James C. Burchill

Diagnosing system drift and designing resilient business and software systems

I help leaders see why systems misbehave before committing to solutions, technology, or execution.

Read how I think about systems Listen to the audio editions

Note: Contact is best after reading one or two pieces from The Vault so we start with shared context.

What I work on

I work earlier than most consultants or technologists. My role is to identify system drift -- misaligned decisions, hidden coupling, brittle operating models, and false stability -- before those issues harden into expensive failures.

The work begins with diagnosis, followed by architectural design, and only then selective execution when it serves the system as a whole.

Technology is used deliberately, not reflexively.

How engagements typically work

Diagnosis
Clarify outcomes, boundaries, constraints, and failure modes.
Design
Define the system architecture -- business, operational, and technical.
Selective execution
Implementation or oversight only where it reinforces the architecture.

Fit matters

Engagement filter

I work best with leaders who are willing to examine the system itself before prescribing solutions; if you are seeking rapid execution without structural diagnosis, I am not the right fit.

Context

Earlier in my career, I led software engineering at scale, including VP Software Engineering roles at Givex and Shift4, with responsibility for complex, business-critical systems. I am also a bestselling author and instructor, having taught more than 35,000 people globally.

Explore my work

If you want the clearest signal of how I think, start here:

The Vault The Vault Podcast