Articles by Nicolas (Nic)
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My 25th Work Anniversary
My 25th Work Anniversary
My Accenture 25th! Back in March of 1996, I had two job offers in Environmental Engineering related companies. However,…
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Nicolas (Nic) Tempestini reposted thisNicolas (Nic) Tempestini reposted thisThe White House just signed an executive order making firm fixed-price contracts the default for federal procurement. Agencies now have to justify in writing any contract that isn't FFP. Their 10 largest cost-reimbursement contracts have 90 days to be reviewed for conversion. Most of the GovCon world is nervous. And they should be. Under cost-plus and T&M, the contractor's risk was limited. You bill hours, you pass through costs, you collect your fee. FFP flips that. The contractor owns the cost risk. If your labor costs run over, that's your margin — gone. Which means every prime and sub in the federal space is now asking the same question: how do I deliver the same quality work at a predictable cost? Here's where it gets interesting. The biggest variable cost in most IT services contracts is labor. And the biggest driver of labor cost inflation is competing for scarce experienced talent at market rates. When you're bidding against every other contractor for the same pool of cleared engineers and developers, your wrap rates climb — and under FFP, that climb comes straight out of your margin. TechForce by Design changes that equation. When you build the talent instead of buying it at market, your cost per consultant comes with fixed, predictable rate escalation — not the market volatility that blows up your pricing model. You're not hoping your recruiter finds someone at the right price. You know what the talent costs because you built it. At SkillStorm, this is the model we've been running for years. This EO doesn't change our business. It makes our value prop more obvious to every prime and agency that just realized their cost structure needs to look different. FFP rewards the companies that control their inputs. If your biggest input is talent, you'd better have a plan for where it comes from and what it costs. Thoughts? #GovCon #FederalContracting #FFP #WorkforceDevelopment #SkillStorm https://lnkd.in/eZB3G5GSPromoting Efficiency, Accountability, and Performance in Federal ContractingPromoting Efficiency, Accountability, and Performance in Federal Contracting
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Nicolas (Nic) Tempestini reposted thisNicolas (Nic) Tempestini reposted thisThe SkillStorm team is attending Appian World this year in Orlando. We’re looking forward to connecting with leaders across AI, automation, and digital transformation, and joining the conversations shaping what’s next for enterprise operations. If you’re attending, let’s connect. Reach out to Nicolas (Nic) Tempestini Tempestini and Ken Lyles to start the conversation around building mission-ready tech teams and accelerating your organization’s ability to move smarter and faster. See you in Orlando!
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Nicolas (Nic) Tempestini reposted thisNicolas (Nic) Tempestini reposted thisJoin SkillStorm’s Live Cloud Session for a hands-on walkthrough of how modern cloud systems stay online, scale under demand, and support real-world operations. You’ll get insight into what cloud engineers do day-to-day and how those skills translate into real tech careers. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to complete a short guided exercise and earn a cloud micro-credential to showcase your new skills. 📅 Tuesday, March 3rd ⏰ 6:00 PM EST If you’re exploring your next move in tech, this is a great place to start. Reserve your spot: https://lnkd.in/dY-8tweq
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Nicolas (Nic) Tempestini reposted thisNicolas (Nic) Tempestini reposted thisTL;DR; - The T-shaped engineer is obsolete. - AI changes how depth, breadth, and value as a software engineer/architect actually work. - The replacement is: The Stalactite Developer. - Each stalactite may never need to reach the depth of the top bar of the T-shape professional, and the surface of the cave in this model will be near zero. Surely the depth provided by a T-shaped professional may rarely be needed again. - If you’re still hiring & training for T-shaped professionals, you may already behind. For years, the tech industry defaulted to the T-shaped engineer: broad exposure across tools with one deep specialization. That model made sense when depth was scarce and writing code was the primary unit of value. That world no longer exists. AI collapses the cost of depth. Implementation is no longer the bottleneck. Judgment, architecture, and integration are. I recently found an older concept lightly coined in 2020 by Hugo Tunius called "The Stalactite Developer." At the time, it was an interesting alternative to T-shapes. In today's AI-driven world with tools like Cursor and Claude Code, it’s no longer optional. It’s the new baseline. Here’s what the Stalactite Developer actually looks like: - Extremely broad surface-level fluency across languages, frameworks, cloud, data, and systems - Multiple selective depth points—just deep enough to validate, reason, and challenge decisions to fill weak points in AI output and to "command the room" with your new AI pair programmer - One or two deeper pillars, typically architecture or AI architecture, where human judgment still dominates - Depth is no longer permanent or exclusive. It’s situational, selective, and AI-assisted. - The vertical depth of any skill for the T-shaped professional will become useful in only hyper-niche scenarios, if that depth is ever needed at all This changes everything. Modern engineers don’t start by writing code. They start by defining intent, structuring problems, and orchestrating solutions. AI generates implementation. Humans validate, integrate, and own outcomes. This doesn’t lower the bar. It raises it. Years of experience are no longer a reliable proxy for value. The market has tolerated too many roles where seniority outpaced impact. AI makes that visible. Engineers who can’t reason architecturally, explain systems, or operate at leverage will plateau faster. At the same time, capable early-career engineers can reach high-leverage roles much sooner—if they’re trained correctly. This is not a niche shift. It’s a structural one. Organizations that continue to hire and train for narrow depth and manual implementation will fall behind. Organizations that optimize for breadth, judgment, and AI-augmented leverage will win. Bottom line: - AI doesn’t replace engineers. It replaces low leverage. - The Stalactite Developer is what replaces the T-shape. If you’re still hiring & training for T-shaped professionals, you’re already behind.
