--- URL: https://www.arielperez.io/about/ Last update: 2026-02-05 23:58:29 +0100 --- title: "About Ariel Pérez" description: "" --- About Ariel Pérez About Ariel Pérez ================= Product & engineering leader, systems thinker, and organizational alchemist Everything I do comes back to people. Take care of them, understand what makes them tick, and you’re most of the way to solving any problem worth solving. This might seem obvious, but it’s not how most organizations actually operate. We optimize for processes, metrics, and systems while forgetting that humans are what make everything work. I learned this early, growing up in the Bronx where both my parents worked full-time and we still needed government assistance to get by. I spent my teenage years working at my dad’s small business, learning about customer service and what it takes to keep people happy while balancing schoolwork. Those experiences taught me that talent and determination matter, but sometimes you need help to get past that initial hurdle that lets you show what you can do. Too much potential gets wasted because people never get that chance. Connection is everything ------------------------ Having grown up in a Dominican and Puerto Rican household, I’ve learned that dancing isn’t entertainment. It’s how you connect. For nearly two decades, I was a professional Latin dancer, teaching classes, performing at Madison Square Garden and The Chicago Theatre, competing internationally. Dancing taught me something crucial: you can’t fake connection. You either feel the rhythm together or you don’t. You either trust your partner or you fall. That same principle applies everywhere. In engineering teams, you can see it immediately when people are really collaborating versus just going through the motions. In product development, you know when you’re actually solving customer problems versus building features. In leadership, you can tell when someone genuinely cares about their people versus managing by spreadsheet. This is why I’ve traveled to dozens of countries, lived on different continents, learned languages. Every culture has figured out different ways to build connection, solve problems, create meaning. A street vendor in São Paulo thinks about customer experience differently than a banker in London, but both understand what it takes to make people feel valued. I collect these insights everywhere I go. Growth never stops ------------------ The other thing I’ve learned is that people need to grow. Not climbing corporate ladders or hitting arbitrary milestones, but actually becoming more capable, more curious, more themselves. When that stops happening, everything else breaks down. This is why I read constantly, why I’m always experimenting with new approaches, why I treat every project as a chance to learn something. My son Lucien is eight and already diving into cosmology, nuclear physics, and Theory of Everything (yes, really). My daughter Cassia is five and asks questions that surprise and deliught me and make me see the world differently. They remind me every day that curiosity is natural, and it’s my job to protect that in myself and everyone I work with. Learning means staying uncomfortable. It means admitting when you don’t know something. It means being willing to be bad at new things. Most organizations punish this kind of vulnerability, but the best teams I’ve built thrive on it. Building things that last ------------------------- All of this connects to something deeper: I want things to last. Our relationships, our communities, our planet, our bodies. This isn’t about being granola or preachy. It’s about being intentional. My wife and I are building a small homestead in Madrid. We have chickens, fruit trees, a growing garden. We’re learning where our food comes from, what our bodies actually need, how to be less dependent on systems that don’t serve us well. It’s satisfying work, and it keeps us connected to something real while I’m building digital products all day. This connects to everything else I do. Sustainable systems don’t just apply to agriculture. They apply to teams, organizations, technical architecture. The same principles that make a garden thrive make engineering teams thrive: diversity, feedback loops, adaptation, care. What this means for working together ------------------------------------ When I work with people, I’m not just thinking about deliverables or quarterly goals. I’m thinking about whether we’re building something that will still matter in five years. Whether people are growing. Whether we’re solving problems that actually matter to humans. I bring this same perspective to everything: technical decisions, team design, product strategy, organizational transformation. The best solutions are usually human solutions. The most elegant code is code that other people can understand and build on. The strongest organizations