Brian Abston, Senior Director of Digital Technology at The Wendy’s Company, brings over two decades of experience in software development, platform architecture and IT leadership. Before joining Wendy’s, he spent four years as IT Director and Platform Architect at SONIC Drive-In, leading digital initiatives in QSR. His background includes roles as a Java Developer at MSCI Inc. and Power Costs, Inc., where he honed his expertise in scalable software solutions and enterprise technology.
In this episode, Brian shares how he led the mobile transformation of Wendy’s, replacing fragmented native apps with a unified Flutter-based platform. He discusses the importance of automation, feature flagging and staggered rollouts in ensuring fast, reliable updates for millions of customers. He also explains how engineering decisions can drive business success, particularly in high-demand moments like March Madness promotions.
Key Takeaways:
(03:43) Custom-built technology supports QSR’s mobile, web and e-commerce platforms.
(08:08) Why maintaining separate native apps became unsustainable.
(11:23) Flutter delivered features twice as fast as native development.
(15:35) Product decisions flow from marketing to engineering for implementation.
(21:40) A centralized design system ensures consistency across all UI components.
(24:01) A critical integration deadline forced a fast technology transition.
(25:39) Managing web, iOS and Android separately created inconsistencies.
(27:54) How to run big digital promotion events with real-time app updates.
(31:52) A unified codebase doubled productivity without increasing team size.
(35:05) Transitioning 40 million users required careful planning.
(39:56) Software engineering remains an art, requiring human creativity.
(41:29) AI’s limitations stem from vague human requirements.
Resources Mentioned:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianpabston/
The Wendy’s Company | LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/wendys-international/
The Wendy’s Company | Website
https://www.wendys.com
https://launchdarkly.com
Very Good Ventures designs and builds world-class digital experiences for any screen, with the best tools and engineering approaches for consistent, scalable results. Find out how VGV helps you hit the mark at: https://verygood.ventures/.
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