Michael C. Fillios’ Tech Debt 2.0: How to Future Proof Your Small Business and Improve Your Bottom Line is the result of Fillios’ more than a quarter century of experience in operations management, finance, IT, and change leadership. He is the CEO and founder of the IT Ally Institute, a nonprofit organization providing small and medium sized businesses access to research, knowledge, and practical tools empowering them to maximize their tech bottom line. Fillios, from the outset, attacks his subject with obvious passion. He spends the early pages of the book laying out his case and vision for the concept of Tech Debt 2.0 and how it manifests itself in modern culture. In addition, those same opening pages clarify Fillios’ intent behind writing this book isn’t for it to serve as a forum for him to trumpet his talents and success but, rather, to offer his expertise in hopes it assists small to medium sized business owners throughout the world.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: https://itallyllc.com/about/
The framework of the book divides it into three parts and eight chapters. The first discusses how Tech Debt 2.0 presents an overriding threat to small to medium sized businesses (SMB’s) and brief. The bulk of the book is the second part deals with the “C-Suite”, a term used to refer to SMB’s, and dives in deeper for a look at the various problems and challenges such businesses face dealing with tech debt and the multiple ways such difficulties manifest themselves. It is impressive how Fillios breaks this down for readers in a comprehensible fashion despite it being a relatively complicated issue. It is clear he gears this book towards those in the small and medium sized business community, but he never befuddles lay readers with a passing interest in that world and how it works.
Part Three concerns itself with implementing practical solutions for these problems. Like the earlier sections, the information here benefits from Fillios’ straight forward prose style. He is articulate without ever being extravagant. There is no wasted motion in this book. He exhibits enough personality during these pages to undercut the inherent dryness of the material. It is often important to bring at least a modicum of personality, if not more, to books such as this in order to help put over the information for the reader. Unless one has a wonky love for technical language and terminology, even the most generous reader will often find their eyes crossing at colorless objective examination.
BARNES AND NOBLE: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tech-debt-20-michael-c-fillios/1136898121
There is an ample amount of research in the book, but most Tech Debt 2.0 relies on Fillios’ voice and extensive knowledge. This is not a weakness. Michael Fillios has written an invaluable reference book for SMB leadership and there’s enough of a cautionary edge within these pages to give the text an instructive quality. Tech Debt 2.0: How to Future Proof Your Small Business and Improve Your Bottom Line is a book interested parties can return to and one you can dive into at any point, though a first reading should go from cover to cover to appreciate its full effect. It will likely remain relevant for some time to come.
Jason Hillenburg