are the ones where people genuinely want to be there. This isn’t soft thinking. It’s practical. Teams that trust each other move faster. Products built with real human insight last longer. Organizations that invest in people adapt better when everything changes. If you’re looking for someone who can optimize your metrics and hit your deadlines, plenty of people can do that. If you want someone who thinks about the humans behind those numbers and builds things that compound over time, let’s talk. ![Ariel Perez's Signature](/signature.png) --- --- URL: https://www.arielperez.io/ Last update: 2026-02-05 23:58:29 +0100 --- title: "Ariel Pérez - Engineering Leader & Systems Thinker | Product & Technology Executive" description: "Ariel Pérez is an Engineering Leader & Systems Thinker with 20+ years building and leading product and engineering teams. I write, speak, and consult on adaptive leadership, fluid organizations, and the intersection of technology and human systems. Real-world insights on adaptive leadership, fluid organizations, and technological enablement from someone who" --- Ariel Pérez - Engineering Leader & Systems Thinker | Product & Technology Executive Ariel Pérez =========== Product & Engineering Leader | Systems Thinker I build high-performing, adaptive, deeply collaborative product & engineering organizations that deliver exceptional value at high velocity. With 20+ years across startups, scale-ups, and Fortune 50s, I bridge product and technology to drive growth—accelerating release cadence, cutting lead times, creating products that matter, and saving millions in operational costs. I lead through systems thinking, cross-functional collaboration, and AI-enabled innovation, building adaptive teams that scale and thrive together. [Let's start a conversation](#cta)[Download resume](/cv/Ariel_Perez_Resume_2026.pdf) What I excel at --------------- I transform organizations by building adaptive systems that scale faster than market changes. Whether you're struggling with slow decision-making, siloed teams, or technology that's become a bottleneck, I help you create high-performing, collaborative environments that deliver exceptional value at unprecedented velocity. ### Adaptive Organizations Cross-functional velocity isn't about better processes but rather, about removing the boundaries that force people to coordinate instead of collaborate. ### Product & Engineering Excellence Product & engineering speed problems are usually clarity problems. When teams know exactly what success looks like, they stop debating and start building. ### Strategic Product & Engineering Leadership Startup velocity comes from treating product-engineering as a single discipline focused on customer outcomes, not separate functions optimizing their own metrics. ### AI & Real-time Data Systems AI systems that actually work in production require fundamentally different team structures and data architectures than traditional software. Experience ---------- 20+ years learning that slow product and engineering teams aren't slow because of bad developers or old technology. They're slow because their systems make collaboration hard and individual heroics necessary. When you redesign the human systems around how people connect, communicate, and make decisions together, the technical problems solve themselves. ### History #### Advisor / Technology & Product Lead / Fractional CTO/CPTO (Engagement-based) ##### Adaptive Alchemy Nov 2025 - Present Providing strategic guidance on product and technology to drive innovation and growth. #### Head of Product & Technology ##### Tinybird Nov 2024 - Nov 2025 Building data infrastructure and tooling for developers and agents. #### Field CTO ##### Tinybird July 2024 - Nov 2025 Field CTO working with customers, prospects, and partners across the world, internal teams (sales, engineering, product, marketing, developer relations), and public relations (industry analysts, press). #### VP of Engineering - Measurement & Learning ##### Split Software (acquired by Harness) 2022 - 2024 Transformed product & engineering culture achieving 6x product releases and 10x deployment frequency while saving $1.2M annually #### Head of Digital and Communications Platforms, Head of Marketing Technology ##### JP Morgan Chase - Chase International Consumer Bank (Chase UK) 2019 - 2022 Built mobile-first, cloud-native digital banking from scratch while learning regulation drives innovation #### Head of Product & Engineering - Dark Canary, Head of Core Web Engineering and Solution Architecture ##### JP Morgan Chase - Chase Digital (Chase Online/Chase Mobile) 2017 - 2019 Built JPMC's first feature-flagging platform enabling 1,200+ concurrent releases to 65M+ users while optimizing core systems for 4.25-second performance gains. ... #### Prior Roles ##### Various Companies 2003 - 2017 MSCLVR (CTO/Co-founder), Try the World (CTO), Birchbox (Senior Engineer), JP Morgan Wealth Management (Engineering Lead) - Customer obsession beats technical perfection ### Built across Financial ServicesDeveloper ToolsE-CommerceAI/ML PlatformsReal-time AnalyticsFeature Management & ExperimentationFinTechAdTechMarTechStartupsScale-upsFortune 50 [Download Resume](/cv/Ariel_Perez_Resume_2026.pdf) Media and publications ---------------------- Sharing insights on adaptive leadership, organizational transformation, and product & engineering across various platforms Video Beyond the Code ### Unlocking Engineering Productivity with Ariel Pérez & Cesar Rodriguez In the second session of the 'Unlocking Engineering Productivity' webinar by Typo, host Kovid Batra engages engineering leaders Cesar Rodriguez and Ariel Pérez in a conversation about building high-performing development teams. 2025-01-23[Watch](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl1lBcO7EEU?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) Also available on: [ ](https://medium.com/beyond-the-code-by-typo/webinar-unlocking-engineering-productivity-with-ariel-p%C3%A9rez-cesar-rodriguez-259d8e5d69f2?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral)[ ](https://open.spotify.com/episode/6cbdFKUtfXBwO7muTc9oji?si=jHE6R0E0QeKB8oQsdCK2xA?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral)[ ](https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/webinar-unlocking-engineering-productivity-ariel-p%C3%A9rez/id1729467556?i=1000686676169?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) Video The Mob Mentality Show ### Complex Adaptive Organizations, Org Topologies, and FAST Agile with Ariel Pérez Chris Lucian and Austin Chadwick discuss all things agile and product development from a MobProgramming perspective. Exploring the fascinating intersection of Complex Adaptive Organizations, Organizational Topologies, and the FAST Agile Framework. 2024-12-17[Watch](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghzOSV4waIo?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) Also available on: [ ](https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/complex-adaptive-organizations-org-topologies-and/id1485950034?i=1000680709987?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral)[ ](https://open.spotify.com/episode/3QMrCBOexqCAtDW5Zyrwi3?si=GRpQObDGSpGNnbqvqVshyQ?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral)[ ](https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7a695161-1857-466d-83ca-d9a75161823b/episodes/1b34273f-91b2-49ac-b5a8-d06bca81996b/the-mob-mentality-show-complex-adaptive-organizations-org-topologies-and-fast-agile-with-ariel-p%C3%A9rez?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) Video groCTO Originals ### Tackling Communication Gaps in Cross-functional Teams Welcome to episode #35 of the 'groCTO Originals' podcast. Ariel Pérez, VP of Engineering at Split, shares insights on creating an environment for success and enabling cross-functional teams to establish the right context. 2024-05-01[Watch](https://youtu.be/jSlehW6WTSI?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) Also available on: [ ](https://grocto.substack.com/p/ep-35-tackling-communication-gaps-a76?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral)[ ](https://open.spotify.com/episode/0IeTbzMZijRKnRjLfp9ekD?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral)[ ](https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/ariel-p%C3%A9rez-from-strip-bridging-cross-functional-communication/id1718883620?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral)[ ](https://music.amazon.in/podcasts/0e327ba7-2556-494b-96a1-7b23947d7d1d/episodes/675849d4-f33e-48a1-91e8-30a4ed79df39/grocto-podcast-ariel-p%C3%A9rez-from-strip-bridging-cross-functional-communication-gaps?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral)[ ](https://medium.com/beyond-the-code-by-typo/tackling-communication-gaps-in-cross-functional-teams-with-ariel-p%C3%A9rez-vp-of-engineering-at-7d963d010d27?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) Video LeadDev ### Fostering a culture of experimentation in your engineering teams How can engineering leaders help their reports find joy in their work? 2023-10-25[Watch](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiaAXbDNPXE&t=2s?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) Video Dev Interrupted ### Reimagining DORA Metrics & Leveraging Feature Flags with Split Does the emergence of feature flags affect the interpretation and utility of DORA metrics? Dan Lines and Ariel Perez, VP of Engineering at Split.io, discuss the state of DORA metrics and whether they need reimaging in a world of feature flags. 2023-07-11[Watch](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtfFK3Q15IU?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) Also available on: [ ](https://open.spotify.com/episode/6AdOUEWrfaFpgUISulNfBr?