, in my beloved Tel Aviv. 

Q: What is your favorite book recommendation? 

Getting Things Done, Atomic Habits, Pitch Anything

Q: Why are you in Tech? 

This is the only place where my dreams and ideas can come true. This is where I can take part in building the future. It excites me, and even when things are tough, it never feels like “work.”

About SubStrata: 

SubStrata is a novel developer of nonverbal communication AI technology that helps dealmakers and negotiators become more sensitive, aware, and attuned to implicit (nonverbal) social signals that can make or break business deals. By analyzing interactions, hierarchies, and relationships in email and conference calls, substrata help dealmakers improve their win rates and avoid costly mistakes.

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