When engineers who design complex systems that optimize performance and solve intricate problems find issues translating that technical excellence to business stakeholders, it causes a ripple effect. Not only does it affects the perceived value of technical expertise within the organization, but it also has a negative impact on sales cycles, customer retention, and more.
Learn how Stellafai partnered with a global cloud infrastructure leader to build a DevOps culture where technical teams are equipped with the right mindset, tools, and ongoing support to discover and communicate their true impact.
The Challenge
In 2024, a globally recognized cloud infrastructure provider faced a critical challenge: empowering their solution architects (SAs) and solution engineers (SEs) across one of their key regional markets to better articulate their impact.
Their solution architects and engineers were technically brilliant but struggled to connect their work to measurable business outcomes. As one director put it: "We have experts who can explain complex cloud architecture for hours but freeze when asked about the actual impact on a customer's business."
This challenge became even more pressing as the company prepared to launch a new Centre of Excellence in another country, where they needed to quickly onboard global talent into high-performing teams.
The Stellafai Approach
Rather than delivering a standard training session, we designed a hands-on experience focused on "measurable impact discovery" specifically for their technical teams. This is because we wanted to create something that would stick long after the initial excitement faded.
So we partnered with this company to deliver this workshop tailored for their engineering teams. This included a high-engagement, facilitated session designed to build awareness, confidence, and readiness to drive impact.
Post-workshop, participants were given access to the Stellafai platform at the Boost tier, which included:
- Unlimited asynchronous coaching through the personalized coaching space
- Proactive nudges and contextual feedback to help maintain momentum
- Access to Armstrong, Stellafai’s AI assistant for method suggestions, OKR reviews, and real-time support
- Continuous enablement content delivered directly into their team spaces
This approach ensured that the momentum and insights generated during the workshop were sustainable and applicable in real-world scenarios.
We also proposed customizing and rebranding the DevOps culture and enablement framework in collaboration with one of the company’s technical leads. The vision was to create a modular learning path that could be embedded into the new onboarding experience being developed in the company’s new location.
The Results
The impact of the workshop was immediate and measurable. We saw significant jumps across key metrics we measured. On a scale of 5;
But the numbers only tell part of the story. The feedback from participants revealed what really changed:
"For the first time, I feel equipped to have conversations beyond just the technical specs," shared one solution architect. Another engineer noted: "I used the impact framing technique in a customer meeting yesterday, and it completely changed the conversation."
The formal feedback echoed these sentiments.
- Content Value: 4.75/5
- Engagement: 4.73/5
- Overall Rating: 8.88/10
- NPS: An impressive 87.5
What participants loved most was how immediately applicable everything felt. They weren't learning abstract concepts -they were gaining tools they could use in their very next customer interaction. The asynchronous coaching further supported their ability to transfer what they’d learned into their day-to-day work.
Key Takeaways
This partnership taught us valuable lessons about creating lasting change in technical organizations:
- Technical teams are hungry for business relevance: When given the right tools to connect their work to business outcomes, they embrace it.
- Sustained support beats one-and-done training. The combination of an engaging workshop plus ongoing coaching created much stronger habit formation than either would have alone.
- Customization creates ownership. By adapting our framework to their specific context and language, the company's teams felt greater ownership of the methods.
- Measurable wins build momentum. Having clear before-and-after metrics gave internal champions concrete evidence to advocate for continued investment.
- Organizational timing matters. Even the best programs need to align with broader company priorities and rhythms.
Working with this cloud infrastructure leader reinforced our belief that transforming technical cultures isn't about flashy workshops. It was about building a sustainable practice of connecting technical expertise to measurable business impact.
Want to see how we can help you achieve the same? Book a free discovery session here.