The best technical outcomes come from combining the best engineers with the best technology. Providing the freedom to solve problems based on choices made on technical suitability is key to attracting and retaining the best engineers.
Set against feature delivery, performance, availability and security, cost rarely ranks near the top of an engineer’s list of priorities. The CTO challenge is that cost cannot be ignored. The balancing act is to enable technical freedom to consistently deliver results while demonstrating the efficiency and control vital to justify current spend and gain approval for future initiatives.