Insights

Experience That Translates Into Perspective

Michael Harden’s leadership philosophy is built on more than two decades of hands-on experience guiding technology initiatives across startups, enterprises, and government organizations. You’ll find Michael’s lessons learned from those experiences – practical guidance, strategic frameworks, and thought leadership designed for executives, investors, and teams navigating the fast-changing world of technology.

Thought Leadership

As a member of the Forbes Technology Council, Michael contributes articles on leadership, innovation, and the intersection of business and technology. His writing focuses on actionable insights – not theory – helping organizations translate complexity into clarity.

Topics often include:

• How to align technology and business strategy
• Building effective engineering culture
• Evaluating vendors and tech partners
• Managing digital transformation in highly regulated industries
• The evolving role of the CTO in hybrid and remote environments

Each article is written for decision-makers who want to understand not just what’s changing, but how to adapt.

Speaking & Publications

Michael has been featured in outlets including Conglomerate Magazine, Forbes, and industry conferences where he speaks about technology leadership and innovation strategy. His keynote and panel appearances explore real-world topics such as:

• “From IT to Impact: Turning Technology into Strategy”
• “Leading with Clarity in Times of Change”
• “Modernizing Legacy Systems Without Losing Momentum”

Each engagement reflects his practical, no-nonsense approach to leadership – focusing on building systems, teams, and habits that actually work in fast-moving organizations.

Executive Insights Archive

Explore curated perspectives and in-depth articles that reflect Michael’s approach to modern technology leadership.

• The Fractional CTO Advantage: Why part-time leadership can outperform full-time roles in the right context.
• Clarity Before Code: Why successful projects start with business alignment, not technical specs.
• Scaling Smart: Lessons from transforming enterprise systems to support global growth.
• Bridging the Gap: How CTOs can communicate better with boards, investors, and non-technical executives.

The Value of Perspective

Technology evolves fast – leadership must evolve faster. Through his writing and advisory work, Michael’s goal is to help organizations think strategically, act decisively, and create progress that lasts.

Whether you’re leading a growing startup or managing an enterprise transformation, these insights are designed to help you navigate uncertainty with confidence.