Blockchain is not a CIO’s business: C-levels need Business Cases

Gartner’s latest CIO Survey finds that only 1% of the more than 3,000 chief information officers (CIO) surveyed indicated any kind of blockchain adoption within their organizations, and only 8 percent of CIOs were in short-term planning or active experimentation with blockchain. 34% said they had no interest in the technology, while 43% of CIOs said it was on the radar, but no action was planned.

Gartner explains that blockchain requires understanding of security, law, value exchange, decentralized governance, process and commercial architectures. The challenge for CIOs is not just finding and retaining qualified engineers but finding enough to accommodate growth in resources as blockchain developments grow.

So what?

Training courses on blockchain are always sold-out. Consultants are making good money selling their knowledge on blockchain’s technical intricacies. Classrooms are full of engineers and developers who are investing their money and time to acquire new skills to gain competitive advantage and, possibly, build the right solution that will make them rich.

However, these courses are unlikely attended by C-level execs, or even line managers (unless they pay for themselves).

Just as the article reads, blockchain requires understanding of security, law, value exchange, decentralized governance, process and commercial architectures. All items you don’t learn in a classroom but by doing and “sticking your nose” in real-life use cases.

C-level executives should look for blockchain-based initiatives that allow them to work side-by-side with software developers—for sure—but also with law firms, insurance companies, logistics service providers, human resource experts, and certification agencies. These are the important stakeholders that enable the corporate decision maker to move from indifference to curiosity, interest, engagement, building a business plan, finding the budget and, finally, implement the blockchain-based solution.