Newsletter ( SEPTEMBER 2025): The second edition of Team Topologies is now available
The second edition of Team Topologies is now available. Six years after the original publication sparked a fundamental shift in how organizations approach structure and purpose, this updated edition provides the evolved framework leaders need to navigate today's complex landscape.
What's changed and why it matters
Since 2019, Team Topologies has resonated far beyond its IT origins. The core insight—that clearly articulated intent and purpose are essential for achieving agility at speed—has driven success across pharmaceuticals, legal firms, emergency healthcare, and government agencies worldwide.
The subtitle reflects this evolution: "Organizing business and technology for fast flow of value." Not just reorganizing teams, but reshaping how entire capabilities support and accelerate value delivery. Buy your copy of Team Topologies 2nd edition!
The human element takes center stage
This edition elevates cognitive load as a fundamental design principle. In an environment of relentless change, centering human mental load in organizational design isn't merely practical—it's vital. When teams are overwhelmed, quality declines, innovation stalls, and risks escalate.
Working with Dr. Laura Weis, we've developed a scientific model identifying over twenty cognitive load drivers across four clusters. Companies like Creditas are using regular cognitive load assessments to accelerate delivery while boosting team ownership and engagement.
From machines to ecosystems
The most significant shift? Moving from viewing organizations as "efficient machines" to "flourishing ecosystems." This isn't about achieving efficiency through centralization. Instead, it's about supporting an internal ecosystem of aligned providers that thrives through community sharing and active knowledge diffusion.
Organizations like Adidas and Norway's NAV demonstrate this fractal approach - platforms as groupings of teams rather than monolithic structures, allowing flexibility while keeping cognitive load manageable.
Beyond IT: Whole-organization transformation
These principles now drive transformation across entire organizations. Singapore's GovTech leads in empowering citizens through digital government. Private equity groups apply Team Topologies patterns across portfolios. Capra Consulting used these approaches across sales, operations, and recruitment to boost employee engagement and autonomy.
The pattern is clear: organizations succeeding in rapid change aren't just moving fast- they're moving fast while remaining deeply human.
Join us live: Four events with the authors
We're hosting special launch events this Thursday, September 25th, with practical insights you can apply immediately.
An evolutionary approach
Team Topologies isn't a destination—it's an ongoing practice. Like a martial art requiring constant refinement, there's no autopilot for organizational change. Successful transformations prioritize an evolutionary approach, selectively applying patterns based on genuine operational challenges.
The fundamentals remain: focus on actual value flow, support multiple value streams, increase team agency with adequate guardrails, and respect cognitive load limits while fostering active knowledge diffusion.
Ready to evolve beyond the constraints of yesterday's organizational structures? Get your copy
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