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral)[ ](https://devinterrupted.substack.com/p/reimagining-dora-metrics-and-leveraging?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral)[ ](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reimagining-dora-metrics-leveraging-feature-flags-splits/id1537003676?i=1000620755026?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral)[ ](https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/5d070aee-8213-4d3c-8566-fe72df222482/episodes/0e0dd4ee-50b3-4804-af1c-830b478cbbd4/dev-interrupted-reimagining-dora-metrics-leveraging-feature-flags-split's-ariel-perez?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) Video TechExcellence ### Engineering Leaders: Creating a culture of Tech Excellence In this meetup I'll be talking about the role of leaders and the difference between leaders and managers. How leaders can put people first to identify the most important areas to focus on to build trust, create motivation, and deepen engagement. 2022-11-16[Watch](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMl10keIvu8?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) [View all media](/media) Latest from my blog ------------------- Exploring adaptive leadership and organizational design at The Adaptive Alchemist ![The highest-leverage investment in software isn't AI, it's structure hero](https://www.adaptivealchemist.com/_astro/structure-beats-ai.BFqH6I-__Z2rasFh.webp) December 2025•11 min read ### The highest-leverage investment in software isn't AI, it's structure Refactoring prevents decay. AI multiplies output. Neither changes the underlying economics of your system. The highest-leverage investment in software is reducing structural drag—the friction baked into architecture, practices, and org design. [Read more](https://www.adaptivealchemist.com/the-highest-leverage-investment-in-software-isnt-ai-its-structure/?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) ![Why most teams refactor correctly and still lose hero](https://www.adaptivealchemist.com/_astro/periodic-vs-continuous.C1FoC875_Z23f9N5.webp) December 2025•8 min read ### Why most teams refactor correctly and still lose Teams invest seriously in refactoring and still lose speed. The surprise isn't the cost. It's that with the same effort, timing alone can nearly double the return. [Read more](https://www.adaptivealchemist.com/why-most-teams-refactor-correctly-and-still-lose/?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) ![Why shipping faster makes teams slower hero](https://www.adaptivealchemist.com/_astro/tech-debt-and-drag.ByCRRnCt_14NAtf.webp) December 2025•6 min read ### Why shipping faster makes teams slower Teams ship faster every quarter, yet delivery keeps slowing. The problem isn't process or talent. It's technical debt silently draining change capacity until agility collapses. [Read more](https://www.adaptivealchemist.com/why-shipping-faster-makes-teams-slower/?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) [Read all posts](https://www.adaptivealchemist.com/?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) Working with me --------------- I love collaborating with organizations and individuals who are passionate about building adaptive, high-performing teams and systems. Whether through fractional/interim CTO/CPTO engagements, speaking, or writing collaborations, I'm always excited to share insights and work together on challenging problems. ### Advisory & fractional leadership I work with companies to build systems that adapt faster than market changes by transforming your organization through adaptive leadership, cross-functional velocity, and strategic product & technology alignment. I don't just diagnose problems. I get hands-on to fix them, whether reviewing code, redesigning team structures, or sitting in strategy and planning meetings. **Important Note:** I deliver my services exclusively through Adaptive Alchemy LLC, a US-based consultancy. I focus on delivering exceptional value while Adaptive Alchemy handles business strategy and operations. ### Speaking & collaboration I'm passionate about sharing insights on adaptive leadership, organizational transformation, and the intersection of technology and human systems. Let's explore opportunities to collaborate, share knowledge, and push the boundaries of what's possible. Please reach out for: * Speaking engagements and media appearances * Writing collaborations and guest posts * Direct professional networking * Full-time role opportunities (for compelling fits) Ready to explore what's possible? --------------------------------- The best conversations start with curiosity about what could be different. Whether your team is stuck in coordination overhead, your product and engineering groups aren't aligned, or you're wondering if there's a better way to organize for growth, I'd love to explore what might