How Better Problem Statements Drive Technology Outcomes

Chad Carrington · CIO · Golden 1 Credit Union

Oct 2026Leadership AI Engineering

01 — The conversation

GuestChad CarringtonChief Information OfficerGolden 1 Credit UnionProfile →

Chad Carrington, Chief Information Officer at Golden 1 Credit Union, joins The Tech Trek to discuss how technology leaders can better understand business problems before choosing solutions. The conversation covers listening, business context, delivery tradeoffs, and why AI makes the ability to articulate the right problem even more important.

Key ideas

01Different teams can use the same language while meaning very different things.

02Business partners should help decide which delivery tradeoffs are acceptable.

03Observing how people actually work can expose problems technology teams otherwise miss.

04Easier AI tools increase the importance of clearly stating the desired outcome.

05Expertise is not simply access to a tool, but knowing how to apply it to the right problem.

Chad explains why technology teams need to listen beyond the initial request, define terms with business partners, and stay focused on the outcome rather than jumping immediately to a solution.

The conversation also covers technical debt, delivery speed, business involvement in tradeoffs, and how AI makes problem definition, critical thinking, and better questions even more valuable.