Tiago Franco
CEO
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Under Tiago Franco’s leadership, Imaginary Cloud has thrived in the volatile technology sector by embracing change. By shifting from legacy frameworks to modern microservices, the company established itself as a leading partner for digital-first businesses and sustained growth while others relied on outdated approaches.
Tiago Franco, Founder and CEO of Imaginary Cloud, leads with "Authoritative Optimism."
He recognises that change is turbulent and often resisted, but sees it as essential for a future-ready organisation. His role enables him to anticipate major shifts in technology before they become industry standards, allowing him to guide his team through transitions that others may consider too risky.
Imaginary Cloud built its reputation on delivering digital excellence. When monolithic software development with Ruby on Rails lost market favour, the company faced significant challenges. Internally, employees experienced a skills gap.
Externally, the slow transition to technologies such as React and microservices led to contract losses, as clients opted for more modern, scalable solutions. This highlighted the urgent need for change to stay competitive.
Franco’s approach, 'Market-Driven Evolution,' prioritises market relevance over internal comfort. This framework involves identifying shifts in demand, experimenting with new approaches, and institutionalising change through structures like 'Communities of Practice.'
Organisations can adopt this by regularly analysing market trends, piloting new methods, and creating groups such as 'Innovation Hubs' to support ongoing adaptation and skill development.
What usually takes us there doesn't take us to the next step.
The environment changes, and we need to change with it.
A sudden realisation triggered the pivot: clients were no longer accepting proposals built on the old monolithic stack. Franco recognised that, although the previous technology was more efficient for smaller problems, the market had shifted toward microservices.
This strategic shift allowed the firm to build on existing strengths while aligning with market demands, proving that leaders must evolve their expertise rather than abandon it.
The transition faced internal resistance from those who preferred familiar methods. Franco responded with pragmatic leadership, acknowledging that "change is messy" and advancing with action-oriented proposals. By delivering successful outcomes on new stacks, he gradually persuaded hesitant team members through proof rather than just persuasion.
To manage the complexity of modern specialisation, Franco introduced the concept of Communities of Practice. This structural shift addressed the reality that the "Full Stack" developer was becoming a myth in an era of deep front-end and back-end divergence.
By creating these internal hubs, Imaginary Cloud decentralised technical mastery, ensuring that expertise in React or Node.js was nurtured by peers rather than dictated by a central hierarchy.
"Leadership deals with change. Leadership sets a direction, and leadership makes sure that change happens."
Imaginary Cloud’s next step is to move from "instinctive action" to "strategic transparency." Franco’s vision includes a three-step process: conduct a thorough industry analysis, define a clear strategic direction, and communicate the strategy on a single page to all employees. This ensures alignment before any new development begins.
"You define a direction, you go in that direction, and you change it as little as possible and as much as necessary."
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