A Daily Checklist for Staying Close to the Business (as a Technologist)

Over the years, I’ve come to believe that the most effective technologists are the ones who stay deeply connected to the business. Not just during planning sessions or leadership reviews, but in the day-to-day rhythm of their work.

This wasn’t always intuitive for me. Early in my career, I focused heavily on technical architecture, coding, and project delivery. But I eventually realized that without business context, even excellent technical execution can miss the mark.

Here’s a simple checklist I’ve developed over time to stay grounded in the business. These habits have helped me become a better builder, collaborator, and leader, especially in roles that sit between data, product, and strategy.

1. Start the day by asking: What matters most to the business right now?

Before I dive into Jira, code, or Slack threads, I try to ground myself in what the business is solving for. This might mean checking key dashboards for revenue, retention, or engagement trends, or scanning what leadership is prioritizing that week. A few minutes of context helps me frame the rest of my day.

2. Read or listen to customer voice

Whether it’s a support ticket, a sales call note, or feedback from user research, I try to read a real customer story. This helps me understand the “why” behind the data and keep our work centered on the people we’re building for.

3. Review the team’s work through a business lens

I regularly skim what the team is working on and ask, “Can we explain how this ties to a business goal?” If I can’t, I dig deeper. This practice helps avoid misalignment and encourages the team to think in terms of outcomes, not just delivery.

4. Practice translating technical work into business value

I take one technical update, whether from a standup, commit message, or team chat, and reframe it in plain language. Turning “reduced table scan time by 40 percent” into “dashboards will load faster, which should help account managers during peak hours” reinforces the connection between technical progress and business impact.

5. Listen in on at least one non-technical conversation

I try to join or shadow product, marketing, or customer-focused conversations when I can. These meetings surface real-time priorities and challenges that don’t always show up in specs or tickets. I listen for what questions are being asked, then think about how my team can help answer them.

6. Keep track of when business context shaped a better decision

I write down moments when understanding the business helped me make a better technical call, like cutting scope, changing sequencing, or reframing a problem. Over time, these small reflections sharpen my judgment and make it easier to coach others.

7. Scan the industry: competitors, news, and key voices

Spending just 5 to 10 minutes a day reading headlines or checking in on the market helps me stay externally aware. I look at what competitors are shipping, what trends are gaining traction, and how other companies in our space are positioning themselves. One of the easiest ways to do this is by following industry leaders, analysts, and competitor executives on LinkedIn. I’ve learned a lot just from observing how they talk about problems, customers, and their strategy.

8. End the day with a simple check: So what?

At the end of the day, I ask, “So what did we move forward today that matters?” It’s not about being busy. It’s about being useful. This habit helps me spot drift early and course-correct before it becomes a pattern.

Closing

This checklist isn’t about adding more to your plate. It’s about paying attention to the right things. Staying close to the business has helped me become a better technologist, not just in what I build, but in how I prioritize, communicate, and lead.

If you’re in a technical role, or managing teams that are a few layers removed from the end user, I’d encourage you to try a version of this. It doesn’t take much time, and over a few weeks, the results would speak for themselves.

comments

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.