Break organisational silos and stop tolerating bad branching models

TL;DR; Software organisations fail when leaders tolerate poor system design, such as bad branching models, siloed teams, and business logic in databases. To improve delivery, leaders must enforce trunk-based development, restructure teams for cross-functionality and autonomy, and set clear architectural boundaries. Development managers are responsible for shaping systems that enable agility and flow, not just managing people or reporting on delivery.

Modern software organisations don’t fail because of weak teams; they fail because leadership tolerates bad system design — in code, in team structure, and in delivery practice.

This issue calls on CTOs and development managers to step up as technical leaders who shape the system, not just manage people.

1. End Branch Chaos: Kill Topic Branches

Topic branches feel safe — they are not.
They delay integration, block feedback, and increase risk.

Leadership must enforce:

Trunk-based development.
Fast merges, continuous integration, and automated validation.
Feature toggles, not deferred integration.

You need to stop promoting code through branches tied to environments and instead build a system optimised for flow.

2. Dismantle Silos: Build Adaptive Delivery Systems

Organisational silos create handoffs, disconnect accountability, and slow down value delivery.

Leaders must:

Restructure around cross-functional product teams.
Push decision-making to the team level.
Use observability and automation to replace manual coordination.
Define and broadcast clear, shared system goals.

This is not reorg theatre; it’s redesigning the delivery system for adaptability.

3. Refactor Leadership: Remove Business Logic from the Database

Stored procedures carrying business logic are a leadership-smuggled bottleneck.
They:

Tangle persistence with domain logic.
Obstruct testing and refactoring.
Introduce invisible complexity and hidden risks.

As a technical leader, you must set non-negotiable architectural boundaries:

Keep business logic in the application layer.
Treat databases as persistence engines, not logic hubs.
Demand CI/CD coverage across the full system.

Leadership Accountability

Technical leadership is not optional decoration. It is the deliberate shaping of:

Architectures that enable agility.
Teams that maximise flow.
Governance that reinforces adaptability.

If you hold the title of CTO or development manager, you are accountable for systemic delivery health — not just delivery reports.

Want an external assessment or alignment session? Schedule time with us and tackle the technical debt at the leadership level — because that’s where real transformation begins.

I look forward to continuing our work together. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

Best regards,
Martin Hinshelwood
Naked Agility Ltd.

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