Implementation Guide: Visionaries¶
Position Characteristics¶
Visionaries occupy the Simple + High Readiness quadrant:
- Small to medium operational complexity (10-200 engineers)
- Modern infrastructure (cloud-native, infrastructure-as-code)
- Strong automation foundation (CI/CD, automated testing)
- Fast decision-making (minimal bureaucracy)
- Innovation culture (experimentation encouraged)
Strategic Priorities¶
1. Maintain Velocity While Building Security¶
Your advantage is speed. Security should accelerate, not slow down.
Investment Focus: - Automated security scanning integrated into CI/CD - Secure templates and paved roads for common patterns - Self-service security capabilities for developers - Policy-as-code from the start
Avoid: - Manual security review bottlenecks - Process for process's sake - Premature complexity (don't build Leaders-level tools yet)
2. Embed Security in Modern Infrastructure¶
You're building on cloud-native foundations. Embed security from inception.
Investment Focus: - Infrastructure security automation (cloud posture management) - Container and Kubernetes security guardrails - Automated compliance validation - Supply chain security from day one (SBOM, dependency scanning)
Avoid: - Bolting security on after architecture decisions - Manual cloud configuration review - Treating security as separate from infrastructure
3. Build Foundations for Scale¶
You're positioned to scale efficiently. Build the right foundations now.
Investment Focus: - Security platforms over point solutions - Reusable security capabilities (not one-off solutions) - Documentation and self-service patterns - Metrics that matter (outcomes, not activity)
Avoid: - Tool sprawl without integration - Heroic manual efforts that can't scale - Missing the inflection point before scaling crisis
Quick Start Checklist¶
Week 1: Assessment¶
- [ ] Map current operational complexity and readiness level
- [ ] Identify manual security bottlenecks
- [ ] Assess relationship health with engineering teams
- [ ] Review current security tool coverage
Month 1: Foundation¶
- [ ] Deploy automated security scanning (SAST, dependency scanning, container scanning)
- [ ] Create secure templates for 3 most common patterns
- [ ] Establish security documentation hub
- [ ] Define security review triage criteria (what needs manual review vs. automated)
Quarter 1: Automation¶
- [ ] Implement CI/CD security gate automation
- [ ] Create self-service security documentation
- [ ] Deploy policy-as-code for infrastructure
- [ ] Establish security metrics dashboard
Quarter 2: Scaling¶
- [ ] Reduce manual security reviews by 70% through automation
- [ ] Launch security champions pilot program
- [ ] Implement runtime security monitoring
- [ ] Build feedback loops for continuous improvement
Investment Roadmap¶
Year 1: Build Scaling Foundations¶
BAU to Constrain (30% effort): - Manual security reviews for novel architectures only - Critical incident response - Compliance validation (automate where possible)
Scaling Investments (70% effort): - Automated security scanning platform - Secure templates and paved roads - Self-service capabilities - Policy-as-code infrastructure
Expected Outcomes: - 70% reduction in manual security review time - 3x increase in deployment frequency without security incidents - Security embedded in default paths
Year 2: Optimize and Extend¶
BAU to Constrain (20% effort): - Maintain only truly unique security reviews - Automated incident response where possible
Scaling Investments (80% effort): - Advanced security automation (threat modeling as code) - Supply chain security platform - Runtime security with automated response - Security product capabilities (if customer-facing software factory)
Expected Outcomes: - Sub-hour security review for 90% of changes - Proactive vulnerability detection before exploitation - Security as competitive advantage
Common Pitfalls¶
Premature Complexity¶
Risk: Building Leaders-level tooling before you need it
Symptoms: - Creating complex security platforms for simple needs - Over-engineering automation - Analysis paralysis on tool selection
Solution: Start simple, add complexity as operations scale
Missing the Scaling Crisis¶
Risk: Not recognizing when manual processes are failing
Symptoms: - Security reviews taking weeks instead of hours - Security team overwhelmed with ticket backlog - Engineering teams bypassing security to meet deadlines
Solution: Proactively constrain BAU before crisis hits
Process Over Outcomes¶
Risk: Importing heavyweight processes that slow innovation
Symptoms: - Security reviews requiring extensive documentation for simple changes - Multiple approval layers for standard patterns - Compliance theater instead of actual risk reduction
Solution: Focus on secure defaults and automation, not manual gates
Success Indicators¶
6 Months¶
- [ ] Manual security review time reduced 50% (from baseline)
- [ ] Automated scanning detecting 80%+ of security issues before human review
- [ ] Secure templates used for 60%+ of new services
- [ ] Developer satisfaction with security improved (measured via survey)
12 Months¶
- [ ] Manual security review time reduced 70% (from baseline)
- [ ] Security review SLA: 90% completed within 2 hours for standard patterns
- [ ] Zero critical security incidents from standard patterns
- [ ] Security champions program launched with 5+ active participants
24 Months¶
- [ ] Manual security review time reduced 80% (from baseline)
- [ ] Security embedded in default engineering workflows (no separate security step)
- [ ] Proactive vulnerability detection before external disclosure
- [ ] Security as competitive advantage (measurable customer trust improvement)
Movement Paths¶
Maintaining Position: Staying Visionary¶
As your organization grows, operational complexity will naturally increase. To maintain the Visionary position:
Strategy: Continuously optimize processes and automation as you scale
Key Investments: - Automation that scales with team growth - Self-service capabilities to maintain velocity - Strong onboarding for security patterns - Avoid complexity creep
Timeline: Ongoing; requires continuous attention
Advancing to Leaders¶
When operational complexity increases (100+ engineers, multiple products):
Strategy: Thoughtful complexity management while maintaining readiness
Key Investments: - Platform security capabilities - Advanced automation for complex scenarios - Policy-as-code at organizational scale - Security product capabilities
Timeline: 18-36 months as complexity naturally increases
Critical Success Factor: Don't let increased complexity degrade operational readiness
Next Steps¶
Continue to Leaders Implementation Back to Contextual Modifiers