The best soldiers, by their early 20s, are overseeing important projects, often working with private-sector defense contractors. What you do learn is how to turn an idea into a real product or real application or real solution. It designs some of the world's most sophisticated military software, and most of its personnel are in their early 20s. Developers work on projects from start to finish. We demand creative, efficient solutions.
Systems pass through very severe checks.
By the time they've finished their stint of six years or so, their level of practical experience far outweighs that of most foreign managers their age. And although Mr. Gerstel admires Israelis' army-developed focus on technical perfection, there are drawbacks to it. As a Silicon Valley alum, his role at Compugen has been to help its Israeli army-vet managers to overcome those problems. In Israel if something is 90 percent done, it's not done. The net result is a company with extremely good technology, but sometimes the planning, the market assessment, and the financial aspects are not focal points.