It is cliché, though true, to say the world is changing faster than ever. Social upheaval is rife, financial markets are in a constant state of transformation, and technology continues developing at a breakneck pace. Despite this, some individuals are remaining abreast of this ongoing evolution. Michael Fillios, after over twenty-five years in the financial industry and IT, is one of those people. His multi-faceted knowledge of how to best assist small and medium sized businesses positions him in an advantageous way to write his book Tech Debt 2.0: How to Future Proof Your Small Business and Improve Your Bottom Line and, taken with his aforementioned qualifications, his role as founder and CEO of the IT Ally Institute, a non profit organization aiding small and medium sized businesses reference the research, practical tools, and knowledge they require to enrich their businesses further buttresses his credibility.
ABOUT MICHAEL FILLIOS: www.linkedin.com/in/michaelfillios/
It is a short book. Fillios deserves considerable plaudits for condensing important and often comprehensible issues into a format that glosses over nothing and touches on every aspect of the tech debt concept, how it affects small and medium sized businesses, and how such companies can address those problems. This is no small feat. Just like the ever-changing challenges small and medium sized businesses face in modern society are daunting, the prospect of unraveling the underlying issues, delineating the difficulties faced, and presenting workable solutions to those solutions is a thorny task. However, thanks to Fillios’ writing skills, he miniaturizes it in a credible and informative way.
The book’s construction helps with this. Fillios lays the book out in three parts and a concluding Tech Debt 2.0 Diagnostic that assists readers, specifically those in business leadership positions, identify issues in their own companies at a micro level. Supplementary material such as this is an important factor in the book’s success. It is straight forward and focused. Another strong addition to the text is how Fillios incorporates numerous quotes regarding tech debt from several pre-eminent business professionals who offer their opinions. These are important voices in the text balancing out Fillios’ own and they further reinforce his point of view. They are part of a larger wealth of research informing the book, though by no means should you suspect this book has an academic bent or tone when reading it.
AMAZON: www.amazon.com/Tech-Debt-2-0TM-Business-Improve-ebook/dp/B086PZ5FK3
In fact, one of the key attractions of this book for me is the casual manner he uses sharing this information with the reader. Tech Debt 2.0 often comes off as the extended text of a public speaking presentation thanks to the off-handed infusion of personality coming through the pages. It is a key to this book’s readability how he can interject brief shots of levity into the writing so that readers never feel overwhelmed by the plethora of jargon. Most business professionals wouldn’t feel that way, I am sure, but I think Fillios covers his bases well by bringing a bit of himself into the book. It is the one last piece of the puzzle that makes Tech Debt 2.0: How to Future Proof Your Small Business and Improve Your Bottom Line so memorable.
Clay Burton