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Who Not How is the Smart Way to Bridge Expertise Gaps and Improve Your Odds of Success

by Rishi Khanna on April 14, 2025

A Shift in Thinking That Powers Growth

We are in a world where speed, adaptability, and precision are paramount, businesses are faced with more complexity than ever before. Whether you’re launching a new digital product, undergoing a digital transformation, or scaling operations, there’s always a long list of challenges and an even longer list of questions about how to solve them.

But what if the most important question isn’t “How do we do this?” but rather, “Who can help us do this better, faster and more effectively?”

This is the fundamental idea behind the “Who Not How” philosophy. Instead of trying to figure out every detail in-house, leaders today are learning to focus on assembling the right team of experts, people who have already done it, who bring specialized insight, and who can hit the ground running. This approach improves decision-making, saves time, reduces costly missteps, and increases the odds of success.

Understanding “Who Not How” Leadership Philosophy for the Modern Era

Coined by Dan Sullivan and popularized in business circles by Dr. Benjamin Hardy, the “Who Not How” concept is a game-changing shift in mindset. It challenges leaders to stop thinking of themselves (and their internal teams) as the ones who must figure out every solution from scratch. Instead, success comes from identifying and activating the right “Whos” people who already possess the knowledge and skill to execute with excellence.

This mindset unlocks several key benefits:

Focus: Leaders stay in their zone of genius instead of being pulled into tasks outside their expertise.
Speed: Outcome accelerates when experienced experts come with ready-made frameworks and solutions.
Confidence: Proven performers reduce uncertainty, allowing faster and smarter decisions.
Scalability: The right “Whos” create systems and structure that allow your business to grow without friction.

The Rise of On-Demand and Fractional Senior Expert Talent

Modern businesses especially in the startup, even mid-market and enterprise space, they need flexibility. Hiring full-time experts for every function isn’t always viable. That’s why on-demand and fractional expert talent models have become increasingly popular.

Fractional experts are high-impact professionals who bring domain expertise and leadership experience but work with companies on a on-demand, part-time or project basis. You get the strategic advantage of a seasoned expert without the full-time employee or a consultant cost or commitment.

Use cases include:

A fractional Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to define the technical vision, guide product architecture, and ensure scalable, secure platform development.
A fractional Head of Product to validate product-market fit, prioritize the roadmap, and align cross-functional teams around customer feedback and business goals.
A fractional Data Scientist to analyze complex data sets, uncover actionable insights, and build dashboards that drive strategic decision-making.
A fractional Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) to craft and execute go-to-market strategies, refine brand positioning and drive customer acquisition through data-led marketing initiatives.
A fractional Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) to develop and implement cybersecurity strategy, manage risk, and ensure compliance.
A fractional Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer (CAIO) to drive AI-led business transformation, identify use cases opportunities and implementation.
A fractional Chief Innovation Officer (CINO) to build a culture of innovation, launch new initiatives and establish systems for ideation, validation, and execution.
A fractional Chief Digital Officer (CDO) to drive digital transformation across the organization, modernize customer experiences, and align tech initiatives with business goals.
A fractional Chief Data & Analytics Officer (CDAO) to unlock insights from data, establish data governance and implement advanced data analytics to guide strategic decisions.
A fractional Chief Architect to design scalable, secure, future-ready technical architecture that supports and integrates seamlessly with evolving platforms.

The Real Cost of Gaps & Why This Matters

When companies try to “go it alone” without the right expertise, they risk:

Missed market opportunities due to slow execution or unclear direction
Wasted development cycles building features customers don’t need
Cost overruns due to inexperience or inefficient processes
Burnout within teams stretched too thin across areas they weren’t hired for

In contrast, bringing in the right fractional expert early can help you:

Shorten your learning curve
Make data-informed decisions
Deliver higher-quality outcomes
Avoid the trap of casual, uninformed advice that can lead you astray

How ISHIR Bridges the Gap with On-Demand Fractional Senior Expertise

At ISHIR, we’ve spent the last 25 years building a deep bench of vetted, battle-tested, on-demand senior professionals across key digital, technical, engineering, designers, architects, data scientists, product and business functions.

Our global and local network includes:

Technical Architects & CTOs
Product Strategists & UX Designers
Data Analysts & AI/ML Engineers
Cloud & DevOps Engineers
Cybersecurity & Compliance Specialists

These on-demand fractional senior experts don’t just plug into your team, they become a team extension, offer strategic guidance, tactical execution, and a trusted voice to accelerate your progress.

We match companies with the right professionals based on:

Domain expertise
Stage of growth
Technical needs
Strategic goals
Problems needed to be solved

Our clients get access to:

Product strategists with startup and enterprise experience
Cloud architects and DevOps engineers who’ve scaled infrastructure across industries
Fractional CTOs and CPOs to guide vision, roadmap, and delivery
Data and AI experts to unlock next-level insights and automation
UX designers who align customer needs with product value

Our approach is fast, flexible, and focused on outcomes. Whether you need someone for 5-10 hours a week or a full-time equivalent for 3 months, we scale to meet your needs.

The Future Belongs to Those Who Choose the Right “Whos”

Business is becoming increasingly complex and competitive, doing everything in-house is not a badge of honor, it’s a risk. The most successful business leaders aren’t asking “How will we solve this?” They’re asking, “Who can help us solve this with greater speed, clarity, and confidence?”

At ISHIR, we help you make that leap from overextended to empowered, from guessing to guided.

Let’s build your winning team. One expert at a time. Even if it seems fractional or on-demand.