Bar Hofman, AI Lead at theGist, on Avoiding AI Hype: 'If AI Was Axe Body Spray, Startups Would Suffocate'

TEL AVIV, ISRAEL, May 23, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Bar Hofman, AI Lead at theGist, offers a no-nonsense perspective on the AI startup boom, urging entrepreneurs to treat AI as a practical tool rather than a marketing ploy. With a career spanning defense, health tech, genetics, and fintech, Hofman shares battle-tested insights on leveraging AI to solve real business problems, drawing from a recent discussion that has sparked industry attention.

Hofman’s journey began in the Israel Defense Forces’ electromagnetic warfare battalion, where precision was critical. “Data is your ammo, and hype gets people hurt,” he said, a lesson that carried into his civilian tech roles. At AU10TIX, he pioneered automated ID verification using computer vision, eliminating operational bottlenecks through disciplined engineering. At Eitan Medical, he connected IoT drug pumps to real-time analytics, ensuring nurses could trust dosage logs. At OMGene, mentor Amir Gal-Or reshaped his approach, emphasizing outcomes over features. “Features don’t win, outcomes do,” Hofman recalled, cementing AI’s role as a business tool.

Now at theGist, Hofman integrates large language models into CRM systems to deliver actionable insights that help revenue teams close deals faster. “If your product works the same when the AI crashes, you’ve built a useless feature,” he said. Hofman rejects “AI washing,” where startups slap AI labels on products without substance, risking credibility. He aligns with thought leaders like Andrew Ng, who champions small, impactful AI pilots, and Satya Nadella, who calls for aligning AI with measurable workplace needs. Hofman highlights successes like PayPal’s AI-driven fraud detection, which processes transactions in milliseconds, and DHL’s optimized delivery routes, which save millions of miles annually, as examples of pragmatic AI integration.

“AI is a power tool,” Hofman said. “Hold it right, you carve out markets; hold it wrong, you lose fingers.” He advises startups to focus on execution, robust data pipelines, and measurable results, drawing from mentors like Prof. Igor Nor, who stressed clean, robust code, and his Guide point experience advising healthcare CEOs, where he learned to translate AI into boardroom terms.

Hofman will share these strategies at the GCP Summit in Tel Aviv, June 25th, offering actionable guidance for entrepreneurs navigating the AI landscape.

Media Contact:
Bar Hofman
AI Lead, theGist
Email: bar@thegist.ai
Phone: +972-053-9261211
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bar-hofman-342815192

About theGist
theGist develops AI-powered CRM solutions that deliver real-time insights, driving efficiency and deal closures for revenue teams. Visit www.thegist.ai.

Bar Hofman
theGist
+972539261211 ext.
bar@thegist.ai
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn