Coffee, Chaos and ProdSec Ep 25 - Stop Saying No, Start Proving Value, and Stop Letting AI Wreck Your Roadmap
Feb 18, 2026
Caroline Wong, a security leader and author who helps translate security into business impact. She and the panel tackle why roadmaps crumble when AI reshapes priorities. They debate when leaders need technical depth. They discuss avoiding the Department of No, making risk registers actionable, and proving value through business-focused communication.
AI Snips
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Transcript
Episode notes
Plan Capacity Buffers For Unplanned Work
- Reserve capacity for unplanned work by booking teams below 100% so fires can be absorbed.
- Make this buffer part of culture and planning so unexpected priorities don't derail everything.
Department Of No Is A Risk-Tolerance Gap
- The 'department of no' perception stems from mismatched risk tolerances across teams.
- Aligning on organizational risk tolerance prevents security from being seen as a blocker.
Shift Risk Ownership When Accepted
- Escalate and transfer risk to the proper owner when teams choose to accept it rather than remediating immediately.
- Document acceptance so accountability sits with the accepting party, not InfoSec.