Articles, playbooks and article reviews from Eli5 on software modernization and AI.https://www.eli5.ioenhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/local-llms-in-software-modernization-what-role-can-they-play-todayhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/local-llms-in-software-modernization-what-role-can-they-play-todayThere is a wave of application rebuilding and replacement going on. At Eli5, we review articles about software modernization every week to find real value for CTOs, PMs, and POs who have to deal with the modernization of legacy software. This week we reviewed a Reddit report claiming a 22GB open-weight model beats a frontier coding model at bug-fixing, alongside a companion piece on what running that model at home actually costs. The benchmark compares two harnesses more than two models, and the real case for local models sits in data residency, not the leaderboard.Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.eli5.io/insights/nis2-the-dutch-cybersecurity-act-what-it-means-for-legacy-systems-shadow-it-and-ai-assisted-developmenthttps://www.eli5.io/insights/nis2-the-dutch-cybersecurity-act-what-it-means-for-legacy-systems-shadow-it-and-ai-assisted-developmentThere is a wave of application rebuilding and replacement going on. At Eli5, we review articles about software modernization every week to find real value for CTOs, PMs, and POs who have to deal with the modernization of legacy software. This week we reviewed a legal explainer on NIS2 and the Dutch Cybersecurity Act and read the underlying directive and statute in full to check one thing: what either text says about systems past the end of their supported life. The answer is almost nothing, which is the real finding.Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.eli5.io/insights/metas-ai-second-brain-reaches-63-000-employees-the-infrastructure-did-the-heavy-liftinghttps://www.eli5.io/insights/metas-ai-second-brain-reaches-63-000-employees-the-infrastructure-did-the-heavy-liftingThere is a wave of application rebuilding and replacement going on. At Eli5, we review articles about software modernization every week to find real value for CTOs, PMs, and POs who have to deal with the modernization of legacy software. "The agent is only as useful as the systems it can reach." (Analytics at Meta)Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTEngineering And Techhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/top-10-software-modernization-companies-in-the-netherlands-2026https://www.eli5.io/insights/top-10-software-modernization-companies-in-the-netherlands-2026Software modernization is the practice of rebuilding, replatforming, or re-engineering outdated business software so it stays fast, secure, and maintainable. In the Netherlands, the leading specialists in legacy modernization and application rebuilds are agile studios like Eli5, Enrise, and Kabisa. This list ranks the best of them.Thu, 16 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTGo To Market And Venturehttps://www.eli5.io/insights/forward-deployed-engineers-the-hottest-job-in-ai-and-the-modernization-work-it-cannot-skiphttps://www.eli5.io/insights/forward-deployed-engineers-the-hottest-job-in-ai-and-the-modernization-work-it-cannot-skipThere is a wave of application rebuilding and replacement going on. At Eli5, we review articles about software modernization every week to find real value for CTOs, PMs, and POs who have to deal with the modernization of legacy software. This week we looked at two pieces that describe the same role from opposite ends. One calls the forward deployed engineer (FDE) the hottest job in tech. The other warns that it is quietly becoming enterprise AI's newest single point of failure. Both are right, and reading them together reveals more than either one does on its own.Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTEngineering And Techhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/ai-software-architecture-how-the-role-of-the-software-architect-is-changinghttps://www.eli5.io/insights/ai-software-architecture-how-the-role-of-the-software-architect-is-changingThere is a wave of application rebuilding and replacement going on. At Eli5, we review articles about software modernization every week to find real value for CTOs, PMs, and POs who have to deal with the modernization of legacy software. This week we reviewed a piece by an engineer at Sony Sports arguing that AI is rewriting what software architecture is for. The claim is sharp and worth taking seriously: architecture used to coordinate humans, and now it has to coordinate machines that write code faster than anyone can review it. We agree with where the author lands. We disagree with some of how he gets there, and that disagreement is where the useful part sits for anyone running real systems.Thu, 04 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTEngineering And Techhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/designverse-raised-5-5m-to-take-humans-out-of-modernization-we-think-the-hard-part-is-still-humanhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/designverse-raised-5-5m-to-take-humans-out-of-modernization-we-think-the-hard-part-is-still-humanThere is a wave of application rebuilding and replacement going on. At Eli5, we review articles about software modernization every week to find real value for CTOs, PMs, and POs who have to deal with the modernization of legacy software. This week we reviewed an announcement from DesignVerse, a Bucharest-based enterprise AI startup that raised $5.5m in seed funding to scale a platform that generates production software from a customer's design system, component library and technical documentation. The press release leans heavily on EUROCONTROL, the Pan-European aviation organisation, as a flagship customer, with the headline claim that the platform modernized a 15-year-old application in just over a month versus an estimated six. The founders, ex-Oracle on the design side and ex-automotive AI on the engineering side, position the product as the responsible alternative to vibe coding for mission-critical enterprise software. The whole pitch sits on one premise: with the right AI platform, the human work in enterprise modernization can be largely engineered away. That premise is what we wanted to test against what we actually see in legacy environments.Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTEngineering And Techhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/frontier-labs-go-enterprise-the-next-phase-of-software-and-infrastructure-modernizationhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/frontier-labs-go-enterprise-the-next-phase-of-software-and-infrastructure-modernizationThere is a wave of application rebuilding and replacement going on. At Eli5, we review articles about software modernization every week to find real value for CTOs, PMs, and POs who have to deal with the modernization of legacy software. This week we reviewed two announcements that landed within seven days of each other and that, taken together, signal a real shift in how enterprise AI is going to be delivered. On May 4th, Anthropic announced a new enterprise AI services company together with Blackstone, Hellman & Friedman and Goldman Sachs, with a stated focus on mid-sized businesses like community banks, regional health systems and multi-site healthcare groups. Seven days later, on May 11th, OpenAI launched its own Deployment Company, backed by TPG, Bain Capital, Brookfield, Goldman Sachs and a long list of others, with more than 4 billion in initial funding and the acquisition of an applied AI firm called Tomoro to bring in roughly 150 forward deployed engineers from day one. Both announcements say the same thing in different words: the model itself is no longer the bottleneck, the deployment inside the organization is.Tue, 12 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTEngineering And Techhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/eli5-article-review-series-institutional-ai-versus-individual-aihttps://www.eli5.io/insights/eli5-article-review-series-institutional-ai-versus-individual-aiThis week, we reviewed an opinion piece from George Sivulka, founder of Hebbia, published on the Andreessen Horowitz newsletter. The article makes the case that AI has made individuals ten times more productive, but no company has become ten times more valuable as a result. Where did the productivity go? There is a wave of application rebuilding and replacement going on. At Eli5, we review articles about software modernization every week to find real value for CTOs, PMs, and POs who have to deal with the modernization of legacy software. This piece sits right at the intersection of the AI hype and the practical reality of organizations that still run on systems built for a different era.Fri, 08 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTEngineering And Techhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/eli5-article-review-series-care-and-feeding-of-software-the-end-of-one-time-software-modernization-projectshttps://www.eli5.io/insights/eli5-article-review-series-care-and-feeding-of-software-the-end-of-one-time-software-modernization-projectsThis week, we reviewed a podcast featuring Sam Corcos regarding the "care and feeding" of software. He introduces the idea that software modernization as a concept stems from a flawed notion that developing software is a one-time project: a check written once and then never touched again. There is a wave of application rebuilding and replacement going on. At Eli5, we review articles about software modernization every week to find real value for CTOs, PMs, and POs who have to deal with the modernization of legacy software.Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTEngineering And Techhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/the-capex-and-opex-of-software-modernizationhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/the-capex-and-opex-of-software-modernizationRebuilding or refactoring legacy systems requires a substantial initial investment. For many organizations, securing the capital expenditure (CAPEX) is seen as the primary hurdle. We believe the true test of a successful modernization project comes immediately after: the decision to invest in CAPEX must be followed by a well thought out strategy for Operational Expenditure (OPEX).Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTEngineering And Techhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/eli5-article-review-series-governing-autonomous-ai-tools-in-legacy-systemshttps://www.eli5.io/insights/eli5-article-review-series-governing-autonomous-ai-tools-in-legacy-systemsThis week, we reviewed an overly optimistic article regarding openclaw and its potential use in enterprise environments. There is a dangerous misconception that viral, autonomous AI assistants can simply be plugged into existing corporate systems without massive security risks. There is a wave of application rebuilding and replacement going on. At Eli5, we review articles about software modernization every week to find real value for CTOs, PMs, and POs who have to deal with the modernization of legacy software.Wed, 08 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTEngineering And Techhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/eli5-article-review-series-the-human-in-software-modernization-and-ai-implementationshttps://www.eli5.io/insights/eli5-article-review-series-the-human-in-software-modernization-and-ai-implementationsThis week, we reviewed articles regarding agentic AI and legacy software modernization. There is a wave of application rebuilding and replacement going on. At Eli5, we review articles about software modernization every week to find real value for CTOs, PMs, and POs who have to deal with the modernization of legacy software.Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMTEngineering And Techhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/eli5-article-review-series-agent-orchestration-and-software-modernizationhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/eli5-article-review-series-agent-orchestration-and-software-modernizationThis week, we reviewed articles regarding agent orchestration and software modernization. There is a wave of application rebuilding and replacement going on. At Eli5, we review articles about software modernization every week to find real value for CTOs, PMs, and POs who have to deal with the modernization of legacy software.Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMTEngineering And Techhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/eli5-article-review-series-software-modernization-and-the-future-of-saashttps://www.eli5.io/insights/eli5-article-review-series-software-modernization-and-the-future-of-saasThis week, we discussed the recent panic in the SaaS market and the realities of using AI to modernize deep legacy systems. There is a wave of application rebuilding and replacement going on. At Eli5, we review articles about software modernization every week to find real value for CTOs, PMs, and POs who have to deal with the modernization of legacy software.Fri, 06 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMTEngineering And Techhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/eli5-article-review-series-software-modernization-buy-or-buildhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/eli5-article-review-series-software-modernization-buy-or-buildThis week, we reviewed articles regarding the buy or build decision when modernizing software. There is a wave of application rebuilding and replacement going on. At Eli5, we review articles about software modernization every week to find real value for CTOs, PMs, and POs who have to deal with the modernization of legacy software.Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMTEngineering And Techhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/eli5-article-review-series-llm-assisted-software-modernizationhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/eli5-article-review-series-llm-assisted-software-modernizationThis week, we reviewed articles regarding LLM support for legacy software modernization. There is a wave of application rebuilding and replacement going on. At Eli5, we review articles about software modernization every week to find real value for CTOs, PMs, and POs who have to deal with the modernization of legacy software.Fri, 13 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMTEngineering And Techhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/building-authority-beyond-ai-content-for-b2b-companieshttps://www.eli5.io/insights/building-authority-beyond-ai-content-for-b2b-companiesWe’re drowning the internet in AI-generated crappy content. Every day, millions of articles flood search results, social feeds, and inboxes. Most of it reads like it was written by a machine that learned English from corporate press releases. The winners won't be the ones who publish the most. They'll be the ones who publish the best and do it consistently. B2B buyers today demand authority, trust, and insights. They can spot generic content from a mile away. They're looking for companies that understand their problems deeply enough to offer genuine solutions. This creates a massive opportunity for companies willing to invest in high-value content creation. The question isn't whether a company should create content. It's whether it will create content that actually matters. Yes, obviously I leverage AI to write this article. I’m not a dummy. But I did put my time, attention, and some love in it, while using AI to do the boring work that normally cost me 4-8 hours.Mon, 22 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMTProof Of Conceptshttps://www.eli5.io/insights/article-series-on-replacing-legacy-software-part-2-data-and-data-migrationhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/article-series-on-replacing-legacy-software-part-2-data-and-data-migrationWhen organizations replace legacy software, the biggest technical challenge is safely moving decades of business-critical data from old systems to new ones without losing information, corrupting records, or disrupting daily operations. Data migration resembles moving a library that's been operating for 25 years. The books (the organization's data) have been organized by librarians who've long since retired. Some books are misfiled, others have pages missing, and the catalog system uses a numbering scheme nobody fully remembers. Now everything has to move to a new building with a completely different organization system, and the library can't close during the move. After reading this article, readers will understand how to approach data migration when replacing legacy systems, what challenges they'll face, and practical strategies to preserve business continuity during the transition.Mon, 15 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMTCorporate Innovationhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/the-aikido-to-regulatory-pressure-stop-fighting-regulation-and-start-winninghttps://www.eli5.io/insights/the-aikido-to-regulatory-pressure-stop-fighting-regulation-and-start-winningIn martial arts, the difference between a fighter and an Aikido master is not power, but approach. The fighter braces for impact and throws punches harder with every incoming attack. The Aikido master accepts the force as it comes and redirects it, turning pressure into momentum. Unless an organization plans to stop serving the European market, it is already on the mat with the EU. Regulations like the AI Act, DORA, NIS2, and CSRD are unavoidable. Fines reach into the millions. Executives themselves can now be held personally liable. The deadlines are real, and there is no negotiating with them. Most organizations will approach this wave like regular fighters, locking themselves into a struggle against rules they cannot resist. The smart ones will take the Aikido path. They will channel the pressure into systems that make them not just compliant, but more productive, more resilient, and more competitive.Mon, 08 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMTEntrepreneurship Innovationhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/the-conscious-1-leading-a-new-renaissance-in-the-era-of-aihttps://www.eli5.io/insights/the-conscious-1-leading-a-new-renaissance-in-the-era-of-aiAI and robotics are making the world’s productivity trend towards infinity. The cost of goods, services, and labor is expected to collapse to near zero over the next few decades. We are closing in on a frictionless outer world. How are we going to make an impact when the golden metric of productivity is rapidly losing its meaning? I believe the new scarcity will go deeper than mere productivity and into a realm where those who are in tune with themselves will prevail. Think about it for a second: the things that will really count in an AI-first world will be decision quality, taste, and resonance. In order to ace these three, one needs to master their inner world.Fri, 05 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMTEntrepreneurship Innovationhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/outsmarting-metcalfes-law-how-successful-companies-scale-development-without-chaoshttps://www.eli5.io/insights/outsmarting-metcalfes-law-how-successful-companies-scale-development-without-chaosIn my professional life, working on innovation and software projects, everything always revolved around time (money), deadlines and quality. Since software development is a creative field, many things are unpredictable. And who likes unpredictability? My search for coping with the unpredictability that consequently leads to project delivery disasters led me to renowned engineer and software architect Fred Brooks. He once said "adding manpower to a late software project makes it later". The reasons for that "fact" have been partly uncovered by Robert Metcalfe, calling it Metcalfe's Law. I'm combining his analysis of communication complexity with our own experience at Eli5, to give insights on ways to execute software projects better.Tue, 02 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMTCorporate Innovationhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/the-ai-amnesia-problem-why-enterprise-ai-cant-learn-from-its-mistakeshttps://www.eli5.io/insights/the-ai-amnesia-problem-why-enterprise-ai-cant-learn-from-its-mistakesA new 2025 MIT study reveals that 95% of enterprise AI investments fail to deliver returns despite $30-40 billion in spending.* The problem isn't poor technology but that most business AI systems can't retain institutional knowledge or adapt to organizational workflows. Think of it like hiring a consultant who takes detailed notes during every meeting but starts each new session by throwing away everything they've learned. The information exists, but the system can't access or build upon it meaningfully.Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMTCorporate Innovationhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/how-intelligent-automation-is-changing-the-game-for-enterprises-and-smeshttps://www.eli5.io/insights/how-intelligent-automation-is-changing-the-game-for-enterprises-and-smesThe most tedious, repetitive, and soul-crushing tasks in business are disappearing. And for organizations that aren't on top of it, competitors will outperform them with more efficient operations. Picture this: A large recruitment firm where hundreds of recruiters lose over 25% of their time to administrative busywork. Document creation, data entry, form filling. While competitors that have automated these tasks are out there closing deals and building relationships. The firm has its talented professionals trapped in Microsoft Word templates and spreadsheet hell. It's a silent killer of competitive advantage.Fri, 29 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMTCorporate Innovationhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/the-2-trillion-govtech-opportunity-nobodys-getting-righthttps://www.eli5.io/insights/the-2-trillion-govtech-opportunity-nobodys-getting-rightThe way governments build tech in the next decade will decide whether everyday public services feel instant and effortless or like navigating an endless maze of forms, lines, and phone calls. Consider the last interaction most people have with a government service. Maybe a driver's license renewal, a permit filing, or an attempt to pay a parking ticket online. On a lucky day, it worked. More likely, it meant a website that looked like it was designed in 2003, crashed halfway through, or required printing something, signing it, and mailing it in like we're still living in the 90s.Mon, 25 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMTEntrepreneurship Innovationhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/building-ventures-it-support-4-ways-to-get-it-support-for-your-venturehttps://www.eli5.io/insights/building-ventures-it-support-4-ways-to-get-it-support-for-your-ventureStarting a tech venture without coding skills feels like trying to build a house without knowing how to use a hammer. The idea is brilliant, but turning it into reality requires technical skills the founding team doesn't have. The good news? Here are five proven paths to the IT support a venture needs, each with its own advantages depending on where the journey currently stands.Fri, 22 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMTGo To Market And Venturehttps://www.eli5.io/insights/the-hidden-gold-rush-how-ai-is-transforming-boring-businesseshttps://www.eli5.io/insights/the-hidden-gold-rush-how-ai-is-transforming-boring-businessesWhile venture capitalists throw billions at the next social media unicorn, the real money is being made in the most unsexy corner of the economy. Plumbing, heating and cooling, electrical work, landscaping, and pest control generate over $500 billion in annual revenue across the US alone. Add Europe's 400,000+ plumbing and heating installation enterprises, and the total is a trillion-dollar global market. We're talking about 32 million businesses across the US and Europe employing millions of people.Fri, 22 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.eli5.io/insights/the-disappearing-experience-pyramid-how-do-you-become-senior-without-being-juniorhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/the-disappearing-experience-pyramid-how-do-you-become-senior-without-being-juniorThink of a traditional software development team. At the bottom, junior developers write simple functions, fix bugs, and learn coding patterns by building basic features. In the middle, senior developers architect systems and review code while mentoring the juniors. At the top, tech leads and principal engineers make architectural decisions and solve the most complex technical challenges. This pyramid structure has defined career progression for decades. AI is quietly demolishing it from the bottom up.Thu, 21 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMTCorporate Innovationhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/how-ai-first-product-studios-are-unlocking-hidden-value-through-hyper-specific-softwarehttps://www.eli5.io/insights/how-ai-first-product-studios-are-unlocking-hidden-value-through-hyper-specific-softwareThere's a gold rush happening in the most unglamorous corners of the economy. While headlines fixate on flashy AI chatbots and art generators, smart builders are targeting data-heavy, workflow-intensive niches that are screaming for automation. Think regulatory compliance, logistics paperwork, medical billing, accounting reconciliation. These overlooked domains run on piles of data and tedious human effort. They also suffer costly errors when things slip through the cracks.Wed, 20 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMTEntrepreneurship Innovationhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/the-budget-estimation-paradox-the-unsolved-challenge-in-agile-methodologyhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/the-budget-estimation-paradox-the-unsolved-challenge-in-agile-methodologyImagine an organization planning a road trip from Amsterdam to Rome. The request to the travel agent goes like this: "We want to visit three countries and see some historic sites along the way. What will this cost exactly?" The agent can estimate fuel, hotels, and basic expenses, but they know the real journey will unfold differently. Will the travelers discover that charming village in Switzerland that wasn't on any map? Extend the stay in Florence because the art museums captivated them? Take a detour to avoid construction, only to stumble upon a medieval festival? The most memorable trips aren't the ones that stick rigidly to the original itinerary.Mon, 11 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMTCorporate Innovationhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/realistic-roi-for-digital-product-development-where-tam-sam-som-meets-the-financial-forecasthttps://www.eli5.io/insights/realistic-roi-for-digital-product-development-where-tam-sam-som-meets-the-financial-forecastEver wonder why so many software projects fail? It has a lot to do with the inability to realistically estimate the realistic value versus the cost to reach the objective. It's a familiar story: a promising project gets green-lit with enthusiastic projections, only to drain budgets and deliver disappointing results. Here's the thing: most software development ROI calculations are like trying to navigate with two different maps of the same city. One map shows the big picture from satellite view (top-down market analysis), while the other shows street-level details (bottom-up financial forecasts). The problem? These maps rarely match up, leaving teams lost somewhere between ambitious dreams and harsh realities.Wed, 06 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMTCorporate Innovationhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/esoteric-principles-for-entrepreneurshttps://www.eli5.io/insights/esoteric-principles-for-entrepreneursEvery startup founder and tech entrepreneur is flooded with business books, productivity frameworks, and Huberman protocols for optimal performance. But what if the most powerful edge isn't found in conventional approaches but in esoteric principles that sound too strange to work? I used to be one of these people and have read all of the literature all founders and techies have in their library. From 'The $100 Dollar Startup' and 'The Lean Startup' to 'From Zero to One' and 'The Hard Thing About Hard Things', all of them have been valuable in their own way but did they really make a difference? Or was it just some form of procrastination? In the last 12 months, I've traded startup theory for esoteric mental models, and they've moved the needle more than any business book ever did.Mon, 04 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMTEntrepreneurship Innovationhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/people-dont-buy-your-presence-they-buy-your-standardhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/people-dont-buy-your-presence-they-buy-your-standardPeople don’t buy presence. They buy the standard. Guus Hiddink, the legendary Dutch football coach, transformed South Korea's national team into World Cup semifinalists in 2002. He's not on the field during matches. He's not defending or scoring goals. Yet his influence drives every play, every decision, every moment of strategic brilliance. How? Through preparation, standards, and systems that work without his constant presence.Most people think they need someone hovering over their project, checking every detail and being available for every question. They want the security of knowing their leader is "in the trenches" with them. But here's what they're really buying: not time, but a guarantee of quality and pace of delivery.Mon, 28 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMTGo To Market And Venturehttps://www.eli5.io/insights/the-mvp-playbook-for-b2b-software-ideashttps://www.eli5.io/insights/the-mvp-playbook-for-b2b-software-ideasThere's a B2B software idea that keeps founders up at night. The kind that prompts the thought "this could actually work" while stuck in another pointless meeting or wrestling with clunky enterprise tools. But here's where most founders get stuck: How does an idea become paying customers without building the wrong thing, burning through savings, or spending six months on a product nobody wants?The brutal truth? Most B2B software ideas do not die because they're bad, but because founders skip the validation step and jump straight into building. They confuse "this solves my problem" with "this solves a problem people will pay for."Fri, 25 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMTGo To Market And Venturehttps://www.eli5.io/insights/eli5-ai-roadmap-commercial-lead-storyhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/eli5-ai-roadmap-commercial-lead-storyAs the commercial lead at Eli5, I’ve seen how AI can be both a source of excitement and confusion for corporates. That’s why we created the Eli5 Automation & AI Roadmap, a productized service to turn AI confusion into business value in just four weeks. I remember sitting in a boardroom with a client’s leadership team. The CTO was eager to “do something with AI,” but the CFO was skeptical about ROI, and the operations lead was worried about data quality. This wasn’t unique: almost every corporate we meet faces the same pain points: unclear strategy, siloed experiments, and stalled pilots. That’s when I realized: what businesses need isn’t more AI hype, but a clear, actionable plan.Fri, 20 Jun 2025 08:51:54 GMTGo To Market And Venturehttps://www.eli5.io/insights/top-25-digital-product-studios-2025https://www.eli5.io/insights/top-25-digital-product-studios-2025A product studio is a unique kind of agency that operates as a full-stack solution for product development. Unlike traditional agencies or design firms, product studios are deeply involved in the entire lifecycle of a product. From ideation and design to engineering, testing, and scaling. These studios don't just deliver designs or code; they deliver fully functioning products ready to thrive in the market.Tue, 03 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMTProduct And Designhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/digital-product-studio-maphttps://www.eli5.io/insights/digital-product-studio-mapWed, 23 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMTProduct And Designhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/plug-and-play-connect-your-data-to-an-llm-with-needlehttps://www.eli5.io/insights/plug-and-play-connect-your-data-to-an-llm-with-needle​​Since the introduction of the Model Context Protocol (MCP)*, I’ve been experimenting with different ways to connect company data to LLMs like GPT and Claude. My goal was to find a way to seamlessly link a wide variety of data sources (Google Drive, Notion, local storage, SQL) to an LLM. And I think I’ve found a potential winner.Fri, 14 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMTGo To Market And Venturehttps://www.eli5.io/insights/build-a-connected-management-dashboard-in-a-dayhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/build-a-connected-management-dashboard-in-a-dayTue, 25 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMTGo To Market And Venturehttps://www.eli5.io/insights/how-tanstack-router-tanstack-query-and-shadcn-speed-up-our-developmenthttps://www.eli5.io/insights/how-tanstack-router-tanstack-query-and-shadcn-speed-up-our-developmentWhen building data-heavy dashboards, efficiency is key. We used to spend a lot of time managing routing, data fetching, and UI components, but with the help of TanStack Router, TanStack Query, and ShadCN, we've drastically sped up our development process. These tools simplify complex tasks, improve performance, and allow us to focus more on what matters: delivering powerful features for our users. Here's how each one has made a huge difference in our workflow.Wed, 29 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMTHow We Built Thishttps://www.eli5.io/insights/create-a-custom-ai-rag-from-your-google-sheethttps://www.eli5.io/insights/create-a-custom-ai-rag-from-your-google-sheetImagine an organization wants to build AI applications using its own data but lacks expertise in databases, APIs, or large language models (LLMs). A straightforward solution is to create a copy of that data in a ‘shadow’ database using tools like Google Sheets, Notion, or Airtable.Fri, 24 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMTEngineering And Techhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/the-forgotten-principles-of-internet-moneyhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/the-forgotten-principles-of-internet-moneyThose who control attention, control the masses. We just saw it happen with $TRUMP, Donald Trump's meme coin that soared over $10 