CodeOasis Blog

Israel prides itself in being a leader in web development. Evidence shows that the latest and coolest software, web applications and technology companies have grown out of the Israeli high-tech  greenhouse.

Entire books, such as “Start-up Nation”, have tried to define the ingredients that make up the incredible inclination to ingenuity that has led this tiny nation to become a world leading silicon valley in its own right . The authors,  Dan Senor and Saul Singer, point to the cultural and psychological traits of the average Israeli developer such as  creativity and competitiveness.

When you hire an Israeli software team to develop you web application or website you will undoubtedly enjoy that greatness that has become an integral part of the Israeli development community. However, let’s bring things down to earth a bit and be honest about some of the weaknesses of Israel’s  development teams.

We like to go against the flow sometimes at CodeOasis and we are not afraid to be real (check out our Purim photos). With our confidence as a leading open source development house in Israel, we are willing to face the music.

So here it goes. You may never hear anyone else tell it like it is like we are about to tell you (and let you live to tell about it yourself). Here are the stumbling points you may encounter when working with an Israeli team. But we don’t just leave you hanging there with a problem! We include important tips on how to best manage your way through those potential problems.

Who is the Boss?

Israelis have no doubt that they are smart. However, sometimes that confidence comes out as “no one is as smart as us” attitude. That can create a lack of tolerance for accepting instructions from any one, including clients. Case in point: A co-worker told me: “SPECs are for wimps”, meaning, “ I know better than anyone else what to do and no one should tell me what to do including the guy paying me to do it.”

Tip: Don’t fight it. What you gain from such an egomaniac developer will be far more than what you lose. Think Agile and benefit from the ingenuity. Alternatively, you can try to micromanage the project . . . good luck with that!

“Everything is going to be all right” – yihiye beseder

If you hear that sentence in a meeting, on the phone or in an email, this is your cue to start worrying. Some of the greatest Israeli disasters were prefaced with this sentence. The attitude of everything will be OK, even when there are signs that it is not, is a result of a confidence that in the end, somehow it will all come together – but they have not really planned or thought about precisely that will happen. It’s kind of like counting on divine intervention.

Tip: Demand full transparency so you can monitor progress. There are great online tools, wiki’s and reporting methods that provide this capability. We at Code Oasis use Drupal based Open Atrium for that. A good developer will implement such a system without being asked. And don’t be afraid to ask the hard questions.

Discretion and Tact

Israeli vendors can blur the lines between our local warmth and informal culture and what is considered general, appropriate conduct in a business setting. Israelis are not new to international business and the global high-tech environment  tends to include less corporate formalities. However, there are still potential challenges in discretion and tact.  The informal nature of interacting and the Israeli allergic reaction to formalizing procedures that can slow down actual work, can potentially lead to leaks and unclear boundaries.

Tip: NDA and conduct clarifications at launch. If you have corporate rules that need to be adhered to, dedicate a conversation to reviewing those rules and setting expectations.