10 Things You Didn’t Know About Omri Kohl
Omri Kohl is the CEO and co-founder of Pyramids Analytics, a company that provides an analytics platform. It has recently raised $120 million in a Series E funding round led by H.I.G Growth Partners. Kohl prides himself on being an entrepreneur at heart, having started his first business of making and delivering sandwiches while in college. Within a year, the start-up made enough money to cover his tuition fees and Kohl has since then been co-founding companies. There is a lot more to the CEO as you shall learn from the facts below.
1. He Loves Being an Entrepreneur
Kohl described himself as a co-founder and CEO during his interview with GeekWire. He explained that at the time he was in his fourth co-founding CEO role hence he believes that “builder” was a more befitting title for him. The CEO said that he loves building things and the joy he gets from seeing thing grow is immeasurable.
2. He Believes in Disconnecting for a While
Celebrities have been known for quitting social media for a while to regain some sanity. Selena Gomez, for instance, went off social media but even after returning she has her team peruse her accounts and post on her behalf. If were up to her, she would delete her accounts permanently. The need to disconnect from everything overwhelms everyone at some point and Kohl is no different. He said he cannot live without the “OFF” button because at some point, he wants to be off the grid; refocus, rejuvenate himself and restart.
3. He Can Work from Anywhere
BBC published that after scientists spent $837 million to build a prestigious open-plan space, they discovered that it was not ideal. It was noisy and some of them could barely hear themselves think. While some people therefore prefer a quiet and dedicated workspace, Kohl is cut from a different cloth. He believes that such workspaces are limiting and counterproductive. For the CEO, any place he finds himself in is good enough to be productive. So, even when he goes snowboarding in the mountains, Kohl is ready to get some work done.
4. His Role Models
There is a certain kind of admiration in a person that leads you into trying to be like that person, be it their kindness or strong morals. Most people look up to their parents and some idolize celebrities. However, Kohl does not have anyone in particular he views as a role model. The entrepreneur revealed that so long as you can force him to think, you automatically become his role model.
5. He Was Named One of the Best Performing Microsoft Solution Providers
According to a blog post by Kohl published by Data Shark, the CEO proudly said that the launch of Pyramid 2018 helped him to be recognized among the top 10 best performing Microsoft solution providers of 2018. He said that Pyramid 2018 had been launched with the objective of allowing customers to get a full picture of their business through pulling data from all their systems. Kohl believed that he had managed to attain this goal seeing that Insights Success magazine awarded him that title. The best thing about it is that he accomplished the milestone while still maintaining his best in-class-position in the Microsoft Space.
6. His Inspiration
Kohl draws inspiration from everyone he interacts with, including his children, family, customers and employees. He explained that everyone has an idea or concept you can learn from if you only take your time to listen. Therefore, the entrepreneur never dismisses anyone. On the contrary, he tries to be in touch with as many people as possible, knowing that they all have something to teach him if only he pays attention to the message.
7. He Prefers Recruiting People Smarter Than Himself
Bill Gates revealed that the key for success at Microsoft is hiring very smart people. Steve Jobs also said that he hires smart people and allows them to tell him what to do while Mark Zuckerberg looks for raw intelligence in those he recruits. Such CEOs set precedence for the rest to follow and Kohl has borrowed from this school of thought. He told Enterprise Times, that he tries choosing smart people who help execute the company’s mission, adding that he is a good listener who is ever ready to hear other people’s opinions to facilitate decision making.
8. He Believes in Investing in the Right People
Fast Company explained that startups often spend more than what they earn. Thus, they shut down when the run out of money yet cannot raise more capital. The article argued that the most important metrics for any business is the amount of money available and the monthly burn rate. Consequently, even Kohl advises start-ups to be cautious about spending money. He said that some founders will waste cash on fancy items yet the substantial investment should be in getting the right people.
9. How He Finds the Right People to Employ
When Kohl was asked what he would ask a fellow CEO, he said he would want to know how they find the right people. For him, he goes with his intuition and how good the conversation flows. He reasoned that once he can talk to potential employees and learn about what drives them or things they are passionate about, then their background and academic qualifications only play a secondary role in the hiring decision. However, he also likes being straightforward with people by asking them what their expectations are and if they will be fulfilled.
10. His Education
Kohl appears to be quite the academic achiever. After attaining his undergraduate degree at Bar-Allan University where he studied economics, business management and finance the CEO went ahead to get two masters degrees. He has an MBA in International Business management from New York University and another one from Manchester University.