billion in market value almost overnight. Whether it's loved or hated, it’s a reminder of one uncomfortable truth: those that can capture attention don't always lead us in the right direction. More often than not, it drives people away from security, privacy, and sovereignty. When I first discovered Bitcoin back in 2012, I was hooked. Satoshi’s whitepaper outlined a vision of peer-to-peer electronic cash, an innovation that could detach money from the state. It felt cypherpunk. Technology to empower individuals. But now, I became allergic to the world of crypto. I can't relate to the greedy and financially nihilistic mindset most people carryTue, 21 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMTTech Innovationhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/the-rise-of-vertical-aihttps://www.eli5.io/insights/the-rise-of-vertical-aiI recently wrote about vertical AI in my newsletter and thought it would be worth sharing here on the Eli5 blog as well. The concept of Vertical SaaS (VSaaS) is far from new, but with the integration of AI, it’s reaching an entirely new level of impact. Vertical SaaS is specialized software tailored to the unique needs of a specific industry, providing deeply integrated solutions for their core operations. It allows for better efficiency, data utilization, and AI integration compared to generalized horizontal tools.Mon, 20 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMTTech Innovationhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/startups-to-watch-januaryhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/startups-to-watch-januaryThe startup world thrives on vision and execution. This month’s selection highlights twenty companies addressing real problems with sharp focus and bold solutions. Each startup here offers a glimpse into the industries of tomorrow, pushing boundaries with scalable technologies and innovative ideas. From AI to enterprise tools, these founders are building the future. Let’s dive into January’s most promising ventures.Mon, 13 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMTStart Ups To Watchhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/the-efficiency-revolution-workflow-automation-and-ai-become-critical-for-viable-businesseshttps://www.eli5.io/insights/the-efficiency-revolution-workflow-automation-and-ai-become-critical-for-viable-businessesDid organizations know that 85% of businesses that fail name inefficiency as a key factor? Still, for decades, inefficiency was survivable. A company could limp along the competition with bloated processes, lack of systems, and messy operations. It would not be as profitable as others, and it would probably have a bunch more headaches, but it would still exist. Those days are over. Not in five years, not next year. Now. The era of hyperautomation is here. A technological evolution leaning on workflow automation and AI. This evolutionary shift is going faster than any other massive shift we've seen so far. For those who choose to "wait and see," let me be absolutely clear: they're becoming irrelevant faster than they think.Tue, 07 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMTTech Innovationhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/the-role-of-the-chief-ai-officerhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/the-role-of-the-chief-ai-officerIntroducing a new key role with a first-100-days-plan The premise of my argument is that there will be no single element in an average organisation that remains unaffected by AI. The AI officer’s highest purpose is to transition the organisation into an AI-embedded operation capable of coping with the disruptive changes without wasting significant money and time. In this blog, I review the necessity of taking action, outline the AI officer’s role, and provide a plan for the first 100 days.Thu, 02 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMTTech Innovationhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/harnessing-emerging-tech-for-tomorrows-solutionshttps://www.eli5.io/insights/harnessing-emerging-tech-for-tomorrows-solutionsThe world of tech is moving at an unprecedented pace, redefining how we work and innovate. We’re witnessing the biggest transformation since the industrial revolution, fueled by a wave of emerging technologies that are changing the game. The choice is clear: either wait, watch, and risk falling behind as a follower, or lean into these rapid advancements and harness them to propel the business forward. At Eli5, we choose the latter. We’ve been at the forefront of integrating and deploying emerging tech to create solutions that reshape work and set new standards. Whether it’s leveraging AI for smarter products, hyperautomation enhancing efficiency, blockchain securing trust, or cybersecurity protecting assets, we make bleeding-edge tech work for users today. And we do it with the conviction that today’s experiments are tomorrow’s essentials.Sun, 29 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMTEngineering And Techhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/the-art-of-product-development-and-designhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/the-art-of-product-development-and-designProduct design is key to building intuitive, user-friendly products. Refined aesthetics and seamless UX can elevate a product to new heights, but if that product looks flawless at launch, it spent too long in the making. Design is meant to evolve alongside the product. It’s okay to push out an MVP that’s less polished to get it online quickly. It’s fine if the initial flow isn’t perfect. At Eli5, we take a holistic approach. If pixel-perfect design serves the goal, we’ll go all in. If getting the MVP out the door fast is the move, we’ll go for ‘good enough.’ We’re purists in doing what’s needed to move the needle. Reducing churn for millions of users needs a different product design strategy than validating an idea with a scrappy prototype in the hands of early adopters. Let's dive into some of our fundamentals within product development and design.Fri, 20 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMTEngineering And Techhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/front-loaded-energy-distributionhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/front-loaded-energy-distributionWe’ve all been there. Stuck in reactive mode, juggling loose ends in both work and life. The to-do list feels endless, energy is scattered, and no matter how hard the push, scaling impact seems impossible. Here’s the thing: there’s no magic solution for productivity or success. But there is a strategy that can radically improve how teams work and what they accomplish. It’s called Front-Loaded Energy Distribution. It’s about building momentum early and making bursts of energy work for the organization. By applying this concept, teams can turn their days into high-performance windows, smooth out the chaos of their projects, and create the foundation for successful businesses. For the