From cost center to growth engine: how CTOs build future-ready development teams in 2025

In 2025, the pressure on IT and development teams is higher than ever. Recent CIO surveys show that IT leaders are expected to modernize, explore AI, ensure cybersecurity, and control costs—all while the workload keeps increasing. As a result, many organizations experience a growing gap between their digital ambitions and what teams can sustainably deliver in practice.

1. The new reality for CTOs and IT managers

Global “State of the CIO” surveys reveal a clear trend: a large number of CIOs and CTOs now play a key role in business strategy and revenue growth—not just cost efficiency. At the same time, they report that legacy systems, skill shortages, and increasing security demands are the main barriers to digital transformation.

On top of that, cloud and AI adoption are making the IT landscape even more complex. Research shows that while many companies experiment with pilots and isolated tools, they struggle to scale them in a manageable way. As a result, the core question is shifting from “which tool should we use?” to “how do we organize teams, architecture and governance so that technology truly delivers value?”

2. From project-based structures to product teams

Multiple digital transformation studies show that organizations are more successful when they move from traditional project structures to product teams with end-to-end responsibility. These teams are not only accountable for delivery, but also for stability, security, and continuous improvement within a clearly defined domain, such as customer portals, order processing, or payment systems.

This shift requires a different management approach. Instead of rigid upfront planning and fixed scopes, product teams work in shorter iterations with clear outcome-based KPIs (such as customer satisfaction, cycle time, incident rates, and revenue contribution). Organizations that embrace this way of working are shown to achieve their digital goals more often and suffer less from “project fatigue.”.

3. Core capabilities of modern development teams

Reports on IT skills and cybersecurity highlight that experience in cloud architecture, cybersecurity, data analytics, and AI is particularly scarce. In practice, this means teams may be perfectly capable developers, but often lack support in areas like threat modeling, privacy, data governance, or the responsible use of generative AI.

Top-performing organizations therefore invest strategically in a balanced mix of generalists and specialists. Think of product owners who keep business value front and center, architects who reduce complexity, security experts involved from the start, and data/AI specialists who help prioritize realistic use cases. Research emphasizes that these capabilities don’t always need to be embedded full-time in every team. A hybrid model with chapters or expert groups supporting multiple teams is often highly effective.

4. The evolving vole of contract managers in a product-led world

As CTOs and IT managers adapt their internal structures, the way they work with external vendors is changing just as rapidly. Studies on IT outsourcing and contract management show that contracts are becoming shorter, more modular, and outcome-focused. Instead of one large, all-or-nothing agreement, companies increasingly combine in-house teams with specialized partners.

For contract managers, this means a shift from purely legal risk mitigation to active partnership management. Research on contract lifecycle management shows that organizations with transparent KPIs, clear exit scenarios, and joint improvement programs are better positioned to align vendors with changing priorities. This requires contracts that leave room for iteration, but still provide clear frameworks around security, compliance, data ownership, and the use of AI components.

5. Where OneMinded adds value

Across all of these studies, a similar theme emerges: technology is rarely the biggest barrier. It’s about organization, collaboration, and governance. OneMinded positions itself exactly at that intersection of strategy, team design, and contracting, with a focus on CTOs, IT managers, and contract professionals who want to professionalize their IT organization without adding unnecessary complexity.

In practice, this means OneMinded typically helps clients to:

• Review existing IT and sourcing strategies in light of current market trends and research

• Design product teams with a realistic mix of internal and external capabilities

• Modernize contracts in collaboration with legal and procurement teams, ensuring they align with the reality of iterative software development and strategic partnerships