Product or Project: Why it matters?
Projects by definition have an end date. Software, unfortunately, rarely does. Treating software products as projects can cause shortcuts to be taken during their delivery. These shortcuts reduce the quality in your product and create entropy, which could eventually result in the dreaded “big rewrite” when your product no longer meets it’s goal. So how do you mitigate this?
In this talk I will cover some of the pitfalls of treating software delivery as a project and explain why treating it as a product will ensure you build a higher quality product that has the ability to adapt to market changes. I will also share some of the techniques and practices that I have seen used to create long lasting products.
About Rachel Laycock
Rachel Laycock is Chief Technology Officer of Thoughtworks, responsible for shaping and communicating the company’s global technology strategy. Over more than a decade at Thoughtworks, she has partnered with clients worldwide to modernize their technology estates, build resilient digital platforms, and unlock new avenues for growth.
In recent years, Rachel has led Thoughtworks’ efforts to help both the organization and its clients develop and execute successful AI strategies—bridging technology innovation with real business impact. Her work has focused on embedding responsible AI practices, accelerating AI adoption through modern data and platform capabilities, and ensuring organizations can realize measurable value from AI investments.
Prior to becoming CTO, she led the global Enterprise Modernization, Platforms, and Cloud business, helping organizations accelerate time to market, reduce costs, and embed cultures of continuous improvement. Rachel began her career at Thoughtworks as a developer and brings a rare blend of deep technical expertise, commercial focus, and executive leadership to her role.
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