The document discusses effective strategies for advocating technical decisions, highlighting challenges in communication and management support. It emphasizes the importance of understanding company processes, clearly defining business cases, and recruiting internal advocates. Additionally, it outlines common mistakes to avoid and stresses the need for a structured approach to decision-making and risk management.

1. How to Advocate Technical Decisions
Baron Schwartz • Kafka Summit 2018

2. Logistics and Stuff
Ask questions anytime
Write me baron@vividcortex.com
Tweet me at @xaprb
Slides at xaprb.com/talks/
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3. Agenda
Why is it hard to advocate
effectively for a technical decision?
Why is it hard for your manager to
help?
What works well? What doesn’t?
Why?
How to structure the decision-
making and advocating
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4. Stories From The Trenches
At VividCortex, we recently re-evaluated
our backend time series datastore.
I initiated this process
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5. Stories From The Trenches
At VividCortex, we recently re-evaluated
our backend time series datastore.
I initiated this process
I didn’t realize I was falling back into old
habits
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6. Stories From The Trenches
At VividCortex, we recently re-evaluated
our backend time series datastore.
I initiated this process
I didn’t realize I was falling back into old
habits
I didn’t know I was putting the team in a
dif cult position
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7. Stories From The Trenches
At VividCortex, we recently re-evaluated
our backend time series datastore.
I initiated this process
I didn’t realize I was falling back into old
habits
I didn’t know I was putting the team in a
dif cult position
They thought I wanted a deep technical
evaluation
They didn’t know I wanted a rubber-
stamp decision
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8. You Don’t Know It Till You Teach It
Part of what got me in trouble was my “unconscious competence.”

9. Background: What Kinds
Of Decisions?
Prioritize a project
Buy a product
Choose a technology
Change a process or structure
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10. Background: Who’s
Advocating Them?
Anyone who’s not authorized to simply
make the decision themselves.
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11. Background: To Whom Are You Advocating?
Your manager
Their manager
Your peers
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12. Background: Why Is It
Hard?
Different perspectives
Different contexts
High stakes
Hope isn’t a strategy
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13. Things Are Different Now
My opinions aren’t just one person’s
opinion now
I’m not available to the team in the same
way
I can’t collaborate with the team like I
used to
My involvement is auditing decisions, not
making them
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14. Managing Up Is Hard
Boss’s Work
My Work
The Interface Between
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15. @xaprb
What Works, And Why
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16. Know Your Company’s
Processes
Who does what, when?
What are the policies, standards, criteria,
requirements?
Legal, Security, Finance, Procurement
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17. Define The Business Case
Focus on the problem, not the solution
Good questions lead to good answers
Success criteria
ROI analysis
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18. Sell The Problem, Not The Solution
If the problem isn’t worth xing, the solution isn’t worth having.

19. Make Your Manager Look
Good
You’re selling several things you might not
realize:
The business problem
The need to do the evaluation
The outcomes
A promotion for your manager
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20. State a Clear Value
Proposition
The solution must: make money, save
money, create compliance
Tie the outcomes to speci c, top-level
business goals
Ideally, demonstrate value across
business units
Demonstrate how value changes over
time
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21. Research Alternatives
Lay out clear, fair, business-focused
criteria
Show how you choose and evaluate
alternatives
Structure your communications carefully
Work breadth- rst, not depth- rst
Articulate outcomes simply and clearly
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22. Recruit Advocates
Find internal and/or external advocates
Find relevant case studies or success
stories
Find and check references
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23. Complete a Proof-Of-Concept
Before you begin…
Establish success criteria
Get required review and signoff
Get preliminary budget approval
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24. Complete a Proof-Of-Concept
Before you begin…
Establish success criteria
Get required review and signoff
Get preliminary budget approval
As you go…
Document your ndings
Tie them back to establish proof of success
Pre-communicate preliminary ndings
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25. Make Sales People Earn
Their Commission
If you’re purchasing a solution, leverage the
sales rep.
Their job is to gure out and run your
process for you
They should project-manage you
A good sales rep is optimistic but
skeptical
A bad sales rep is a career hazard
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26. Bring Advocates Onsite
Set up onsite meetings for advocates, references, and sales reps.

27. Make A Final Presentation
A compelling presentation is speci c,
quantitative, and walks through:
Executive summary of ndings and
recommendation
Business need / problem
Return on investment
What and how you evaluated
Findings
Outcome and “therefore I recommend”
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28. Focus On Eliminating Risks
Don’t fall into the “happy ears” trap
Search for reasons this won’t work
Address risks and problems ASAP
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What Doesn’t Work, And Why Not
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30. Mistake: Showing All The Work
Detail doesn’t earn credibility, it weakens it
Show evidence of work, not the work itself
Focus on results, not activity
Use the Minto Pyramid Principle
Make your thought process auditable
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31. Mistake: Unnecessary Benefits
Praising a solution in search of a problem
shows bias
Focus on the business problem, not the
product/solution
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32. Mistake: Appealing To Intangibles
Don’t pseudo-quantify bene ts like
morale or culture
Don’t imply ROI where there isn’t true
ROI
Falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus
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33. Mistake: Appealing To Your Needs
Focus on the business needs, not your
own
If you appear to be the problem, there’s a
solution for that!
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34. Mistake: Muddying The Waters
Most decisions fail due to “no decision”
Many a hard decision never gets made
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35. Mistake: Unrealistic Optimism
If you don’t think about risks, you become a risk

36. How Did The PoC Turn Out?

37. Takeaways
Make “yes” easy
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38. Takeaways
Make “yes” easy
Build your manager’s career
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39. Takeaways
Make “yes” easy
Build your manager’s career
Use the Pyramid Principle
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40. Takeaways
Make “yes” easy
Build your manager’s career
Use the Pyramid Principle
Breadth- rst search
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41. Takeaways
Make “yes” easy
Build your manager’s career
Use the Pyramid Principle
Breadth- rst search
Business value, top-level priorities
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42. Takeaways
Make “yes” easy
Build your manager’s career
Use the Pyramid Principle
Breadth- rst search
Business value, top-level priorities
Sales reps should work for you
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43. Takeaways
Make “yes” easy
Build your manager’s career
Use the Pyramid Principle
Breadth- rst search
Business value, top-level priorities
Sales reps should work for you
Manage up, or your manager will manage
down
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44. Takeaways
Make “yes” easy
Build your manager’s career
Use the Pyramid Principle
Breadth- rst search
Business value, top-level priorities
Sales reps should work for you
Manage up, or your manager will manage
down
Invest and take personal responsibility
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45. Slides and Contact Information
Slides are at https://www.xaprb.com/talks/
or you can scan the QR code.
Contact: baron@vividcortex.com, @xaprb
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