Guiding Hyper-Growth Brands

I recently had a conversation with our Vice President of Design and Behavior, Keith Karlick, to discuss his perspective and insights regarding the strategy and recommendations for a company undertaking a tech stack overhaul.

We address some topics including analyzing tech stack, platform selections and considerations, and what to think about in crafting a near and long term road map.  

LS: Where do you start when reviewing or analyzing a brand's tech stack?

KK: Initially, I am looking for the systems that “own” various points of the customer experience and also the data to be used to create the experience. Platforms that are sources of truth create the most value to the business, have the highest rate of change and need to provide the most robust set of features for their role. Next, I look for integrations between key platforms because they are cost centers to maintain/modify and are often the linchpin to creating really strong experiences.

LS: How much does an ecommerce platform impact the ability to evolve systems?

KK: For most businesses selling online, the ecommerce platform is the centerpiece to the entire suite of online services; it enables the shopping/checkout experience (or data for the experience in the case of headless) and key integrations with other platforms. The ecomm platform needs to have a really solid set of features so merchants can reduce (not eliminate - this is not a monolith)  the number of external platforms while also having really solid APIs for the needed integrations with external platforms. Performance of APIs and front-end is important because performance is king.

LS: How do you prioritize and create a tech road map?

KK: I try to find the places that move the needle and avoid trying to boil the ocean. The goal is to create the least amount of change while making the greatest impact. Some projects require making massive changes and transforming the entire tech stack - that will be disruptive to the business and to the teams running the day-to-day of the business. The highest priorities are scored by greatest impact to the business and lowest level of effort.

LS: How much do you need to know about current performance and future business goals?

KK: I would hope most business owners or senior managers at brands would have a general idea of business performance and goals. My initial questions will be about how we drive greater success and current pain points. Brands do not need to have deep technical or design knowledge - that's my job.

LS; Do you recommend a phased approach?

KK: Typically yes, and how the phases are created and defined is case by case. If the goal is to start moving the needle as soon as possible, the team can start prioritizing work/features/tasks through that lens.

What are the 3 key things to ease transition and implementation?

1. Making sure there is a crystal clear strategic vision and success metrics for the overall initiative. Be able to summarize each in a single sentence without using “and.”
2. Focus on the customer journey and experience. Keep the end customer top of mind with defining requirements. Create mockups, wireframes, prototypes, personas, etc.. - whatever is needed to define a really compelling experience. There is so much blandness out there - brands need to create something that they are stoked about so they can rise above the “meh.”
3. Sweat details - integrations, customer experiences, data migrations, etc.. all succeed or fail based on the details of the task. A successful project needs both a clear vision and then to get into the weeds during implementations.