Roei Deutsch is CEO and Co-Founder of Jolt, a Business School for the Self Made that gives you a competitive advantage from day one.

He founded and sold his first company at the age of 15, finished high school 2 years early aged 16 and had his own tech news segment on one of Israel’s major TV networks.

After serving in the elite IDF 8200 intelligence unit, he moved into politics, running the digital elections campaign of centrist party Yesh Atid, helping them place second in their first ever election.

He then founded Jolt a learning startup built on local learning hubs that allow professionals to acquire the skills and connections they need by leveraging an international network of experts who deliver classes remotely over video.

They’ve now raised $23 million from investors including Balderton with alternative degree programs now offered in Israel, UK and NYC.

In this episode we discuss:

- The best practices for learning Roei acquired while serving in the elite IDF 8200 intelligence unit
- The key insights he learned about communicating a message from his time as a political campaign manager
- The skills knowledge workers need to thrive in the 21st century and what Jolt is doing to help people acquire the skills they need to thrive in the 21st century

We also talk about business and politics as vehicles for making change and Roei’s own learning habits. This conversation was a packed full of useful ideas that will make you reflect on how you’re approaching your learning and what you can do better.

Show Notes‍

• Introducing Roei [00:39]
• What was school like for Roei? How was his experience finishing high school at age 16? [02:59]
• Why does Roei consider his military training as his first good experience with learning? [04:10]
• What qualities made military training efficient and smooth-running? [05:57]
• What components of a good learning experience do military trainers try to teach to aspiring trainers? [08:51]
• What was Roei’s experience starting a business and getting picked up by Israel’s biggest broadcasting company at age 14? [11:43]
• How did Roei become a digital campaign manager for Yesh Atid, one of Israel’s political parties? [15:11]
• How do you communicate a message that resonates with people, especially in a political campaign? [17:43]
• When did Roei realise that startups can bring the change that he wants to happen in the world? [21:24]
• Why is it more important for Jolt to direct business to consumers rather than other businesses? [25:42]
• How do you effectively teach soft skills to employees? How does Jolt select which skills to focus on and develop for their learners? [30:42]
• As a CEO of a higher education startup, how does Roei apply Jolt’s learning philosophies to his personal process? [33:52]
• What is something that Roei has changed his mind about recently? [37:40]
• How does Roei prioritise money, power, and fame? [38:38]
• Closing remarks [39:39]

Resources

🖥Jolt.io - A Business School for the Self Made

▶️ Workplaces Are the Schools of the 21st Century | Roei Deutsch

📄Unit 8200: Israel’s cyber spy agency | Financial Times

📄Yair Lapid Helps Israel Turn Toward the Center | New York Times