At Kyphon there is a broad, flexible approach to employee development; almost any type of learning is considered valuable. Employees are encouraged to pursue knowledge in any format that suits them, inside or out, formal or informal. The company spends over $4,000 per year per employee on training, and support for learning extends to employees' families. Employees are responsible for seeking out opportunities for learning, and the company helps the employee find learning opportunities. This approach to training and the company's opportunities for quick advancement are important recruiting and retention tools, which are critical at Kyphon. Loyalty and longterm employee commitment are important goals at Kyphon because their product is so specialized requiring both medical and technical knowledge to sell. In contrast to Kyphon, Triage's employee lifecycle is much shorter and their model is to hire a large number of entry level employees and replace them three or four years later when they leave.