Fostering Innovation

24It's the Uptime, Stupid

In 1992, campaign strategist James Carville coined the phrase, “it’s the economy, stupid.” At that time, Carville was attempting to emphasize the importance of the struggling economy in then-candidate Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign.³⁰ The economy was in bad shape, and they knew without improving the economy, nothing else mattered. The same goes for IT: “It's the uptime, stupid.” As discussed in Chapter 5, Figure 5.1, if you can't keep your systems operational, achieving KTLO, the foundation level of the Laudato Hierarchy of IT Needs, the rest of your efforts are futile.

Somewhere along the way, I realized that IT could do more harm than good. You may have the best systems, processes, and people money can buy, but if your business isn't offering products or services people want, your business will still fail. On the other hand, if your products are amazing but your systems aren't up to the task, your business is on thin ice. In the digital age, hospitals, factories, warehouses, and retail stores can no longer operate without systems and networks. The hotdog cart in Central Park takes Apple Pay, and subway buskers accept donations via Venmo. All businesses are digital businesses.

Every CIO wants a seat at the table. Ensuring that systems are available, performant, and accurate is a critical first step. If you don't keep your emails emailing and your registers ringing, there's no way you're going to be invited to the CEO's office for a coffee chat. ...