How I Build a Tech Strategy and Team from Zero

Every tech leader faces this situation at least once: You join a company that has outsourced everything to vendors and needs to build up internal capabilities.

Here's how I approached this challenge, avoiding common pitfalls and focusing on what matters.

Why Build Internal Tech Capabilities?

Let's start with the obvious question: Why even bothering building internal tech capacity?

Here are the real reasons that matter:

But just knowing why isn't enough. You need a clear path forward.

The Foundation: Tech Philosophy

Before hiring a single developer, you need a tech philosophy.

Here's mine:

This philosophy helps tremendously when making decisions later. Should we build our own CMS? Probably not. Custom checkout flow? Maybe yes, if it's a core differentiator.

The 90-Day Foundation Phase
The first 90 days are crucial. Here's what I will focus on:

  1. Technology audit
  1. Deliver improvements instantly myself
  1. Hire the core team
  1. Set up governance

The Trap of Moving Too Fast
Don't try to change everything at once. It's tempting to immediately start building your dream tech stack, but that's a recipe for disaster. Instead:

Measuring Success
How do you know if you're on the right track? Here are the metrics I track:

Team Topology Who would I hire first?

The Long Game
Building a tech organization is a marathon, not a sprint. Plan for 24 months minimum to get to a stable state. Focus on:

The key takeaway? Building a tech organization isn't about the technology – it's about the approach. Start small, stay focused, and always tie back to business value.

It's okay to be boring with technology choices as long as you're exciting with business outcomes.

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