The Paradox of Excellence, how to become a 'Lazy' IT Guy: Strategic Laziness in Managing Multi-Billion Euro Systems

Particularly when it comes to managing complex, multi-billion-euro decision support and investment systems, the term 'lazy' might seem like an odd description. Yet, for me, strategically embracing the persona of a 'lazy IT guy' (phun intended: not the one from IT Crowd) has been a deliberate and strategic choice. This notion of 'laziness' isn't about shirking responsibilities or avoiding work; it's about working smarter, not harder. It's about putting in significant thought, planning, and upfront effort to create systems so robust and self-sufficient that they require minimal intervention. This approach allows me to adhere to a philosophy I firmly believe in: "If I'm working, I'm too busy to make money." In other words, being perpetually busy, especially in IT, often means being reactive—constantly putting out fires instead of proactively preventing them. This article dives into the irony of how much thinking, planning, and work it takes to be 'lazy' in IT and how this mindset has enabled me to operate multi-billion-euro investment systems with little to no technical or functional incidents.

The Foundation of Strategic Laziness: Strategic laziness hinges on the investment of time and effort upfront to meticulously plan, design, and implement systems that are not just effective but also efficient and autonomous. This approach involves:

1. Deep Thinking and Planning: Every element of the system is thought through with the end in mind—maximum efficiency with minimal manual intervention. This phase often involves considering various scenarios, anticipating potential (Data, Functional, Technical, Timing) issues, and incorporating solutions within the system's design.
2. Automation and Self-Sufficiency: Central to this approach is automating -upfront- most expected routine processes and enabling systems to self-manage minor issues. This not only reduces the frequency of human intervention but also allows IT personnel, including myself, to dedicate more time to strategic rather than reactive tasks.
3. Preventive Measures Over Reactive Responses: Instead of waiting for problems to arise and then scrambling to fix them, I focus on preventive measures self-sustaining and correcting IT ecosystems. This includes regular system audits, rigorous (automated) testing, and ongoing refinement of operations, which help avert potential disruptions before they impact functionality.

Living the "Too Busy to Make Money" Philosophy: The analogy of being too busy to make money reflects the counterproductive nature of constant busyness. In IT, being caught in a cycle of reactivity—can detract from more productive and financially beneficial activities. By building systems that enable 'strategical lazyness' I aim to focus on more value-adding activities and to:

• Maintain focus on a proactive work style, ensuring systems run smoothly without constant oversight, automated self-correcting and reporting where applicable by building systems that require minimal oversight, utilizing automation and advanced chain monitoring to ensure smooth operations.
• Allocating maximum time to strategic thinking and innovation, contributing to the organization's bottom line (create value) rather than being bogged down by operational issues keeping us 'busy'. I dedicate much of my time to innovation and strategic thinking by aligning IT operations with broader business goals and contributing directly to the bottom line.
• Build, enhance and maintain reliable systems that enhance user satisfaction and reduce the frequency of disruptive incidents, bolstering the organization's operational stability and reputation.

Challenges and Triumphs: Embracing this philosophy hasn't been without its challenges. It requires a paradigm shift in how success is measured in IT—not by the quantity of work done (it's a trap!) but by the quality and resilience of the systems created. However, the triumphs have been significant. Operating several multi-billion-euro investment systems with a track record of a minimal amount of incidents has not only proven the effectiveness of 'strategic laziness' but has also underscored the value of investing in careful planning and robust system design.

My conclusion: The paradox of excellence enables the concept of being a for the untrained eye 'lazy IT guy'. It requires enormous amounts of strategy, planning, a shipload of knowledge, experience and immense diligence all while having foresight to achieve. This strategy aligns with the principle of working smarter, not harder, proving that in the world of IT, sometimes the best way to be productive is to aim for what appears to be inactivity. By focusing on strategic laziness, I've not only enhanced the operational efficiency of complex systems but also affirmed that meticulous planning and proactive management are the cornerstones of truly effective IT governance.