Digital transformation is a marathon, not a sprint; but that doesn’t mean organizations should stand still. At Prodacity, a fireside chat with Bryon from Rise8 and Josh Kruck explored the challenge of balancing speed, innovation, and business value in modernization efforts. Their message? Stop over-engineering the process. Iterate, adapt, and align technology with outcomes, not the other way around.
Focus on Business Value, Not Just Tech
Josh Kruck’s journey from traditional software engineering to leading digital transformation efforts is one many developers will recognize. He started in startups, saw them get acquired, and eventually realized that the key to real impact isn’t just writing great code but understanding what’s worth modernizing and why.
This perspective is critical because organizations, whether startups, enterprises, or government agencies, often fall into the trap of modernization for modernization’s sake. A new tool, framework, or architecture might be technically better, but if it doesn’t move the business forward, it’s a wasted effort.
Josh’s recommendations:
- Modernization should start with an end-state value: What will this enable the company (or agency) to do next?
- If an initiative doesn’t help achieve 2-3 concrete next steps, it may not be worth pursuing.
How to Balance Speed and Human Change
Developers love to move fast, but real business change happens incrementally. Kruck compared it to smartphone apps – they update all the time, but in small, manageable ways. No massive overhaul, just continuous improvement.
This applies equally in government agencies and publicly traded companies. Getting executive buy-in for big changes is difficult. The key? Show progress in small chunks rather than promising value years down the line.
The Risks of Long Lead Times in Modernization
Long project lead times, especially those exceeding six months, significantly diminish value by the time of completion. A 2021 McKinsey report found that over 70% of digital transformation initiatives fail to meet their intended outcomes due to delayed execution and shifting business priorities. When modernization efforts take too long, they risk becoming obsolete before they even go live, leading to wasted resources and missed opportunities.
Instead of waiting months or years for full-scale approval, organizations should focus on delivering incremental value through small, impactful wins. Research from the Harvard Business Review highlights that companies adopting an iterative approach to digital initiatives see a 50% higher success rate compared to those pursuing large-scale transformations. By demonstrating tangible progress early on, teams can secure stakeholder buy-in, adjust strategies based on real-world feedback, and accelerate overall modernization efforts.
Shifting from a “let me tell you what will happen” approach to “here’s what’s already working” is critical for driving momentum. Studies indicate that executives are 2.5 times more likely to approve continued investment in modernization when presented with real-world success metrics instead of theoretical projections. By putting solutions into practice early and demonstrating measurable improvements, organizations can build confidence in their transformation efforts and ensure long-term success.
Short-Term Wins vs. Long-Term Vision
Every organization struggles with immediate impact vs. long-term transformation. It was argued that most companies get this balance wrong, they try to solve everything upfront instead of iterating toward a solution.
For developers, this means embracing continuous delivery and rapid iteration rather than trying to architect the perfect solution from day one. The goal isn’t to have every answer at the start, but to ensure you can adjust as quickly as possible when needed.
Key Takeaways for Developers and Industry Leaders:
- Get real-world feedback ASAP. Deliver something and refine based on results.
- Rigid long-term roadmaps don’t work. Adaptation is more valuable than prediction.
- Remove the bottlenecks. If cross-team coordination slows down deployment, find ways to reduce dependencies.
How to Overcome Resistance to Change
Modernization isn’t just a technical challenge, it’s a human challenge. People don’t resist change because they hate new things, they resist when they feel unheard.
Josh reminded us that there’s no dashboard for people’s hearts and minds, so leaders must listen more than they speak and use what they learn as force multipliers.
Best Practices for Driving Change:
- Establish continuous delivery ASAP and work backwards from there.
- Iterate quickly so adjustments can happen in real-time.
- Limit yourself to solving 2-3 things at once. Trying to tackle too much leads to stagnation.
Eliminating Constraints, Not Engineering Around Them
The days of big-bang transformations where organizations attempt to overhaul entire legacy systems at once are fading. Studies from McKinsey reveal that 70% of large-scale digital transformation efforts fail due to complexity, rigid processes, and unforeseen challenges. Instead, a more effective approach focuses on identifying and removing the next biggest constraint within a system rather than trying to modernize everything simultaneously.
Instead of engineering around inefficiencies, organizations should be asking:
- Why are we working around this issue instead of solving it?
- How can we remove this obstacle entirely instead of building complex workarounds?
For example, research found that 60% of enterprises continue to operate legacy workflows not because they are necessary, but because they haven’t prioritized eliminating redundant processes. In financial services, a Capgemini report highlights that banks spend up to 75% of IT budgets maintaining legacy infrastructure, often patching outdated systems instead of addressing the root inefficiencies.
Building Technology That Aligns with People, Not Processes
For developers, the message is clear: Software should not be the fixed point that business processes must conform to. Instead, technology should be built to align with how people actually work, streamlining workflows instead of introducing unnecessary complexity. A study by the Harvard Business Review found that organizations that redesign business processes in tandem with software modernization see 40% higher efficiency gains compared to those that simply implement new technology without adjusting workflows.
A prime example is the rise of low-code and no-code platforms, which empower business users to automate tasks and reduce reliance on IT. According to research, companies using low-code platforms can accelerate application development by up to 10 times, demonstrating how aligning technology with end-user needs leads to faster, more meaningful innovation.
Innovation Is About Moving Forward, Not Just Moving Fast
Speed alone is not the measure of success in modernization- progress is. Organizations that focus on small, meaningful changes that directly improve user experiences and operational efficiency achieve long-term transformation. Studies from Deloitte suggest that incremental modernization approaches lead to 30% higher ROI compared to large-scale transformation projects, as they allow for continuous adaptation based on real-world feedback.
Ultimately, innovation isn’t about rapid-fire deployments or adopting the latest technologies for the sake of it, it’s about eliminating inefficiencies, optimizing workflows, and ensuring that each step forward compounds into sustainable, long-term success. Organizations that embrace continuous, pragmatic modernization strategies will outpace those that remain stuck in outdated, rigid transformation models.