I couldn't agree more. I have friends at McKinsey London who are working 8AM-11PM every night, and I have friends at McKinsey Amsterdam who work 9AM-6PM.
Different places have different cultures. I'm not going to go so far as to say that Israel's work culture is more relaxed than the valley's, because people work their asses off here, too, but I think there's definitely a more "chilled" attitude here. As an example, most people go to the army for at least 2-3 years, then take 6-12 months off to explore the world before getting their bachelor's degree (which takes 4-5 years). How many people in the valley have this kind of lax attitude? In fact, most of the valley's prized examples can't even wait to finish their freshman year of college... see the difference?
I also think the fact that most people are a little older and have a little more perspective (having served a minimum of 3 years defending their country) changes the dynamic. Just my opinions.
Different places have different cultures. I'm not going to go so far as to say that Israel's work culture is more relaxed than the valley's, because people work their asses off here, too, but I think there's definitely a more "chilled" attitude here. As an example, most people go to the army for at least 2-3 years, then take 6-12 months off to explore the world before getting their bachelor's degree (which takes 4-5 years). How many people in the valley have this kind of lax attitude? In fact, most of the valley's prized examples can't even wait to finish their freshman year of college... see the difference?
I also think the fact that most people are a little older and have a little more perspective (having served a minimum of 3 years defending their country) changes the dynamic. Just my opinions.