The Non-Sexy Side of Tech Strategy

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Ever notice how tech conversations revolve around the flashy stuff?

AI this, machine learning that, digital transformation everywhere.

Don't get me wrong…these technologies are essential and exciting. But, while everyone's busy chasing the next big thing, some fundamental infrastructure decisions get ignored.

These "boring" choices rarely make headlines but can wreck your business if handled poorly. After working with dozens of companies over the years, I've seen organizations repeatedly stumble over the same infrastructure hurdles.

Server Architecture

The decision between on-premises, cloud, or hybrid infrastructure isn't sexy, but it's crucial. I worked with a mid-sized financial services company that jumped fully into cloud services without proper assessment. Their rationale? "Everyone's moving to the cloud."

Two years and hundreds of thousands of dollars later, they realized that some of their core applications performed terribly in the cloud due to latency issues. They ended up with a hybrid solution that they could have implemented for half the cost.

Ask yourself:

• What's your actual usage pattern? Steady or highly variable?

• Do you have unique security or compliance requirements?

• Have you calculated the total cost of ownership beyond the sticker price?

Backup and Recovery

Data backup is like flossing…nobody enjoys thinking about it, but neglect it at your peril.

A manufacturing client once told me they had "backups covered" because they duplicated their data across multiple cloud services. When ransomware hit them, they discovered their automated systems had faithfully backed up corrupted data for weeks. No one had tested the recovery process, and their "multiple backups" were worthless.

What matters here:

• Regular testing of your recovery process

• Maintaining immutable backups that can't be modified by the same systems that access your primary data

• Having offline backups for critical systems

Technical Debt

Technical debt accrues when organizations choose quick fixes over proper solutions. While this debt doesn't appear on financial statements, it relentlessly compounds over time.

I've seen startups that moved fast and broke things, only to eventually spend 80% of their development resources maintaining existing systems. One SaaS company I advised had to freeze all new feature development for six months just to refactor its codebase to a sustainable state.

What to track:

• The percentage of development time spent maintaining versus innovating

• System performance metrics over time

• Developer complaints (they're often the canary in the coal mine)

Scalability Planning

Companies love planning for growth, but few effectively plan their technical architecture to scale with that growth. A retail client experienced this painfully when their Black Friday promotion was too successful…their order processing system collapsed under the load, costing them millions in lost sales.

Consider these questions:

• Can your current systems handle 10x your current load without a complete redesign?

• What are your bottlenecks under peak conditions?

• Have you stress-tested your critical systems?

Documentation

Documentation is perhaps the least glamorous aspect of technology management. Nobody gets promoted for having excellent system documentation. However, solid documentation becomes priceless when key personnel leave or when you need to troubleshoot a critical system at 3 AM.

A healthcare technology client discovered this when their lead developer left abruptly. Despite having the source code, the company struggled to understand the system's architecture and dependencies, paralyzing development for months.

Documentation essentials:

• System architecture diagrams kept current

• Key configuration settings and their rationales

• Dependencies between systems

• Regular reviews and updates

The Bottom Line

These infrastructure decisions may not make for exciting conference presentations or look great on your resume, but they're the foundation that supports everything else. The next time your organization gets caught up in the excitement of a shiny new technology initiative, take a moment to consider these unglamorous but critical aspects of your tech strategy.

Sometimes, the most important technology decisions are the ones nobody notices…until they go wrong.

If you found this post helpful, consider sharing it with another executive grappling with AI, technology, and data. If you want to explore AI and other Technology strategies, grab some time on my calendar, and let's chat.

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