Dialogue with Jenny and JT

About the Authors:

  • Jenny is a co-founder of Spice Labs, relentlessly pursuing a world where every organization has crystal-clear insight into what’s deployed.

  • JT is the Chief Customer Officer at Spice Labs, bringing the voice of the customer directly to the product and ensuring Spice Labs always delivers real-world value.

Jenny: Alright, JT, let’s chat about the buzz we’re hearing right now in our conversations with prospects and at the events we’ve been attending. It’s like someone finally turned the volume up to 11 on the “we need real visibility” anthem. It’s almost… spicy! 😉

JT: Assuming people are still reading after that, um, joke… Absolutely – for too long, companies have been flying blind on what’s actually running in their environments. They’ve got the latest shiny tools but have zero clue if their underlying software is a well-oiled machine or a ticking time bomb. Every time I demo, it’s like a lightbulb goes off — “is that actually possible to see?” — and it is now!

Jenny: Exactly! It’s not just about “modernization” anymore, is it? It’s not enough to say you’re “cloud-native” or “microservices-first” if you don’t actually know what components those microservices are dragging along, or if your cloud instances are running ancient, vulnerable libraries. I mean, we’ve all seen those fancy architecture diagrams that look like abstract art. Our customers are realizing they need a real blueprint to be able to make informed and prioritized decisions.

JT: You’re absolutely right! We heard from a leading architect at a large bank a week or so ago. He was lamenting how their decade-long journey to modernize their core banking systems was constantly being tripped up by unknown software dependencies. He said, “We execute thousands of trades a day, and each time it hits code that was shipped a week ago and also likely hits COBOL code running on a mainframe from 20 years ago… We just don’t know.” They’re literally reinventing the wheel in the dark, trying to figure out what’s on every spoke.

Jenny: And that’s where our secret sauce — the Artifact Dependency Graph (ADG) and our OmniBOR-based standard — comes in. We’re not just scanning; we’re mapping. We’re showing them the actual components behind every artifact. Suddenly, that “modernized” stack isn’t a black box anymore. They can see the hidden technical debt, the orphaned libraries, and the shadow IT lurking in the corners. It’s like turning on the lights in a very dusty attic! And that’s pretty exciting!

JT: Absolutely. For most companies working on wide-scale modernization, this translates to serious impact. And there are five areas that keep coming up in my conversations:

  • True Tech Debt Retirement: Actually identify and sunset those ancient, unused components hiding deep within your stack. No more “maybe it’s still running somewhere?”
  • Effective Architecture Transformation: Architects can design with real-time, accurate data, ensuring new systems are built on a solid, visible foundation.
  • Accelerated Migrations: Knowing exactly what’s where means less guesswork, fewer nasty surprises, and increased organizational morale. A rapid ability to identify various archetypes allows organizations to develop patterns and recipes for modernization.
  • Optimized Resource Allocation: Understand what software is actually consuming resources, leading to smarter scaling and cost management.
  • Deep Dependency Clarity: Understanding not just the first layer of dependencies but the heritage of the entire stack allows for clear risk evaluation and identification of any needed remediation.
  • AI Foundations: For organizations striving for data accuracy in their AI models, our solution provides the high-fidelity data necessary to generate more precise and reliable AI recommendations.

Jenny: Precisely. With the push for AI efficiency gains, everyone is looking for faster time-to-market, and ops teams are stuck untangling invisible knots. With Spice Labs, we’re giving them that foundational layer of truth that lets all those other modernization efforts finally pay off. It’s not just about building faster, but building smarter. No more patching ghosts because you couldn’t see what was running!

JT: But it’s not just about dusty attics. Let’s not be passive about how we’re changing the security game! I’ve not only spoken to a bunch of enterprise architects, but I’ve also been speaking to members of different security teams — especially while walking the floors at RSA. They’ve been excited about how Spice Labs helps them:

  • Supercharge Incident Response: When something inevitably hits the fan, they need to know the exact software footprint of the affected system historically. Our time-traveling ADG is proving invaluable for rapid root cause analysis and forensic investigations. One CISO at RSA called it “the forensic superpower they never knew they needed”.
  • Software Compliance: From the moment code is deployed, they want cryptographic proof of what’s inside. SBOMs only indicate a layer or two of dependencies. Regulators, general counsel, and others are going to need confidence in knowing what’s inside the entire stack — not just the surface. Having an SBOM that only says “I am using the latest version of a library” won’t cut it. There must be visibility for regulators and executives so they can comprehend the full chain of dependencies behind that library.
  • Detect and Mitigate Shadow IT: Expose all software that is used within the software development lifecycle. Delivering that business capability sometimes becomes more important than the internal compliance process. What if that process was automated and easy to validate later? Spice Labs makes that possible.

Jenny: “Forensic superpower”— I love that. We’re giving them the ability to not just modernize their tech, but to do it with unprecedented confidence and control. It’s about building safer systems from the ground up, with an unshakeable understanding of what’s beneath the hood.

JT: Exactly. The need for real-time, comprehensive software visibility is a mission-critical component of any successful tech stack modernization initiative and cybersecurity strategy. We’re not just selling a product; we’re providing peace of mind and unlocking a new level of operational maturity.

Jenny: So yeah, going back to what I said at the beginning… “spicy” feels right. We’re heating things up! The future of secure and transparent software environments? Spice Labs is jalapeño business!

JT: I’m going to ignore that spicy take… but yes, we’re on the brink of dusting off the ultimate clarity for organizations worldwide. Early adopters are practically vibrating with excitement to scan their systems and finally see what hidden gems (and… maybe some not-so-gem-like things) are really lurking in the back of those digital cupboards. Just like the spices in your kitchen drawer, this information is only useful if it’s fresh and spicy… and with Spice Labs, you’re about to get a whole new flavor profile!

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