Rise8’s Prodacity event brought together industry leaders, developers, and digital transformation experts to tackle one of the biggest challenges in modern software development—how to innovate within constraints while reducing complexity. Across keynotes and fireside chats, speakers emphasized pragmatic modernization, highlighting that transformation isn’t about massive overhauls but about incremental, high-confidence changes that drive real business value. Sessions explored the evolution of DevSecOps, the role of platform engineering in government IT, and the need for AI-assisted, but not AI-reliant, modernization strategies. Discussions reinforced that developers must be empowered, not burdened, by security and compliance, and that technology should be built around how people actually work—not the other way around. The recurring message? True innovation isn’t about moving fast—it’s about moving forward with purpose, leveraging small, meaningful changes that compound into lasting transformation.