Who Hires a Rapid Technologist?

One of the first questions business owners ask us is a practical one: whose job is this? If we wanted to bring in a rapid technologist, who makes that call? Do we send them to IT?

The honest answer is that it depends on the company, but in most small and mid-size businesses, a pattern holds.

Usually: the person who feels the friction

The best hires come from the people closest to the problem and with the authority to fix it. In a small company, that's the owner. In a slightly larger one, it's a general manager, an operations lead, or a department head with some budget of their own.

These are the people who see the workarounds every day. They know the Monday morning spreadsheet ritual. They're the ones who get the call when a client falls through the cracks. They don't need to be convinced the problem is real, and they can tell a rapid technologist exactly what "better" would look like.

Usually not: IT

This surprises people, so it's worth explaining.

Many small businesses don't have an IT department at all. Those that do often have one or two people stretched thin, or they rely on an outside managed service provider whose job is keeping computers running, networks secure, and backups current. That's important work, and it's a different job.

Asking IT to hire a rapid technologist is a bit like asking the building's facilities manager to pick the cabinetmaker for the office kitchen. They should absolutely be in the loop, because the cabinets have to fit the building and can't block the electrical panel. But they aren't the ones who know how the kitchen gets used.

IT should be a partner

A good rapid technologist wants to meet your IT person or provider early. Here's why:

• They know which systems hold sensitive data and where the boundaries are
• They can set up accounts, permissions, and access the right way
• They can flag anything that touches security policies or compliance requirements
• They'll be the ones fielding questions later if something looks unfamiliar

The best arrangement is simple: the business leader hires the rapid technologist, and the rapid technologist works alongside IT, not around it.

What about the CEO?

In a company of fifty or a hundred people, the CEO may not need to make the hire. But they often need to bless the idea, because the model is new. Paying someone a monthly retainer to build small tools on request doesn't fit neatly into most budgets yet. A CEO who understands the value can make room for it, and can give a trusted manager the discretion to put it to work.

A simple rule of thumb

The right person to hire a rapid technologist is whoever can answer these three questions:

1. What's slowing us down?
2. What would it be worth to fix it?
3. Who should the builder sit with to understand it?

If that's you, you're the one to make the call.