3 min read
From Code to Impact: A Leadership Series on Linking Software to Business Success
In late 2024, a 360-degree leadership assessment brought candid feedback from an executive peer outside the tech sphere that hit hard: “Focus more on driving business results.” After years of leading digital transformation—scaling our organization from $10 million to $110 million in revenue through changes in culture, team design, architecture, and modern practices like Agile, DevOps, and VSM—it became clear that we hadn’t effectively articulated how our technology initiatives contributed to the company’s bottom line. This series is my response—a thoughtful exploration of aligning engineering efforts with measurable outcomes and turning technology into a powerful engine for business success.
My goal is to change how organizations view technology investments by showing a clear connection between our work and business or customer outcomes. In this three-part series, I draw from 25 years of experience in software engineering and technology leadership, where I’ve often seen technology labeled as just a cost center. These articles aim to provide practical insights and strategies to shift this perspective, highlighting how technology can drive innovation, growth, and customer satisfaction. By adopting modern practices, a product-driven operating model, and data-driven insights, we can create engaged teams that act as business partners rather than cost centers, delivering value more effectively.
This series is for technology leaders, Product Managers, and anyone looking to align engineering with organizational goals. We’ll cover how to clearly show the value of technology, integrate outcomes into workflows, and connect technical work to business success.
Each article can be read on its own, but they build on each other—starting with the basics of technology in business, moving to leadership insights, and ending with practical steps to transform your teams.
I hope this series encourages you to rethink your approach and join me in this journey of transformation.
Summaries of the Series
1. Beyond the Black Box: Linking Technology’s True Business Value
Discover why technology is more than a cost center.
This foundational article explores how organizations can redefine the value of software engineering by directly linking technical work to measurable business and customer outcomes. Learn how frameworks like OKRs and Value Stream Management demystify technology’s role and transform engineering teams into strategic drivers of success.
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2. From Cost Center to Strategic Partner: Software Engineering’s Role in Driving Business Success
A leadership journey from efficiency to outcomes.
Building on personal reflections, this article shares insights on evolving engineering from a delivery-focused function to a strategic partner. Explore how aligning technical efforts with organizational goals, embedding outcomes into workflows, and communicating value in business terms can transform engineering’s impact.
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3. Breaking Free from the Build Trap: Delivering Meaningful Outcomes
Move beyond the feature factory mindset.
In this practical conclusion, discover how engineering teams can shift from task completion to delivering meaningful outcomes. Learn actionable strategies to prioritize work based on impact, align sprint goals with broader objectives, and foster collaboration between Product Managers and engineers to achieve measurable results.
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Discover my thoughts on how to transform software engineering into a strategic driver of business success. Explore actionable strategies, leadership insights, and practical steps to align technology with measurable outcomes—and feel free to share your thoughts or perspectives. I’m always up for a great conversation!