Infrastructure decisions rarely feel glamorous, but they often determine whether a company scales or stalls. In this episode of Built Not Born, the conversation centres on how technology choices, leadership, and customer focus intersect under real-world pressure. Host Sage Nye sits down with Ian Penny, a global technology leader with over two decades of experience stabilising and scaling complex systems across organisations like JPMorgan, Barclays, and Hiscox. Ian shares why the most effective technology strategies start with customer problems, not platforms, and how reframing infrastructure as a business enabler changes executive buy-in. Together, they unpack the trade-offs between startup and enterprise software, the long-term cost of unchecked technical debt, and the leadership habits that help teams consistently deliver. From communicating infrastructure value in human terms to building teams that prioritise impact over novelty, this episode offers practical insight for leaders making high-stakes technology decisions while building organisations designed to last.