“They’re the best. If they’re using it, there must be a reason.”
How often have you heard (or thought) that when picking new tech?
Last month, we did. While building a new website feature, we caught ourselves nearly skipping to what should be the very end of the project: technology selection.
The pull of innovative features is powerful.
I'll admit, I love testing new software. It can be the most exciting part of a project because everything seems solvable with the right technology.
But excitement isn’t a strategy.
We stepped back, paused, and asked ourselves a few questions.
Right about the time we had these answers and a solid content outline, I listened to a new episode of RevOps Champions with Ken Babcock, CEO of Tango.
His words were timely, “If you're starting from a place of, ‘Oh this looks really cool. I'm not sure how we're gonna use it, but it looks really cool.’ That's just not gonna work.”
Turns out, that’s exactly what we were doing.
We were testing interactive tools that create personalized quizzes, benchmarking surveys, and dynamic results pages. What originally caught our attention was an AI feature to write and branch questions for us. When we got into the details, we realized we already had a strong point of view on the questions and flow, so we didn’t need AI to do that for us.
Babcock emphasized that thoughtful technology evaluation directly correlates with long-term value creation. Essentially, don’t chase shiny new features or the most modern tech stack. (Not something I expected to hear from a SaaS CEO...)
This week, I’m sharing his advice along with a checklist to help you choose technology that creates long-term value
After all, the difference between tech transformation and tech complication often starts with how you choose.
Ken Babcock recommends using the jobs to be done (JTBD) framework, which is typically used for product development, to evaluate technology purchases.
Babcock starts here, "What are the things that you're trying to solve for?" Technology adoption should start with specific problems, not with excitement about new features.
Apply the advice:
Babcock emphasizes that without clear processes or use cases, even the most impressive technology won't deliver value.
Apply the advice:
Next he recommends asking, "What are the things that you're looking to replace?" This helps identify redundancies and ensure the new technology offers meaningful improvements.
Apply the advice:
Finally, consider "What's on the wishlist of things you could be doing?" This helps align technology capabilities with strategic goals.
Apply the advice:
Babcock also suggests several approaches to ensure long-term value.
Babcock notes that many companies face "tech bloat" (a.k.a underutilized software). Before adopting new software, ask: Will this improve the impact of existing systems
No user adoption, no ROI. Babcock built Tango to “layer on top of your tools” so teams can shape systems to fit their workflow, not the other way around. Look for tools that are easy to learn, easy to use, and embedded in the day-to-day.
As Babcock says, "stop fighting the tools" and look for solutions that adapt to your workflows. Tech should enable the way your team works, not force a reinvention. Choose platforms that adapt and enhance your operational reality and scale with your business, not ones that require a total process overhaul. (If you don’t have processes, return to step #2 above!)
Babcock cautions leaders that new AI tools may be "selling a huge promise" that "under deliver." He recommends AI technologies that augment your team's work, rather than claiming to replace them.
🎧 Catch the full episode to hear straight from Ken Babcock, CEO of Tango.