be possible. [Let's start a conversation](mailto:ariel@arielperez.io)[Learn about my approach](/about) --- --- URL: https://www.arielperez.io/media/ Last update: 2026-02-05 23:58:29 +0100 --- title: "Media & publications - Ariel Pérez" description: "Speaking engagements and published content by or about Ariel Pérez on adaptive leadership, organizational transformation, and engineering excellence" --- Media & publications - Ariel Pérez Media and publications ====================== Sharing insights on adaptive leadership, organizational transformation, product, and tehcnology across various platforms and formats. All media and publications -------------------------- A comprehensive collection of interviews, articles, podcasts, and speaking engagements Article ClearPurpose ### Adaptive Leadership: What It Means and How to Do It with Ariel Pérez Russell McGuire sits down with Ariel Pérez to explore why adaptive leadership beats traditional control, and how teams closest to problems make better decisions. 2025-09-09[Read](https://clearpurpose.media/adaptive-leadership-752601c11fe1?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) Article Tinybird Blog ### How to count 100B events: comparing architectures Comprehensive comparison of different architectural approaches for processing and counting massive event streams. 2025-04-21[Read](https://www.tinybird.co/blog-posts/how-to-count-100b-events-comparing-architectures?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) Article Tinybird Blog ### The simplest way to count 100 billion unique IDs (Part 2) Continuation of the technical deep dive into counting algorithms, focusing on implementation details and performance optimizations. 2025-04-11[Read](https://www.tinybird.co/blog-posts/the-simplest-way-to-count-100b-unique-ids-part-2?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) Article Tinybird Blog ### The simplest way to count 100 billion unique IDs (Part 1) Technical exploration of efficient algorithms and architectures for counting massive datasets with unique identifiers. 2025-03-25[Read](https://www.tinybird.co/blog-posts/the-simplest-way-to-count-100-billion-unique-ids-part-1?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) Article Tinybird Blog ### Outgrowing Postgres: How to optimize and integrate an OLTP + OLAP stack Navigate the complexities of OLTP and OLAP integration by choosing simple, scalable data movement patterns that reduce infrastructure overhead and keep your focus on building great products for users. 2025-02-27[Read](https://www.tinybird.co/blog-posts/outgrowing-postgres-how-to-optimize-and-integrate-an-oltp-olap-stack?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) Article Tinybird Blog ### Outgrowing Postgres: How to evaluate the right OLAP solution for analytics A comprehensive guide to choosing the right analytics database for your specific use case, from data warehouses to real-time analytics platforms. 2025-02-17[Read](https://www.tinybird.co/blog-posts/outgrowing-postgres-how-to-evaluate-the-right-olap-solution-for-analytics?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) Article Tinybird Blog ### Outgrowing Postgres: When to move OLAP workloads off Postgres Technical deep dive into when and how to migrate from Postgres to specialized analytics databases for better performance and scalability. 2025-02-07[Read](https://www.tinybird.co/blog-posts/outgrowing-postgres-when-to-move-olap-workloads-off-postgres?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) Article Tinybird Blog ### Outgrowing Postgres: How to run OLAP workloads on Postgres A deep dive into running analytics on Postgres, from basic optimizations to advanced techniques and knowing when to quit. 2025-01-31[Read](https://www.tinybird.co/blog-posts/outgrowing-postgres-how-to-run-olap-workloads-on-postgres?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) Article Tinybird Blog ### Outgrowing Postgres: Handling increased user concurrency Learn how to optimize Postgres for high concurrency scenarios, from connection pooling to query optimization and when to consider scaling strategies. 2025-01-24[Read](https://www.tinybird.co/blog-posts/outgrowing-postgres-handling-increased-user-concurrency?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) Video Beyond the Code ### Unlocking Engineering Productivity with Ariel Pérez & Cesar Rodriguez In the second session of the 'Unlocking Engineering Productivity' webinar by Typo, host Kovid Batra engages engineering leaders Cesar Rodriguez and Ariel Pérez in a conversation about building high-performing development teams. 2025-01-23[Watch](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl1lBcO7EEU?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) Also available on: [ ](https://medium.com/beyond-the-code-by-typo/webinar-unlocking-engineering-productivity-with-ariel-p%C3%A9rez-cesar-rodriguez-259d8e5d69f2?