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In this episode of CTO Insights, I sat down with Bryan Finster, co-creator of Minimum Viable Continuous Delivery, to talk about one of the hardest problems engineering leaders face: improving delivery in legacy systems.
We dig into a pragmatic, step-by-step approach to continuous delivery in legacy and enterprise environments. From getting leadership buy-in to improving test coverage and reshaping teams, Bryan shares how to make real progress without betting everything on a full rewrite. If you’re stuck with slow, manual releases and want a safer, more realistic path to faster delivery, this episode is for you.
What you’ll learn
Why continuous delivery is a business strategy, not just a technical improvement, and how it improves release speed, quality, and team morale.
How to introduce continuous delivery in legacy and enterprise systems without a risky full rewrite.
The realistic timeline and leadership commitment required to move from quarterly releases to multiple deployments per day.
The practical difference between continuous delivery and continuous deployment, and how to adapt CD to different constraints and industries.
The minimum technical and cultural requirements for continuous delivery, including trunk-based development and reliable pipelines.
How to approach CD incrementally, starting with continuous integration and value stream mapping.
Why long-lived, product-focused teams improve accountability, ownership, and delivery outcomes.
How to use metrics to measure speed, cost of change, and feedback loops, without turning them into vanity or control metrics.
Why continuous delivery demands discipline and quality practices, and why it’s the opposite of “cowboy coding.”
“Continuous delivery isn’t cowboy coding. It’s discipline, real software engineering discipline. It takes a team that can consistently break work down, work small, and understand what they’re building.” - Bryan Finster
Bryan Finster is a DevOps and continuous delivery practitioner with over 25 years of hands-on experience building and operating mission-critical delivery systems in complex, enterprise environments. He works with organizations to modernize legacy systems, implement secure CI/CD pipelines, and make continuous delivery practical, not theoretical.
Bryan is also the maintainer of MinimumCD.org and DojoConsortium.org, where he focuses on improving software delivery through disciplined, incremental change.
Resources:
Find Bryan on LinkedIn or GitHub - he’s always open to chat on this topic and share experience.
Check out the Minimum Viable CD Website
Find Katerina on LinkedIn
Content Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to CTO Insights
01:20 The Journey to Continuous Delivery
03:31 Challenges and Benefits of Continuous Delivery
05:40 Continuous Delivery in Different Contexts
07:44 Minimum Requirements for Continuous Delivery
12:48 Incremental Steps to Implement Continuous Delivery
18:39 Organizational Changes and Team Dynamics
22:32 Measuring the Impact of Continuous Delivery
26:09 Common Misconceptions About Continuous Delivery
30:08 Final Advice for CTOs and Engineering Leaders
32:50 Conclusion and Contact Information
