Technology is the backbone of any modern business, but choosing the right tools and solutions can be challenging. There are countless options available, each with its own features, benefits, and drawbacks. How can you tailor your tech stack to fit your business goals, needs, and budget?
To answer this question, we asked 20 industry experts from various fields and sectors to share their tips and insights on how to build a tech stack that works for your business. Here are some of the key takeaways:
Understand Your Business Objectives And Challenges
Before you start looking for new tools and solutions, you need to have a clear understanding of your business objectives and challenges. What are you trying to achieve with your tech stack? What problems are you trying to solve? What are your current pain points and gaps? These questions will help you define your requirements and priorities, and guide your decision-making process.
One of the experts, Will Moxley, SVP of Product at AppFolio Inc., said that technology should work for your employees and customers and be guided by a clear, achievable goal and objective success metrics. He also advised to consider how new tools will integrate with your existing systems, and avoid solutions that require your business to contort its workflows to fit a new product.
Research And Evaluate The Available Options
Once you have a clear idea of what you need and want from your tech stack, you can start researching and evaluating the available options. There are many sources of information and feedback that you can use, such as online reviews, customer testimonials, case studies, demos, trials, and referrals. You can also consult with industry peers, experts, and consultants to get their opinions and recommendations.
One of the experts, Jacob Dearstyne, CRO at OPTIZMO Technologies, LLC, suggested to use a scoring system to rank the potential solutions based on various criteria, such as features, functionality, ease of use, scalability, security, support, and cost. He also recommended to involve your sales team in the evaluation process, as they are the ones who will use the tools and benefit from them.
Choose Tools That Align With Your Business Strategy And Culture
Finally, you need to choose the tools that align with your business strategy and culture. Your tech stack should not only meet your current needs, but also support your future growth and innovation. You should also consider how the tools will affect your team’s productivity, collaboration, and satisfaction. Your tech stack should enhance your business performance, not hinder it.
One of the experts, John Jahnke, CEO of Tackle.io, said that your tech stack should reflect your business values and vision, and help you differentiate yourself from your competitors. He also emphasized the importance of choosing tools that are easy to adopt and use, and that can deliver value quickly and consistently.
Building a tech stack that works for your business is not a one-size-fits-all process. It requires careful planning, research, evaluation, and selection, based on your specific goals, needs, and preferences. By following the advice from the 20 industry experts, you can create a tech stack that will help you achieve your business objectives and overcome your challenges.