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral)[ ](https://open.spotify.com/episode/6cbdFKUtfXBwO7muTc9oji?si=jHE6R0E0QeKB8oQsdCK2xA?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral)[ ](https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/webinar-unlocking-engineering-productivity-ariel-p%C3%A9rez/id1729467556?i=1000686676169?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) Article Tinybird Blog ### Outgrowing Postgres: Handling growing data volumes Managing terabyte-scale data in Postgres? From basic maintenance to advanced techniques like partitioning and materialized views, learn how to scale your database effectively. 2025-01-17[Read](https://www.tinybird.co/blog-posts/outgrowinghandling-growing-data-volumes?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) Article Tinybird Blog ### Outgrowing Postgres: How to identify scale problems Learn to recognize the early warning signs that your Postgres database is approaching its limits and when it's time to consider scaling strategies. 2025-01-10[Read](https://www.tinybird.co/blog-posts/outgrowing-postgres-how-to-identify-scale-problems?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) Video The Mob Mentality Show ### Complex Adaptive Organizations, Org Topologies, and FAST Agile with Ariel Pérez Chris Lucian and Austin Chadwick discuss all things agile and product development from a MobProgramming perspective. Exploring the fascinating intersection of Complex Adaptive Organizations, Organizational Topologies, and the FAST Agile Framework. 2024-12-17[Watch](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghzOSV4waIo?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) Also available on: [ ](https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/complex-adaptive-organizations-org-topologies-and/id1485950034?i=1000680709987?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral)[ ](https://open.spotify.com/episode/3QMrCBOexqCAtDW5Zyrwi3?si=GRpQObDGSpGNnbqvqVshyQ?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral)[ ](https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7a695161-1857-466d-83ca-d9a75161823b/episodes/1b34273f-91b2-49ac-b5a8-d06bca81996b/the-mob-mentality-show-complex-adaptive-organizations-org-topologies-and-fast-agile-with-ariel-p%C3%A9rez?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) Article Tinybird Blog ### Building real-time live sports viewer analytics with Tinybird and AWS Case study on implementing real-time analytics for live sports events, demonstrating the power of modern data infrastructure. 2024-12-03[Read](https://www.tinybird.co/blog-posts/building-real-time-live-sports-viewer-analytics-with-tinybird-and-aws?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) Article Medium (Split.io) ### Rethinking DORA: Deployment Frequency Eliminate the time you waste slowly ramping things up that aren’t working, and speed up the features that show value early on. By adopting modern feature management with measurement and learning capabilities, your engineering team will be at the center of every valuable product decision, focal point of outcome driven development, and pretty soon DORA will be rewriting the rules around you. 2024-05-10[Read](https://medium.com/@SplitSoftware/rethinking-dora-deployment-frequency-30d9c339d28a?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) Article Medium (Split.io) ### Rethinking DORA: Deployment Frequency Don’t be on the wrong side of today’s faster MTTR standards with the ability to isolate issues throughout the process. Strengthen your approach to DORA metrics with a feature management platform that has automated rollout monitoring baked right in. 2024-05-02[Read](https://medium.com/@SplitSoftware/rethinking-dora-mean-time-to-restore-de562f99aba8?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) Video groCTO Originals ### Tackling Communication Gaps in Cross-functional Teams Welcome to episode #35 of the 'groCTO Originals' podcast. Ariel Pérez, VP of Engineering at Split, shares insights on creating an environment for success and enabling cross-functional teams to establish the right context. 2024-05-01[Watch](https://youtu.be/jSlehW6WTSI?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) Also available on: [ ](https://grocto.substack.com/p/ep-35-tackling-communication-gaps-a76?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral)[ ](https://open.spotify.com/episode/0IeTbzMZijRKnRjLfp9ekD?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral)[ ](https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/ariel-p%C3%A9rez-from-strip-bridging-cross-functional-communication/id1718883620?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral)[ ](https://music.amazon.in/podcasts/0e327ba7-2556-494b-96a1-7b23947d7d1d/episodes/675849d4-f33e-48a1-91e8-30a4ed79df39/grocto-podcast-ariel-p%C3%A9rez-from-strip-bridging-cross-functional-communication-gaps?