Hey all,
I’m fired up and ready to rant about something that’s been bugging me for a while now.
Today I want to talk about the mindset that buying software is the solution to all your business problems. It’s time to set the record straight.
In fact, I am thinking about getting some T-shirts printed with slogans like:
- Buying software is not a business strategy.
- There is no business problem that technology cannot make worse.
- You cannot avoid hard work by relying on software.
- Or my personal favorite: “Software solves sh*t” (I love a good alliteration!)
Perhaps my clients will take the hint!
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen organizations fall into this trap. They’re dissatisfied with their website, so they think a new content management system will magically fix everything. Or they’re frustrated that people aren’t using their intranet, so they throw money at Sharepoint without even trying to understand the root of the problem.
I can see similar things already starting to happen with the emergence of AI. AI will not magically solve all your organizations problems. In fact, it could make things worse if you don’t have an AI strategy in place, as I explain in my latest post. It worries me so much that I have started offering AI consultancy clinics to my clients. You can book one too if you feel you need it.
The truth is, no amount of off-the-shelf software can make up for a lack of effort or a lack of strategy. If your website sucks, a new CMS won’t change that. If your content is poorly organized, a new intranet won’t fix it. And if you’re not committed to making your site accessible, no software in the world will be a silver bullet.
It’s easy to fall for the outrageous claims of software suppliers who promise the moon and the stars. But the reality is that you still need to put in the hard work of user research, prototyping, and testing. You need to understand what your users actually need, not just what sounds cool or flashy. And you need to be willing to commit to long-term improvements, not just a quick fix.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying off-the-shelf products are always a bad idea. They can save time and money, and they can be a great solution when they’re a good fit for your needs. But the point is that software is rarely enough on its own. You need to be willing to put in the effort to make it work for you.
To effectively meet the user’s needs, it is important to understand them first. Buying off the shelf software doesn’t change that. Prototyping the solution and testing it, is also essential, as you cannot expect any software solution to work for everybody. Simply using a software solution out of the box is not enough.
So, let’s stop thinking of software as a magic solution. Let’s start putting in the work to make our websites, intranets, and other digital experiences truly great. And let’s remember that software is just one part of the equation.
Thanks for listening to my rant.
