What happens when someone who never wanted to be an architect ends up leading one of the most successful architecture firms in Israel?
That’s the story of Amos Peleg—a man whose winding journey took him from architectural studies he didn’t love, through billion-dollar tech deals, a failed startup, and finally, back into architecture with renewed purpose and an entrepreneurial mindset. Amos joined me on the EntreArchitect Podcast to share that story, and it’s filled with invaluable lessons for every small firm architect who dreams of growing something bigger.
This conversation was one of the most honest, insightful explorations of what it really takes to build a thriving firm. You’ll walk away inspired—and better equipped to build your business.
If you haven’t yet, I encourage you to listen to the full episode at https://entrearchitect.com/606.
Here are my top takeaways.
You Don’t Have to Be Passionate About Architecture to Build a Great Firm
Amos was born into a family of creatives. His father was a respected architect, his mother and siblings were all artists and designers. Naturally, architecture seemed like the logical path, except Amos wasn’t passionate about it.
He studied architecture in Israel, finished his degree in New York, and the whole time, he felt like an outsider in the profession. But he kept going, because he believed in finishing what he started.
That alone is an important lesson: you don’t need to have a burning passion for every aspect of architecture to build a meaningful career in the field. Sometimes, other passions, like entrepreneurship, leadership, or business strategy, are the real drivers behind a successful firm.
Business is a Skill You Can Learn
Amos’ real education in business came not in a classroom, but inside a Manhattan loft. He found himself working alongside tech moguls during the dot-com boom—one of whom took him under his wing after a chance conversation over martinis. That mogul introduced him to another entrepreneur, and before long, Amos was helping launch a startup that sold for $550 million just three months after he joined.
He went on to help build an investment firm, and credits those years with giving him a crash course in starting, running, and scaling a business.
That experience didn’t make him rich, but it did make him ready. Ready to lead. Ready to build. And ultimately, ready to return to architecture with the knowledge and tools to succeed.
The big takeaway? Business acumen isn’t something you either have or you don’t. It’s a skill you can—and must—develop if you want to grow your firm.
Starting a Firm Isn’t About Finding Work—It’s About Finding the Right People
When Amos returned to Israel to care for his ailing father, he also inherited his father’s firm. But it wasn’t a handoff. It was a complete restart.
He partnered with Tomer Kleinhaus, a talented architect and classmate he had always respected. They rebuilt everything from scratch, starting with a single project and 1,400 square feet of office space.
Amos said he thought the hardest part of starting a firm would be bringing in work. He was wrong.
The hardest part, he learned, was hiring the right people—and letting the wrong ones go quickly.
If you want to build a successful firm, you need to build a strong team. And that starts with culture. Amos said his test is simple: “If I’m not happy to see you in the morning, you shouldn’t be here.”
That clarity has allowed him to grow a team that’s aligned, capable, and committed.
Want to Succeed? Follow the Money
One of Amos’ most direct pieces of advice was this: go where the money is.
Too many architects chase projects they’re passionate about without considering the economics. Amos and Tomer made a strategic decision early on: they would only pursue national-level clients—government agencies, hospital chains, major infrastructure projects—because that’s where the consistent, recurring revenue was.
They identified large organizations with hundreds of locations. Banks with 160 branches. Clinic chains with 200 offices. Train stations, light rail networks, and technical rooms for mass transit.
These aren’t glamorous projects. But they’re steady, profitable, and scalable. Amos called this the “money river”—and he advises every firm owner to find their own version of it.
Look at your local market. Where is the money flowing? What kinds of clients are spending consistently on architecture services? Go there.
Don’t Specialize in One Thing—Specialize in Many
This might sound like a contradiction, but it’s brilliant: specialize in multiple niches, and market each one separately.
Amos said he has different presentations for different client types. When he’s talking to a high-tech company, he highlights his work with Intel, Google, and Microsoft. When he’s talking to a healthcare client, he focuses on his clinic and hospital work.
None of these clients care about the other types of work he does. What they care about is whether he can solve their problem.
So, rather than being a generalist (which Amos believes doesn’t really exist anymore), he positions his firm as a specialist repeatedly, depending on the audience.
The Best Niches Are the Ones No One Wants
Want to build a firm with almost no competition? Go where no one else wants to go.
Amos and his team design technical rooms for mass transportation—5,000 square feet of equipment buried underground. Not exactly cover material for Architectural Digest. But there’s a ton of architecture involved, the projects are important, and there are only a handful of architects who know how to do it well.
That’s the kind of niche that leads to sustainable, profitable growth.
Find the projects others overlook. Build expertise there. And you’ll find yourself in demand.
Find Your Ikigai
As we wrapped our conversation, I asked Amos the same question I ask every guest: what’s one thing a small firm architect can do today to build a better business tomorrow?
His answer was simple: find your Ikigai.
Ikigai is a Japanese concept that represents the intersection of four things:
- What you love
- What you’re good at
- What the world needs
- What you can be paid for
If you can find the place where all four of those overlap, that’s where you’ll find happiness—and success.
Amos says he’s already there. He’s fulfilled, excited to go to work, and doesn’t feel the need to chase anything more. That kind of contentment comes not from luck, but from years of learning, trying, failing, and realigning with what really matters.
You can get there too. But it starts with getting intentional about your path.
If you’re a small firm architect looking to build something better—for yourself, your team, and your future—I highly recommend listening to this full episode with Amos Peleg. His story is inspiring, his advice is actionable, and his insights are hard-earned.
Listen now at https://entrearchitect.com/606.
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