Are You Ready to Step Off the Treadmill?

“The good news,” Bob said, “is that it’s up to us. We can choose to step off the treadmill.”

The team looked up.

Bob continued … “Something popped up in my LinkedIn feed recently — it was about methodologies that help teams stop obsessing over what’s right in front of them and start looking beyond the curve.”

There were some raised eyebrows. A moment passed.

Then Jane¹ chimed in:

“Wait, I think I saw that post.” She picked up her phone to look at her saved LinkedIn posts.

“Here it is — it’s from someone² in the automotive software space who is reflecting on how organizations can avoid constantly reacting and instead build structured ways to think ahead. He suggested using something called a Technology Radar to shift the team’s mindset from just-in-time problem solving to deliberate long-term planning.”

There are plenty of methodologies out there to help you shift perspective.

But one I’ve found incredibly effective — and low-friction to implement — is the Technology Radar. If you’re thinking “Technology? Well that is not going to help me…” - Good news: the Radar methodology can be used for just about anything³. Since we’re talking about growth here, let’s call it what it is — a Growth Radar.

In short, a Growth Radar helps you:

and most importantly, allows you to

It organises growth areas into a series of rings, which you should adapt to fit your context:

When defining the rings it is important to focus on the needs of your Organisation.

One ring I always recommend adding is:

👉 Sunset – What should we stop doing

Thinking about what to let go of is just as strategic as deciding where to grow.

You can then segment your radar by domains, topics etc. (e.g., Data, Embedded, AI/ML, Infrastructure),

but a word of caution:

⚠️ Don’t mirror your org chart. That path often leads to silos and politics — not progress.

Now here’s the thing:

The real value of a Growth Radar isn’t the diagram — it’s the conversation it enables.

It creates a shared vocabulary for discussing the future.

It invites alignment, not argument.

It’s less about being “right” and more about having a clear, considered point of view.

Best of all? It can be a fantastic way to engage clients — helping them understand how you think, where you’re headed, and how your roadmap aligns with theirs.

Something I learned early on — thanks to my engineering background — is the importance of a tailored approach.

There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution.

No magic playbook that works in every situation.

Yes, learn from others. Study what’s worked elsewhere.

But don’t blindly copy-paste — adapt.

Shape it to fit your organization’s needs, context, and capabilities.

Because real impact comes not from following a formula — but from applying the right principles in the right way.

And, thanks to a reminder from Amod, this is part of building a toolbox that, over time, will help you shape your strategy beyond buzzwords and help build a habit of continuously revising and adapting it.

The first step towards becoming anti-fragile⁴ and a brighter future.

After a constructive discussion, the team agreed:

They’d pilot a Technology Radar focused on Adopt, Trial, Assess, Hold and commit to revisiting it regularly.

“And we should” said Bob “ also add a Sunset ring - so we start discussing what we should stop doing. Everyone nodded in agreement.

Even Alex¹, who had been skeptical throughout, chimed in: “I’m still not sure this will help us… but could we call it a Capability Radar instead? I think that better reflects what we actually do.”

It was agreed!

“And look what I found!” said Jane excitedly. “The MinimumViableProduct has just released a Radar App⁵ for their subscribers. We can use that to create our first Capability Radar.”

And as the team left the meeting, they felt it —

A subtle shift.

A shared sense that change was finally in motion.

Stepping off the treadmill was just the beginning.

^{1) “Jane” and “Alex” like “Bob” are completely fictitious characters. If you’re thinking, “Wait… I know them,” then congratulations — you are in good company!} 😉

^{2) Yours truly, in case you were wondering}

^{3) Intended as a Foot note but deemed too important by Amod and myself so it became a part of the opinion piece: “Tailor your Approach”}

^{4) Antifragile refers to systems or entities that actually benefit from stress, chaos, or disorder, becoming stronger in response to challenges. This concept was popularized by Nassim Nicholas Taleb in his book "Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder."}

^{5)Interested in building your own Radar. Check out MVP’s Radar App here: https://staxmpa.vercel.app/radar}