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Nicolas (Nic) Tempestini reposted thisNicolas (Nic) Tempestini reposted thisSkillStorm is proud to sponsor the panel discussion “Keeping Military Mindfulness” at the annual American Association of Community Colleges Workforce Development Institute (WDI). Please join Alan Coheley as moderator, and an outstanding panel of leaders including Keila Louzada from Northern Virginia Community College, Ian McDuffie from Amazon, Barry Horner from Central Community College, and Adam Forbes from NextOps. Together, we’ll share insights and best practices for supporting veterans and transitioning service members as they pursue meaningful careers in technology. 📅 Saturday, January 31 ⏰ 8:30 AM Special thanks to Jen Worth and the American Association of Community Colleges team for bringing this important conversation to life.
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Nicolas (Nic) Tempestini reposted thisNicolas (Nic) Tempestini reposted thisSkillStorm is actively greening tech teams for our clients — driving down costs, boosting competitiveness, and positioning them for success in upcoming re-competes. Do you want to better understand how SkillStorm custom builds US based tech teams... listen to this short clip from the NewsNation interview with Laura Ingle Emily W. Murphy Suzette Kent Cordell Carter, Esq. 🌎 Hany Girgis Vince Virga Joe Mitchell Greg Sarafin #SkillStorm #acceleratingopportunity✂️ Do you want to understand the SkillStorm model?✂️ Do you want to understand the SkillStorm model?
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Nicolas (Nic) Tempestini reposted thisSkillStorm clients are using us extensively for greening teams and making them more competitive for rebids. Watch the clip below to learn how we do it.Nicolas (Nic) Tempestini reposted thisSkillStorm is actively greening tech teams for our clients — driving down costs, boosting competitiveness, and positioning them for success in upcoming re-competes. Do you want to better understand how SkillStorm custom builds US based tech teams... listen to this short clip from the NewsNation interview with Laura Ingle Emily W. Murphy Suzette Kent Cordell Carter, Esq. 🌎 Hany Girgis Vince Virga Joe Mitchell Greg Sarafin #SkillStorm #acceleratingopportunity✂️ Do you want to understand the SkillStorm model?✂️ Do you want to understand the SkillStorm model?
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Nicolas (Nic) Tempestini reposted thisNicolas (Nic) Tempestini reposted thisHappy Thanksgiving from all of us at SkillStorm! 🍁 Today we are thankful for the people who make everything we do meaningful, our students, military community, Stormers, clients, and partners who work with us to build pathways into tech. Your dedication fuels our mission and makes a real impact in the lives and careers of so many. For that, we’re truly grateful.
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Nicolas (Nic) Tempestini reposted thisNicolas (Nic) Tempestini reposted thisAlexandra Mauch is #hiring. Know anyone who might be interested?
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Nicolas (Nic) Tempestini liked thisNicolas (Nic) Tempestini liked thisNearly recovered from a mad weekend in Boston, soaking up the atmosphere as part of the Scottish invasion. It was every bit as fun, chaotic and unforgettable as the social media reels and posts made it look. There was something pretty special about standing in the middle of Boston, surrounded by fellow Scots, hearing Flower of Scotland. A moment I won’t forget in a hurry. We do it all again on Friday!! 🏴⚽️
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Nicolas (Nic) Tempestini liked thisNicolas (Nic) Tempestini liked thisAttention Accenture Leadership: Why do we continue to see the ineffective Poste Italiane commercial on repeat while you tell Wall Street how pleased you are with the business? The formula for running a truly successful consulting company has never changed. It rests on three foundational priorities: 1. Take Care of the People — Accenture professionals are recognized for exceptional talent and expertise. They have always been the firm’s greatest asset. 2. Deliver for Clients — measurable, innovative outcomes that strengthen long‑term relationships. 3. Reward Investors — through sustainable stock price appreciation, not expensive buybacks… although at this point, you may want to consider buying shares at a single‑digit forward P/E. When I retired in 2022 after more than 30 years in consulting — including serving as one of Accenture’s most experienced client account executives and leading one of the firm’s largest global industry portfolios — ACN traded at $317 per share. Corporate Leadership and Board rewards must be contingent on delivering across all three pillars: People, Clients, and Investors. That was the standard when I served, and it should remain the standard today.