sufficiently ambitious, it can even help build not just one company, but an entire portfolio of thriving businesses.Thu, 19 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMTTech Innovationhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/the-rise-of-micro-saas-finding-a-niche-in-a-crowded-markethttps://www.eli5.io/insights/the-rise-of-micro-saas-finding-a-niche-in-a-crowded-marketFor anyone thinking the game is over in SaaS, I got news. Technological innovations are constantly opening new doors for products and SaaS opportunities. This alone should prompt a rethink of that stance And then there’s the debundling effect: large platforms being picked apart piece by piece. Take Reddit, for instance. Community and product builders are taking subreddits and turning them into dedicated products that serve niche audiences better than Reddit ever could. Think about Orion, Gist, and Wavelength. The same goes for HubSpot. Tons of products out there have taken just one feature from HubSpot and built something hyper-focused to serve a specific audience, like Hyperise, Close, and Userlist. Now, let’s take it up another level: the rise of Micro-SaaS. Small, specialized products solving hyper-specific problems with laser focus. Let's dive in.Thu, 19 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMTTech Innovationhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/choosing-the-right-tech-stack-for-your-producthttps://www.eli5.io/insights/choosing-the-right-tech-stack-for-your-productChoosing the right tech stack for a product is more than just picking popular tools or the latest frameworks. It’s about aligning the strengths of technology with the unique needs of each project, each team, and each growth strategy. At Eli5, we believe that a solid tech stack isn't just built to work, it needs to be built to last, adapt, and scale. The right approach to a tech stack sets the foundation for future success and ensures that as the product evolves, the technology evolves with it. In this blog, we’ll dive into how we approach tech stack decisions, why our adaptable and tech-agnostic mindset is crucial, and how these choices position our clients for sustainable growth.Wed, 18 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMTEngineering And Techhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/product-and-tech-strategy-simplified-what-every-builder-and-innovator-should-knowhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/product-and-tech-strategy-simplified-what-every-builder-and-innovator-should-knowAction wins over planning, hands down. However, we find it incredibly important to have a plan before we get in the trenches. We help companies from high-level innovation strategy to pinpoint product opportunities, to monetization and business model strategy Were do the opportunities lie? And when it's clear there is an opportunity, how do we go from idea to validated product concept asap? What scenarios can we come up with in terms of solution architecture and are we compliant to industry regulations or company policies? We see strategy work as a necessity, from high level innovation strategy to GTM strategy, but we are all for speed and agility. We don't do months of strategy work, no endless powerpoint presentations, and certainly no unnecessary work. We focus on the sweet spots of strategy work and we don't go beyond the point of diminished returns. Let's walk through our vision on strategy work. Secret: every strategy work we do is combined with us getting in the trenches to gather feedback, validate assumptions, and distill things to viable plans.Wed, 18 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMTProduct And Designhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/startups-to-watch-decemberhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/startups-to-watch-decemberEvery month, we track recently funded tech companies. From pre-seed to far beyond. We list the early stage companies that catch our attention in this monthly series. Think AI, SaaS, Crypto, and Tech solving real problems we think people care about. No fluff, just bold innovation and moonshot projects.Wed, 18 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMTStart Ups To Watchhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/the-eli5-guide-to-modern-software-developmenthttps://www.eli5.io/insights/the-eli5-guide-to-modern-software-developmentModern software development isn’t just about writing code. It’s about orchestrating a process that balances innovation with stability, speed with thoroughness, and intelligence with practicality. At Eli5, we do just that. We build solutions designed to scale, adapt, and deliver real impact. With expertise spanning everything from seamless enterprise integration to harnessing the best of AI, we know that successful development is the result of thoughtful strategy and precise execution. In this blog, we’ll dive into the principles that shape our approach to modern software development and why these practices set our clients up for sustainable growth and success.Fri, 13 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMTEngineering And Techhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/ai-fear-and-greed-and-its-influence-on-the-corporate-innovation-roadmaphttps://www.eli5.io/insights/ai-fear-and-greed-and-its-influence-on-the-corporate-innovation-roadmapDisruption is dead, long live disruption. In the early days of corporate innovation every corporate management team had the slumbering feeling they needed to act. Along came the well funded startups from silicon valley with their user friendly apps that really spoke to customers needs and pains.Tue, 10 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMTTech Innovationhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/eli5-strengthens-leadership-team-with-floris-schoenmakers-and-commits-to-go-to-market-innovationhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/eli5-strengthens-leadership-team-with-floris-schoenmakers-and-commits-to-go-to-market-innovationWe're thrilled to announce that Floris Schoenmakers has joined as a partner and co-owner. Schoenmakers, an experienced entrepreneur with a strong background in digital transformation, venture building, and product development, will actively contribute to Eli5's growth in the coming years.Mon, 02 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.eli5.io/insights/the-case-for-freedom-techhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/the-case-for-freedom-techWe live in an age where conversations around freedom and technology have become more polarized than ever. Behind the constant dispute lies a fundamental issue that transcends any political affiliation: protecting the infrastructure that upholds our freedoms. Without it, we risk railroading ourselves into a future where control is centralized, and disagreement is met with the convenient label of "hate speech" or "misinformation." Those who don't mind these labels because they work in their favor should