02 Nov 2021

Take V: Q&A with Bites

Innovation Ecosystem

Leadership & Management

News & Announcements

Take V is a Vertex Holdings spotlight series that dives into the inspiring stories of Vertex’s portfolio founders. In the second episode, we chat with Tal Nagler Almog, Co-founder and COO of Bites. Bites is a portfolio company of Vertex Ventures Israel.


Can you share your background with us and what inspired you to start up?

My professional journey started after I graduated from TAU (Tel Aviv University) and interned at FBC (one of the biggest law firms in TLV); I then decided that I did not see my future as a lawyer and decided to go back to my previous job as a SAT instructor and soon became head of the psychometric division in one of the leading organizations in Israel at the time. That's where I met Hagai, 15 years ago, and we developed several new training products that were considered very innovative. We were pioneers in combining digital tools inside and outside the classroom. I think it was then that I recognized the difficulty of creating short digital training materials, which were also expensive and time-consuming. Hagai and I realized this pain point, and that's when we decided to establish Bites. In the beginning, we aimed for the education industry. However, soon we understood that we had a unique concept for training and professional communication that could lead to great results and be relevant to many other industries and markets, especially for organizations focused on business results.

At this point, we met Eran, who had a rich background in running businesses and entrepreneurship, and we decided to pivot and create Bites for organizations.


What was the most challenging task you experienced or decision made when starting up? And how do you advance when there’s no one single right answer?

I remember the moment when we decided to go to market with our product and sell to the first client very clearly. It was a big and well-known retail company. Obviously, the product was far from perfect, and the client's needs were extensive and profound. Nevertheless, we prepared hard, took the plunge and from that point onward, everything started to move much faster. We knew that we would do everything needed to succeed, support each other as founders, be creative and be dedicated to our products, vision, and success.

What do you think is the secret sauce in building an enduring company?

First, it's about knowing the market very well – your clients, their needs and their aspirations. Always be close to your clients, listen to them, connect with their pain and challenges in order to build solutions that are relevant and effective. Then, it's about knowing your competitors. You need to respect them while being very loyal to your own concept, to what differentiates you and makes you better and unique compared to other solutions. Of course, it is also about staying passionate about building the best product, constantly improving the team and developing the vision.


What is the one thing you do in business that most may not agree with you on?

For the past 18 months, during which we were still rapidly growing, we have been a vital part of the Ministry of Health's fight against Covid and we helped them train and inform doctors, nurses and other medical staff on the daily changing news, regulations and medical procedures. We did so with relatively low pricing, supported them with professional services and with no PR at all since we felt that we were part of something much bigger than us.


As remote working becomes more prevalent, what are some of the ways to keep employee engagement and motivation high?

Always be connected to your team and ensure that they are connected to you and to the company. Whether working from office or home, the best way to manage a company is how you would do it in-person. Continue with the same meetings, conversations, touchpoints. With today's platforms, everyone can stay connected even remotely.

But, having said that, make sure that once in a few days or weeks, you do meet the team face to face.

To find out more about Bites, connect with the team here.

Interested in Technopreneurship? Read more here.

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