Rockets vs. Drones: Rethinking Over-Engineered IT

Many IT departments aim for SpaceX-level process engineering—elaborate architecture reviews, multi-year transformation roadmaps, and platform teams—despite serving relatively small user bases. The result is slow decision-making, meeting overload, redundant tools, and organizational friction that slows delivery, even when the technical work itself is solid.

The alternative might be a “drone-first” approach: simple, standardized processes that prioritize speed, clarity, and measurable outcomes. Focus on quick wins, eliminate unnecessary approvals and redundant teams, and adopt a meeting rhythm that tracks decisions and follow-ups in the very next session. It’s less about frameworks and more about efficient, adaptive execution.

Is a drone-first mindset the right way to streamline internal IT teams, or are there trade-offs we’re overlooking? Curious what others have tried.