On R&D

What is "On R&D" about?

Gilad reframes 'what industry am I in' by proposing that everyone is really in the high-tech business, where high-tech is defined not by appearance (laptops, startups, modern offices) but by R&D intensity—the share of resources devoted to research and experimentation, citing an OECD/JRC threshold of above 7%. Under this lens, a company or person can look modern yet be culturally defensive and resistant to testing new ideas, while a very ordinary business or life becomes 'high-tech in spirit' by committing real resources to experimentation and improvement. He extends this to personal domains: body, relationships, leadership, and business all benefit from treating life like a lab that runs small, structured experiments rather than repeating the same routines and hoping for different results. The piece ends with a concrete framework of questions, including defining a near-term experiment small enough to complete, specifying what would count as learning (not just success), and scheduling a review—because, as Gilad states, R&D without review is just activity. He urges starting the 'lab' immediately rather than waiting for ideal conditions.

In brief

What are the key takeaways?

1. 01True high-tech is defined by R&D intensity (reinvestment in experimentation), not surface appearance.
2. 02Treat your business, body, and relationships like a lab, running deliberate small experiments.
3. 03Define what would count as learning (not just success) and schedule a review, or experimentation becomes mere activity.