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Publications
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Government Efficiency: Corporately-Owned, Personally-Enabled
Accenture Thought Leadership - Digital - Mobility
When is COPE the right mobility model for federal agencies?
Until recently, federal agencies have relied on Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) programs for equipping their employees with mobile devices, which have generally been BlackBerry phones. However, this legacy approach is challenged by the uncertain future of the BlackBerry platform, growing demands for more popular consumer devices and new devices with secure elements for protecting data.
Corporately-Owned…When is COPE the right mobility model for federal agencies?
Until recently, federal agencies have relied on Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) programs for equipping their employees with mobile devices, which have generally been BlackBerry phones. However, this legacy approach is challenged by the uncertain future of the BlackBerry platform, growing demands for more popular consumer devices and new devices with secure elements for protecting data.
Corporately-Owned, Personally-Enabled (COPE) programs marry the best features from GFE and the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programs favored by the private sector. With a COPE program, agencies own and secure the devices, but employees can use the devices for personal activities. Additional benefits for agencies include employee self-service, improved overall agency productivity and reduced legal complexity of data ownership when incidents occur. By allowing employees to manage a single mobile device, the risk of lost devices is also minimized.
Accenture’s experience shows that a carefully crafted COPE program can be an effective solution for federal agencies, minimizing mobile device security risks while improving employee productivity and satisfaction. The time is ripe for agencies to seize the opportunity, embracing mobile technology to deliver public service for the future.
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BYOD in the Federal Government
Accenture
See publicationPoint of View on BYOD in the Federal Government
An opportunity for transformation in digital government
The mobile-enabled workforce is the future for every organization. Planning for it now addresses the concerns and maximizes the substantial benefits of this new technology shift.
Accenture Federal Services brings together unmatched experience developing mobility programs with a close understanding of the federal community. Accenture's experience and insight can help…Point of View on BYOD in the Federal Government
An opportunity for transformation in digital government
The mobile-enabled workforce is the future for every organization. Planning for it now addresses the concerns and maximizes the substantial benefits of this new technology shift.
Accenture Federal Services brings together unmatched experience developing mobility programs with a close understanding of the federal community. Accenture's experience and insight can help develop customized solutions as part of a mobile-enablement business case. We know that agencies moving toward a mobile-enabled workforce will need to address:
* Security concerns regarding data and devices.
* Increased demands on IT support.
* Organizational policy including labor, privacy and legal issues.
The benefits of mobile enablement include increased employee satisfaction and productivity, as well as significant opportunities for cost savings and process improvement. The rapid evolution of mobile technology also provides an opportunity for transformation to a mobile-enabled federal workforce.
Although federal agencies may choose from various methods of mobile device provisioning and support, Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is among the approaches that can provide the most benefit. -
Point of View on Managing Mobility in the Federal Government
Accenture
See publicationPoint of View on Managing Mobility in the Federal Government
Enforce security policy and mitigate risk with mobile device management and integrity checking.
OverviewDuring 2013, the number of mobile-connected devices will surpass the population of the world. Combine this fact with research that indicates a majority of people want to conduct their entire government business online, and the demand for mobile-enabled digital government services becomes extremely clear.
The…Point of View on Managing Mobility in the Federal Government
Enforce security policy and mitigate risk with mobile device management and integrity checking.
OverviewDuring 2013, the number of mobile-connected devices will surpass the population of the world. Combine this fact with research that indicates a majority of people want to conduct their entire government business online, and the demand for mobile-enabled digital government services becomes extremely clear.
The federal government is already responding. The White House publication Digital Government: Building a 21st Century Platform to Better Serve the American People provides the expectation that federal agencies transform themselves and deliver public service digitally.
This transformation will include digital mobility for federal employees, placing a premium on the need to balance risk management with cost effectiveness.
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Accenture Certified Delivery Lead
Accenture
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Accenture Certified Solution Architect
Accenture
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Accenture Senior Technical Architect
Accenture
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Italian
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Erez Zevulunov
In the administration's first 100 days, multiple executive orders reshaped the landscape of federal procurement. New initiatives — including the OneGov Strategy, procurement consolidation, and the Army Transformation Initiative — are redefining how agencies modernize and acquire technology. This DLT blog post explores what these updates mean for federal organizations and contractors working toward compliant modernization. Read the blog for insights into how the evolving FAR amendment process impacts acquisition. 👇 @tdsynnexnorthamerica
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