The Cherry Model

“IT is often evaluated based on hard skills. The resilience of architecture, the amount of coding languages you master, how many years of experience the tech department has. These aspects form the pit of the cherry. They are important, but none of them bring innovation. Soft skills do. Innovation grows when people learn from each other, work together and challenge each other. Soft skills are the cherry’s nutritious, sweet flesh that brings all the birds to the yard.”

Anneke Keller created the Cherry Model based on 25 years of experience as innovation leader. Every tech organisation – entire companies even – have a rhythm for growth and change. After a summery phase of seemingly endless innovation inevitably follows a harsh season of stagnation and cutbacks. How can you as a leader predict and recognise these different phases and use them to support and create an innovative organisation?

In The Cherry Model Anneke and her former colleague and technology guru Tim Meeuwissen guide you through the seasons of innovation sharing their stories, lively anecdotes and helpful tips and tricks. 

Anneke Keller worked as CTO and IT leader at Wehkamp, Jumbo, Coolblue, TomTom and KPN. Anneke owns a food forest where she grows fruit and vegetables for and with her neighbours.

Tim Meeuwissen has a career in transforming organisations to create software that scales and lasts, and currently works at Jumbo. Tim is a tinkerer and a hobby farmer who keeps chickens, bees and a small flock of sheep.