The Remarkable Incompetence at the Heart of Tech

There’s a fundamental misunderstanding in claims that tech is riddled with incompetence just because some projects take years with little visible output. What’s often overlooked is the massive difference between building a customer-facing product and supporting the operations of a Fortune 500 enterprise. I’ve worked in both environments, and the contrast is stark.

Running a large business is hard. The complexity is amplified by fragmented leadership, shifting priorities, and competing agendas. The biggest opportunities for improvement often lie in streamlining enterprise systems, but these efforts are frequently derailed by internal politics. Requirements change daily. Alignment across stakeholders is elusive. And without unified leadership, even the best technical solutions can stall indefinitely.

Let’s be clear: the issue isn’t a lack of competence in tech. It’s a lack of cohesion and clarity in corporate leadership. Don’t confuse the symptoms with the root cause.