I spent the first week of December in Seoul.  It was my first trip to Korea and I left inspired by the city, its energy, and its spirit.  The country has emerged as a global innovation powerhouse and I was glad to have the chance to get a glimpse into what made it tick.  

As someone incredibly curious about the conditions (social, political, and economic) that catalyze entrepreneurial cultures, I was consistently struck by the parallels between Seoul and Tel Aviv - another city that punches way above its weight class in terms of spawning innovation.  A couple of striking similarities:

Geographic Adversity: Korea has been sandwiched between China and Japan and has, throughout history, been a theater of conflict between these two historical powers.  Seoul now sits precariously close to North Korean missles.  Korea has little in the way of natural resources and must import nearly all of its energy sources.  Israel’s geographic adversity needs no explanation.  This adversity has become a source of…

Defiance & Courage: Both cultures stand proudly defiant and courageous in the face of this geographic adversity and outright hostility.  I flew into Seoul a day after North Korea had announced that it couldn’t ensure the safety of passenger planes flying near its airspace.  Tensions were, and remain, very high on the peninsula, yet everyone I met seemed entirely dismissive of the threat and eager to criticize international media for painting the situation as far more dangerous that it was.  Israelis display the identical attitude towards threats of terrorism and potential missile attacks.  It feels heretical in Tel Aviv to display any sense of fear.  I think that this drive to succeed in the face of external threats is an incredibly powerful cultural force for entrepreneurs in both countries.

Export Driven: Both small nations (Israel far smaller than Korea) are developing world class technology, but must look abroad for large markets as domestic sales are inherently limited.  The Koreans that I met seemed particularly impressed by the Israelis ability to penetrate U.S. and Western markets and remarked that they needed to do a better job in this area.  In a world increasingly built on cross-border opportunities, both Korea and Israel are at an advantage in that export driven thinking has been a necessity and is now second nature. 

Hustle: It would be cliche and stereotypical to say that both cultures value education - they do, but I think that it is more than smarts separating the entrepreneurs in these countries.  I think that it is the combination of intelligence and hustle that is the real spark.  Israelis can be short and aggressive, but I think outsiders mistake this as an unfriendly, rather than a driving desire to get sh*t done.  The Koreans that I met were perhaps more socially tactful and gregarious than my Israeli friends, but were similarly disposed toward real actionable opportunities.  

Side Dishes: I’m not yet certain how it drives entrepreneurship, but dining in both cities features elaborate spreads of side dishes and sharing a meal feels a central part of cementing relationships.  

Perhaps it is something in the kimchi and hummus, but I truly love both these cities and hope to spend more time in both.