How I Used Mexican Food to Talk About Innovation

What is Innovation and How does it relate to Mexican Food?

When someone asks where I want to eat, I don’t even hesitate. Mexican. It’s always Mexican.

It’s the one kind of food that never gets old. You can eat it a hundred times, and it still feels fresh. And it got me thinking—not just about tacos—but about how we think about creativity and change in our company.

We talk a lot about innovation. It comes up in meetings, on calls, in strategy docs. And honestly, I think most of us start tuning out when we hear it. Not because we don’t care—but because it doesn’t feel clear anymore.

What are we actually being asked to do? What does innovation look like for someone writing code, leading a standup, managing a sprint, or supporting a client?

That’s when the Mexican food metaphor began.

Tacos, Burritos, and Business

Think about the basics: tortillas, meat, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce.

That’s the foundation of most Mexican dishes. You don’t need a different grocery list for each one—you just need a different combination. Same ingredients, new format. Tacos become burritos. Burritos become enchiladas. Add crunch and it’s a tostada. Stack it and it’s a Mexican pizza.

It’s not about reinventing—it’s about remixing.

That’s where this ties back to the work we’re doing.

We already have the ingredients:

• Teammates who show up with empathy
• Developers and designers who never stop learning
• People who care deeply about solving problems
• A culture that values humility over ego

Clients who trust us to think—not just execute

Instead of chasing something totally new, we should look at what we already have and ask what else we could make out of it.

Why the Word “Innovation” Gets Ignored

There’s a reason the word feels worn out. It’s been used in so many ways, it doesn’t land anymore.

You might hear it and think:

“Cool… but I still have a sprint to finish.”

or

“That sounds like something for the leadership team.”

or

“I’m not even sure what that means for me.”

I have felt that way too. It’s easy to assume innovation belongs in someone else’s job description. But it doesn’t. At least, not here at Acklen.

And the truth is, when you step back, you’ll realize we’re already doing it. When someone builds a tool that saves time. When a team member finds a better way to share client feedback. When we combine ideas from two different projects and come up with something smarter.

None of that needs a big announcement. It just needs someone willing to look at what we already have and ask, what else can this be?

It may not be revolutionary, but it’s evolutionary—and often, that’s where the most consistent progress happens. Especially in tech, where continuous improvement beats one-hit wonders.

Innovation Isn’t a Department, It’s the whole Dish

You don’t need a permission slip to try something new. And you don’t need to have the “innovation” title to be part of it.

You already contribute to it. Every time you solve a problem that doesn’t have a clear answer. Every time you suggest something that makes things smoother. Every time you teach someone a faster way to do something.

We don’t need to wait for some big project. We can start by noticing what’s already in the ingredients list.

What This Looks Like Moving Forward

We’re not going to stop using the word “innovation.” It matters. But we can start talking about it in a way that’s real. Something grounded. Something you can see.

If you’re working on something and find yourself stuck, maybe the question isn’t “What do I need to add?”
Maybe it’s: “What do I already have that I haven’t combined yet?”

That’s where the good stuff comes from. And a new dish could be created.

The more we see our work this way, the more chances we give ourselves to build something new without having to start from scratch. That’s where momentum comes from. And that’s something we all can be part of.