Here’s what Simon had to say, along with actionable takeaways for decision-makers and developers:
1. Sometimes we need to look at the past to understand the now and to better predict what's to come. What’s a technology or trend from 2023 or 2024 that changed how you approach development, and why?
“The movement towards less tooling to build and run software. I pick (or switch to) modern simpler and more opinionated tools and pipelines when possible to decrease maintenance costs. Opinionated tools also avoid spending time on not really important decisions like code style and test tooling. There's also the time and environmental benefit of faster pipeline runs.”
Takeaways:
- For decision-makers: Simplifying development workflows reduces costs and accelerates delivery. Consider investing in platforms like Vercel or AWS Amplify, which streamline infrastructure management and help teams focus on core tasks.
- For developers: Audit your current tools and pipelines. Are there outdated or redundant tools that could be replaced with simpler, more efficient alternatives? This not only saves time but also improves maintainability.
2. And when it comes to the future, what’s a trend or technology you think will shape development in 2025, and how are you preparing for it?
“Voice applications are heating up. Meetings, phone calls, and voice-based assistants are all becoming good enough for daily use. I keep up with tooling for handling voice data and analysis and take part in building custom software for this.
Meanwhile, developers are adopting AI assisted tools to create and adapt code and visuals, making it easier than ever to quickly add technical debt if developers spend less time on system and domain knowledge to build long-term viable solutions.”
Takeaways:
- For decision-makers: Tools like Otter.ai or Whisper (OpenAI) are making voice-based workflows more efficient. Evaluate how integrating voice capabilities into your products or internal tools could improve communication and productivity.
- For developers: Experiment with APIs like Google Cloud Speech-to-Text to understand how voice data can be integrated into your applications. Start small, such as automating meeting transcriptions or building voice command features.
3. And when it comes to practical experiences, what are some themes you see in your currently ongoing projects?
“The theme in 2024 for me has been about helping old software keep working, sometimes by upgrading tooling and pipelines so bugfixes are still possible, sometimes by rebuilding some functionality in a better place, replacing the old code, and documenting it better. Every little bit helps here.”
Takeaways:
- For decision-makers: Incremental improvements to legacy systems can extend their lifespan and save on costly replacements. For example, wrapping older systems with APIs can enable integration with modern tools without requiring a full rebuild.
- For developers: Focus on one aspect of a legacy system to improve, such as modernizing a pipeline or updating critical documentation. Small, manageable changes add up and ensure long-term usability.
4. What would you say is that one common mistake you see businesses making when adopting new technologies, and how can they avoid it?
“A common costly mistake on the technical side is adopting a novel and right now very popular feature or tech stack. This typically brings lock-in and maintenance costs, and might not be a good choice for software that will be maintained long term. Avoid this trap by spending efforts up-front to find simpler more maintainable alternatives to minimize total cost of ownership, or just plain to be able to keep it running.
On the business side, overlooking modern security threats brings reputational and also legal risks - like the feared GDPR fines for lack of effort in protecting customer data according to best practices.”
Takeaways:
- For decision-makers: Avoid jumping on tech trends without considering their long-term impact. For example, many businesses quickly adopted NoSQL databases, only to later realize they didn’t fit their needs. Always assess the risks of vendor lock-in and prioritize maintainable solutions.
- For developers: When evaluating new tools or technologies, create a checklist that includes questions about scalability, maintainability, and exit strategies. This upfront effort prevents costly mistakes later.
5. And on that note, how do you think businesses can better collaborate with development teams to stay innovative and efficient?
“Maintain a small team that has ownership of cross-company data integrations. Ensure they have access, understanding, and interest in making internal data exchange work. This is necessary to avoid delays and duplicate work.
If possible, have this team be spread geographically, in staggered time- and holiday-zones. Cherry on top if they also have authority to demand minimal diagrams of how data flows in all products that use even a tiny piece of company data.”
A minimal diagram could start like below. Fill in the details of what data and which APIs are involved, and where it goes.
Takeaways:
- For decision-makers: Assign a dedicated team to manage cross-company data integrations. Empower them with the authority to request clear data flow diagrams and ensure seamless internal communication. This avoids delays and redundancy.
- For developers: Take ownership of data flows by mapping and documenting how different systems interact. Use these diagrams to identify inefficiencies and suggest improvements to stakeholders.
Emerging Trends to Watch in 2025
While voice applications are on the rise, other trends like sustainability in tech are shaping the industry’s future. Developers and businesses are increasingly focused on optimizing energy use in software pipelines and cloud services to reduce environmental impact. Additionally, the Zero Trust approach to access control for web applications and data is one side of protecting against data leaks and related strongly increased legal risks where business best practices have not yet been implemented. Staying ahead requires not only adopting these technologies but also preparing for the cultural and operational shifts they bring.
Simon’s advice highlights the importance of always balancing innovation with practicality, no matter which year we are in. As we step into 2025, trends like AI-assisted tools, sustainable development practices, and secure applications will continue to reshape how we work.
In the light of Simon’s words - by staying curious and adaptable, businesses and developers can ensure that these shifts become opportunities for growth.
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