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral)[ ](https://medium.com/beyond-the-code-by-typo/tackling-communication-gaps-in-cross-functional-teams-with-ariel-p%C3%A9rez-vp-of-engineering-at-7d963d010d27?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) Article Medium (Split.io) ### DORA Metrics & How Feature Flags Help You Measure Up If performance matters to your team, then you’ve got to have the DORA metrics to back up your software delivery performance. Feature flags are a sure way to help you accelerate your delivery and boost your numbers quickly. 2024-04-19[Read](https://medium.com/@SplitSoftware/dora-metrics-how-feature-flags-help-you-measure-up-bc0dc74612cf?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) Article LeadDev ### Stop working on islands as engineers Software engineers can often find themselves working on an island, but this isn't an effective route to success. Here's how to build a raft, FaST, and get back on the mainland. 2023-11-22[Read](https://leaddev.com/career-development/stop-working-islands-engineers?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) Video LeadDev ### Fostering a culture of experimentation in your engineering teams How can engineering leaders help their reports find joy in their work? 2023-10-25[Watch](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiaAXbDNPXE&t=2s?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) Video Dev Interrupted ### Reimagining DORA Metrics & Leveraging Feature Flags with Split Does the emergence of feature flags affect the interpretation and utility of DORA metrics? Dan Lines and Ariel Perez, VP of Engineering at Split.io, discuss the state of DORA metrics and whether they need reimaging in a world of feature flags. 2023-07-11[Watch](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtfFK3Q15IU?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) Also available on: [ ](https://open.spotify.com/episode/6AdOUEWrfaFpgUISulNfBr?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral)[ ](https://devinterrupted.substack.com/p/reimagining-dora-metrics-and-leveraging?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral)[ ](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reimagining-dora-metrics-leveraging-feature-flags-splits/id1537003676?i=1000620755026?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral)[ ](https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/5d070aee-8213-4d3c-8566-fe72df222482/episodes/0e0dd4ee-50b3-4804-af1c-830b478cbbd4/dev-interrupted-reimagining-dora-metrics-leveraging-feature-flags-split's-ariel-perez?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) Video AWS re:Invent ### AWS re:Invent 2022 - Drive positive impact with feature flags and data Feature management is more than turning features on and off with feature flags. The real value lies in matching fine-grained control of releases with equally fine-grained awareness of their impact on technical and business KPIs. 2022-12-01[Watch](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6_LwhHTHzY&t=2s&pp=ygUPYXJpZWwgcGVyZXogQVdT?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) Video TechExcellence ### Engineering Leaders: Creating a culture of Tech Excellence In this meetup I'll be talking about the role of leaders and the difference between leaders and managers. How leaders can put people first to identify the most important areas to focus on to build trust, create motivation, and deepen engagement. 2022-11-16[Watch](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMl10keIvu8?utm_source=arielperez-io&utm_medium=referral) --- --- URL: https://www.arielperez.io/tools/technical-debt-simulator/ Last update: 2026-02-05 23:58:29 +0100 --- title: "Technical debt and change capacity in growing software systems | Ariel Perez" description: "Interactive model showing how technical debt can grow as systems scale, reducing effective change capacity under different technical debt reduction strategies." --- Technical debt and change capacity in growing software systems | Ariel Perez Technical debt vs. change delivery capacity =========================================== A simulator for comparing how refactoring and structural choices affect your ability to deliver change over time. Each change adds surface area. Technical debt makes that surface area harder to change next time. This simulator is designed to compare scenarios, not forecast outcomes. The absolute numbers matter less than how different strategies change the trajectory. Simulator assumptions --------------------- Change delivery capacity, debt drag, and technical debt over time ----------------------------------------------------------------- As systems grow, technical debt and uncertainty absorb a larger share of effort unless actively reduced, limiting how much new functionality can be delivered per unit of effort. System outcomes --------------- Total effortiTotal labor capacity applied over the time horizon.52 weeks Delivered changesiCumulative changes that successfully made it into the system, after accounting for technical debt drag.30.7 weeks Debt drag (lost effort)iEffort spent fighting technical debt instead of delivering change.21.3 weeks Debt reduction (refactoring)iCumulative effort intentionally invested in reducing latent technical debt through refactoring and system improvement.0 weeks Accumulated technical debtiAccumulated technical debt, expressed as weeks of effort. This increases the cost and risk of future changes unless reduced through refactoring.20.1 weeks Average change delivery capacityiAverage ability across the entire time horizon to deliver new changes, reflecting periods where technical debt and/or its reduction constrained change delivery.67.7% of V₀ Ending change delivery capacityiChange delivery capacity at the end of the time horizon as a result of accumulated technical debt and refactoring effort.60.5% of V₀ Simulator scope --------------- This simulator assumes fixed effort, constant demand, and smooth system growth. It does not account for rewrites, organizational change, morale effects, or market timing. Operational incidents and firefighting are not modeled directly; their impact is represented indirectly through increased uncertainty and reduced change capacity (i.e., higher effective technical debt). What this simulator does NOT claim ---------------------------------- * This does not predict actual delivery dates * This does not claim a universal debt growth rate * This does not measure developer performance * This does not model organizational change, morale, or market effects * This does not imply refactoring alone fixes systemic issues * This does not model value realization or market impact of changes Frequently asked questions -------------------------- ### What is technical debt in this model? Technical debt represents structural complexity and uncertainty that makes each new change harder to implement, test, and integrate. It is modeled as a latent burden that amplifies delivery drag over time if not reduced. ### Why does delivery slow even when teams work just as hard? Because a growing share of effort is absorbed by technical debt drag. The simulator separates effort applied from effective change delivered to show how capacity erodes without visible idleness. ### Does technical debt grow just because time passes? Debt compounds through interaction with change, not through the passage of time alone. ### Why is the debt impact non-linear? Empirical studies and practitioner reports consistently describe threshold effects where delivery slows suddenly rather than gradually. The simulator models this acceleration explicitly to reflect real-world behavior, even though the exact curve shape varies by system. ### Why can't refactoring eliminate all drag? Refactoring reduces accumulated debt but does not remove structural constraints such as architecture, tooling, coordination paths, or observability gaps. Eliminating baseline drag requires systemic changes, not just cleanup. ### What kinds of practices reduce baseline drag? Practices that change how work flows through the system—such as improved observability, modular architecture, trunk-based development, and platform simplification—can reduce baseline drag. Cleanup alone cannot. ### Is the exponential growth assumption "too aggressive"? The exponential growth model is a stress-test assumption intended to surface late-stage failure modes. Slower compounding delays the crossover point but does not change the relative ranking of strategies. ### Why "change delivery capacity" and not "value" or "features"? Value depends on what you build and whether the market ultimately cares. Features conflate scope with impact. This simulator focuses on something more fundamental: how effectively the system can absorb and implement change. Change delivery capacity reflects the system’s structural freedom to evolve. Teams with high capacity can respond to feedback, pivot when assumptions are wrong, and deliver what matters. Teams with low capacity are constrained by their system, regardless of how good their ideas are. ### How should you use this simulator? To compare strategies, not to forecast outcomes. The absolute numbers matter less than the difference between trajectories under different assumptions. I build tools like this to make long-term tradeoffs visible before they become constraints. My work focuses on how software systems evolve over time:how structure, incentives, and local decisions compound into outcomes teams later experience as technical debt, delivery friction, or stalled change. I'm particularly interested in how small choices accumulate, and how changing the system, not just the code, changes what's possible. [More on my approach](/about) Share simulator ---