| name | technology-radar |
| description | CTO methodology for technology evaluation, architecture governance, build-vs-buy decisions, engineering metrics, technical debt quantification, and innovation pipeline management. Covers technology radar framework (Adopt/Trial/Assess/Hold), TCO analysis, architecture review boards, RFC processes, DORA/SPACE/DevEx metrics, debt interest calculation, and POC-to-production readiness criteria. |
| version | 1.0.0 |
| author | Hermes Agent community |
| license | MIT |
| metadata | {"hermes":{"tags":["cto","technology-radar","architecture","engineering-metrics","technical-debt","build-vs-buy"]}} |
Technology Radar
CTO methodology for making technology decisions, governing architecture, measuring engineering effectiveness, managing technical debt, and operating an innovation pipeline. These frameworks help a CTO balance short-term delivery velocity with long-term platform health.
Domain Model
| Domain | Covers | Artifact |
|---|
| Technology Radar | Adopt/Trial/Assess/Hold quadrants, tool selection criteria, deprecation policy | Technology radar document |
| Build vs Buy | TCO analysis, decision matrices, vendor evaluation, integration cost | Build-vs-buy recommendation |
| Architecture Governance | Standards, review boards, RFC process, design reviews | ADRs, RFC documents, governance charter |
| Engineering Metrics | DORA (deploy frequency, lead time, MTTR, change failure rate), SPACE, DevEx | Engineering dashboard, health report |
| Technical Debt | Interest calculation, remediation prioritization, principal estimation | Technical debt register |
| Innovation Pipeline | Horizon scanning, POC criteria, production readiness gates | Innovation funnel, POC report |
When to Load
Load this skill when the task involves:
- Evaluating a new technology or tool for adoption
- Making a build-vs-buy decision with TCO analysis
- Designing or auditing architecture governance processes
- Setting up engineering metrics dashboards (DORA, SPACE)
- Quantifying and prioritizing technical debt remediation
- Running an innovation pipeline with POC-to-production gates
- Deprecating or retiring legacy technology
- Conducting an architecture review board session
Loading Order
skill_view('technology-radar') # This — methodology index
skill_view('executive-methodology') # Shared decision frameworks
skill_view('artifact-pyramids') # Output contract
skill_view('technology-radar', file_path='references/technology-radar.md')
skill_view('technology-radar', file_path='references/build-vs-buy.md')
skill_view('technology-radar', file_path='references/architecture-governance.md')
skill_view('technology-radar', file_path='references/engineering-metrics.md')
Reference Files
| Reference | Load When | File |
|---|
| Technology Radar | You need to evaluate and categorize a technology or tool for adoption, trial, assessment, or hold | references/technology-radar.md |
| Build vs Buy | You're comparing build vs buy options with TCO analysis and decision criteria | references/build-vs-buy.md |
| Architecture Governance | You're designing RFC processes, review boards, or architecture standards | references/architecture-governance.md |
| Engineering Metrics | You need to measure engineering effectiveness with DORA, SPACE, or DevEx frameworks | references/engineering-metrics.md |
Design Principles
- Technology is a means, not an end. Every technology decision must trace back to a business outcome. "Because it's new" is not a reason to adopt. "Because it solves X faster/safer/cheaper" is.
- Radar is a living document. A technology radar updated once a year is a museum. Update it quarterly, or every time a significant adoption/hold/promote/promote-to-trial decision is made.
- Build vs buy is never just cost. Total Cost of Ownership includes maintenance, hiring, training, integration, migration, and opportunity cost. A cheaper build today may be vastly more expensive over 3 years.
- Engineering metrics measure the system, not the people. DORA metrics measure the delivery capability of the org. SPACE measures developer satisfaction. Neither is a performance review tool for individuals.
- Technical debt has a principal and an interest payment. The principal is the cost to fix it properly. The interest is the recurring drag on velocity. Prioritize debt where interest/principal ratio is highest.
- Production readiness gates exist to prevent crisis. Every gate that is skipped in the name of speed will be paid for in incident response time later.
Related Skills
executive-methodology — shared decision frameworks and governanceoperational-design — COO-side process design and scalingartifact-pyramids — output contract specificationplatform-engineering — infrastructure and CI/CD implementation patterns