understand that this weapon can be used against them as wellWed, 20 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMTTech Innovationhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/devops-and-beyond-a-methodological-edge-for-eli5https://www.eli5.io/insights/devops-and-beyond-a-methodological-edge-for-eli5Having the right ideas for building new products but it’s execution that takes things into reality. And execution without structure? That’s just chaos dressed up as ambition. Our edge at Eli5 comes from not just working hard but working smart. This means embedding proven methodologies into our DNA to streamline development, keep our teams agile, and deliver top-notch products that users actually want. Methodologies like Agile, Lean Development, and DevOps aren't just industry terms we throw around; they shape how we think, plan, and build. They’re the frameworks that give us the freedom to move fast without breaking things that matter. We don’t just choose one and stick with it; we adapt, combining the best aspects of these methodologies to suit the needs of each project. This is what sets Eli5 apart: a dynamic approach that’s as flexible as it is structured. In this blog, we’ll break down how these methodologies come together at Eli5, why they’re essential, and how they give us a real advantage when building high-quality, user-focused productsMon, 18 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMTEngineering And Techhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/no-risk-no-story-no-bursts-of-intensity-no-gloryhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/no-risk-no-story-no-bursts-of-intensity-no-gloryI've caught myself saying this numerous times, and I hear every entrepreneurial person around me echo it: consistency is the key. But let's be honest: consistency is just controlled decline over a longer timespan. It keeps a team stable, comfortable, and safe (I mean, look at Europe, right?). The real power behind success lies in bursts of intensity, those few weeks or months of obsessive 14-hour days where ideas get pushed into reality.Wed, 13 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMTGo To Market And Venturehttps://www.eli5.io/insights/breaking-the-binary-between-innovation-and-optimizationhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/breaking-the-binary-between-innovation-and-optimizationImagine a business landscape where a company must choose between becoming the next Google or UPS. Sounds ridiculous, right? Well, that's exactly the false dilemma too many companies fall into when debating innovation versus optimization. But here’s the kicker: there’s no need to choose. In fact, no one should. The real magic happens when an organization masters the art of balancing both.Wed, 24 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMTTech Innovationhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/those-who-wait-and-those-who-buildhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/those-who-wait-and-those-who-buildThe AI space is often referred to as the ‘new dotcom boom’, something that will change the lives of everyone forever and therefore everyone needs to be excited about beyond words. While I share the sentiment up to a point, there are flashbacks to the web 3.0 craze that gripped a lot of us in the tech scene in 2020 and 2021Tue, 09 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMTProduct And Designhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/tech-product-development-how-to-choose-from-in-house-teams-to-product-studioshttps://www.eli5.io/insights/tech-product-development-how-to-choose-from-in-house-teams-to-product-studiosIn the fast-paced world of tech development, the path to building a product is less a straight line and more a journey through uncharted territory.Tue, 05 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMTEngineering And Techhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/this-is-how-ai-frees-you-from-task-overloadhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/this-is-how-ai-frees-you-from-task-overloadAre teams drowning in a sea of to-dos? In today's fast-paced business environment, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the constant influx of tasks and responsibilities.Fri, 01 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMTTech Innovationhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/your-organization-is-a-gold-mine-for-product-opportunities-heres-whyhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/your-organization-is-a-gold-mine-for-product-opportunities-heres-whyIn every organization lies a hidden trove of opportunities – a fact often overlooked, I’ve learned. Being in the tech development business for years, I've discovered that the most persistent problems can metamorphose into our greatest opportunities if only we dare to look closely. At Eli5, we've made it our mission to uncover these hidden gems, transforming complex organizational challenges into simple and lucrative tech products.Tue, 13 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMTTech Innovationhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/why-a-solid-product-strategy-is-the-first-essential-your-new-product-will-needhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/why-a-solid-product-strategy-is-the-first-essential-your-new-product-will-needWant to create a killer product that dominates the market? Then a solid product strategy is essential. I know, I know. The word "strategy" makes most teams want to take a nap on an ergonomic keyboard. But stay with me here.Thu, 01 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMTProduct And Designhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/abundance-of-opportunityhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/abundance-of-opportunityI’ve got a thing for creation. From the very beginning of my childhood to where I am right now, I’ve always been intrigued by creating something.Thu, 12 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMTTech Innovationhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/what-is-a-product-studio-and-what-does-one-buildhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/what-is-a-product-studio-and-what-does-one-buildWhen I tell people I run a product studio, the question inevitably comes up: "What does a product studio do?" Not surprising, given that the concept is often misunderstood or mixed up with traditional software development companies or digital agencies. So, let’s set the record straight.Sun, 01 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMTProduct And Designhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/enterprise-software-solutions-are-a-messy-game-we-can-do-betterhttps://www.eli5.io/insights/enterprise-software-solutions-are-a-messy-game-we-can-do-betterThe world of enterprise product innovation is stuck in an impasse created by risk averse bureaucracy and greed.Fri, 22 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMTTech Innovation