Case Story:
Speed & Function
Increasing Productive Work Through Better Direction & Communication
The Challenge:
Increasing Productive Work Through Better Direction and Communication
Speed & Function is a high-growth custom software development company headquartered in Philadelphia, with three R&D centers across Europe. Operating in an industry defined by constant iteration and rapid innovation, the company prided itself on technical excellence and speed.
Yet internally, execution was slowing.
CEO Nick Gluzdov saw growing friction across teams and geographies. Developers struggled to give and receive candid feedback. Functional silos emerged between engineering, design, and delivery. Geographic distance amplified misalignment between US and European teams.
The result was not a lack of talent or effort, but confusion. Direction shifted midstream. Projects stalled before completion. People worked hard, but not always in sync.
Nick had already been exploring ideas from Ray Dalio and the Immunity to Change® framework, recognizing that human dynamics were driving technical problems. He reached out to The Developmental Edge®, looking for a practical way to help people hear each other, align faster, and execute with less friction.
As Nick put it,
“We were looking for a method to help people really hear each other. With TDE’s framework, we found it.”
The Solution:
Leading With Vulnerability To Unlock the Team
Before asking anyone else to change, Nick deliberately chose to lead by example.
Working with TDE’s Claire Lee, he volunteered to participate in the Developmental Sprint® process, with a twist. Prior to the Sprint, Nick invited his leadership team to give him direct feedback on where his behavior was helping and where it was getting in the way.
What surfaced surprised him.
Nick realized that a fear of falling behind in a fast-moving industry was driving a pattern of constant idea-sharing and frequent direction changes. While well-intentioned, this behavior disrupted teams mid-project, undermined confidence, and slowed completion.
What had fueled Speed & Function’s early success was now beginning to limit its next stage of growth.
Through the Sprint, Nick practiced new behaviors in real time. He asked for input instead of directing. He interrupted less. He involved others in decisions before shifting course.
The impact was immediate. Morale improved. Clarity increased. Productivity rose as teams regained confidence in their ability to finish what they started.
Development Embedded in the Flow of Work
Speed & Function did not pause execution to develop leaders. Development happened in the work itself.
The Developmental Sprint® process was rolled out across the organization, helping individuals and teams surface assumptions, test new behaviors, and learn together in short cycles.
In parallel, Speed & Function piloted Project and People Sprints through what became known internally as the Developmental Scrum.
Before working with TDE, Speed & Function only used Scrum for client delivery. Internal work remained informal, often interrupted by new ideas before they reached milestones.
Now, both external and internal work followed the same rhythm. Teams completed defined increments before introducing new thinking. Feedback became clearer. Decisions stuck.
As Nick described it,
“With the way the Sprint is structured and integrated with work, we did not have to find extra time. Improvement happened in the normal course of business. We followed the process, and insight and change just happened.”
Development became a system, not a side project.
From Reaction to Shared Ownership
As the Developmental Sprint® and the Developmental Scrum became routine, behavior across the organization shifted.
Leaders stopped reacting and started aligning. Teams shared information across functions instead of guarding it. Engineers expanded their understanding beyond their narrow roles to see how business, design, and delivery fit together.
Geographic silos weakened as teams in the US and Europe began communicating more clearly and with greater trust.
Nick saw accountability rise across the system.
“My team is more relevant to the market because they reach beyond their roles to understand the business. Management is not just responding anymore. Everyone gets it.”
What had once felt like constant firefighting gave way to steadier execution and more complete work.
The Results:
More Focus. More Completion. More Momentum.
The results at Speed & Function were both cultural and operational.
Productivity increased as teams completed work with fewer disruptions. Communication improved across functions and countries. Accountability strengthened as people took ownership rather than waiting for direction.
Perhaps most importantly, improvement no longer felt like another demand on already stretched leaders.
Initially, Nick believed he did not have the time or energy to fix the company’s problems.
Today, he sees it differently.
By turning leadership growth into a shared, practical discipline, Speed & Function built a faster, more aligned organization without slowing down.
In a fast-moving industry, that capability became a competitive advantage.