Ideas & Insights

Technical debt is often talked about in abstract terms, but what happens when it actually starts draining your bottom line? This blog uses a general ledger lens to evaluate whether your software is a business asset or a financial liability. You’ll learn how to identify when technical debt tips into technical bankruptcy, how to evaluate legacy systems, and what steps you can take to prevent long-term value loss.

It’s been nearly 25 years since the Agile Manifesto. While “Agile” now draws mixed reactions, its principles still shape how organizations work. AI has the potential to drive even greater change, but the sheer number of possibilities makes it hard to know where to focus. Enter our take on an AI Manifesto: a practical, people-first framework grounded in the same values we bring to every conversation about technology and business.

Lean TECHniques is excited to announce the return of the Tech Journey Open — now in its fifth year – on Thursday, Sept. 4.

As AI accelerates and software delivery gets faster, the value of a developer isn’t just in what they can build, but in whether they build the right thing. Full Product Developers go beyond technical scope to understand product goals, user needs, and the why behind every decision. It’s time to evolve our definition of developer excellence.

Technical debt isn’t just an engineering concern—it’s a product leadership issue. When roadmaps ignore the health of the codebase, teams slow down, quality slips, and morale erodes. Great product leaders treat technical debt as a strategic lever—not a backlog afterthought. This post explores why managing internal investment is essential to long-term product success, and how to make tech debt visible, intentional, and actionable in your roadmap.

Change is tough. If you’ve been through a major transformation – whether it’s a shift in strategy, process, or technology – you know that resistance is part of the deal. Although it’s hard, over the years I’ve noticed a little something that improves your chance of success: the companies that succeed don’t just have the right strategy. They create the right conditions to generate lasting change. Let’s break down a few core attributes that tend to bear fruit on successful transformation initiatives.

Influence isn’t about authority – it’s about impact. Whether you’re working with peers, managing up, or guiding those who report to you, influence is about how others perceive and trust your input. The good news? You don’t need a leadership title to be influential. What you need is trust, expertise, humility, and the ability to set the right example.

Lean TECHniques is excited to announce that Chief Innovation Officer, Tim Gifford, will be speaking at the Iowa Association of Business and Industry Taking Care of Business Conference on June 11 in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

When IT leaders talk about their data, the word “mess” typically comes alongside it. And it’s no wonder. Inconsistent formats, missing data, and scattered information across silos can be overwhelming. But here’s the thing: what if that mess isn’t just something to clean up? What if it’s an opportunity to take your data to the next level? In this post, we’ll guide you through a simple data maturity assessment tool that will help you reframe your mindset on mess, measure where your data practices stand, identify where to focus, and take actionable steps to improve.

At the end of January, Lean TECHniques hosted a virtual lean coffee with product and UX professionals to share stories, swap ideas, and explore what great collaboration really looks like.