How to Increase Business Value With Software Solutions

Ten years investing in and building AI companies taught me that software becomes exponentially more valuable when it stops waiting and starts doing.  The passive era of enterprise software ends now. Modern AI systems have transformed enterprise software. They capture data autonomously while processing unstructured information at scale. These systems make decisions based on real-time signals and take action without waiting for human triggers. Companies invest $150B annually in sales tools and CRM systems. But they spend over $1.1T on sales and marketing salaries. Why? Because humans deliver complete business functions. AI systems that can match this comprehensive execution capability tap into budgets 7x larger than traditional software. This is the essence of service-as-software. Look at what our portco Tennr has built for healthcare operations. Their system processes medical records automatically and integrates insurance data in real-time. The end-to-end orchestration of patient intake and seamless EMR system updates has redefined what's possible in healthcare automation. The market opportunity stretches far beyond traditional software budgets. While Salesforce built a $35B business on passive systems, active AI solutions tap into $4.6T of workforce spend. I've never been more excited about enterprise AI. This massive shift from passive to active systems marks the beginning of a new chapter in business automation. For founders building in this space: Don't limit yourself to competing for software budgets. Build systems that deliver complete business capabilities and you'll access the massive workforce spend opportunity that's transforming enterprise value creation.

I am often asked for tips on how custom software development companies can improve/grow their services so I decided to share my thoughts today. The primary goal of custom software development should always be product adoption/success. And as a tech partner of your client, you should go to great lengths to make it happen. This just doesn’t include delivering stellar UI/UX and product but it is also about helping your client understand product adoption and obtaining user feedback. Tools like Mixpanel and Smartlook are very helpful for tracking and improving product adoption. Not only this, you can also help with marketing such as designing and developing high-converting landing pages. But here’s the most important part: always strive to gain in-depth knowledge and understanding of the industries you serve. This will help you understand where your client company is coming from and you will be able to add value in solving the actual problem at hand rather than just contributing technically.  For example, we recently helped a client company implement many real-life scenarios in a HealthTech product they hadn’t originally considered. This would not have been possible without our deep understanding of U.S. healthcare laws, government regulations, HIPAA compliance requirements, Medicare and Medicaid guidelines, FDA standards, electronic health record (EHR) interoperability, and more. Gaining industry knowledge can be challenging due to the steep learning curve, but it’s invaluable; it enables you to brainstorm with clients and become a true business partner, not just a technical one. What other strategies have you found effective for becoming a true business partner to your clients in custom software development?

In our experience, the fastest post-close value creation rarely comes from adding new products or fancy AI implementations. For buyers that are stepping in as CEO post-close, the transition phase usually consists of, figuring out what they couldn’t answer during diligence, establishing a growth oriented culture and getting the right team in place around them. Here are examples of a few activities we've consistently seen add quick value in the early days post-close: - Get financial systems right: both accounting and strategic finance capabilities provide a foundation to make better decisions - Document processes that work: creating SOPs and playbooks as you go can help reduce chaos and allow buyers to reclaim time for growth and strategic work - Identify and track your key value drivers: determine the 3 - 5 operating metrics that drive profit to the business and create basic systems to track them - Establish appropriate accountability structures: give team members achievable targets based on the key value drivers you identified and track outcomes in weekly and quarterly meetings - Meet with lots of customers: customer conversations can help unearth hidden issues that the team might not be aware of or feel comfortable sharing - Get to know the team: like communicating with customers, getting to know the team well is critical to understanding the organization and building a growth oriented culture that is ready to tackle changes, like software adoption In virtually every pitch I look at, buyers highlight some form of tech-enablement, but there’s almost always a lot of business infrastructure and people work that needs to be done beforehand. Once people and processes are on the right trajectory, software and workflow automation can introduce a ton of efficiency, create a much better customer experience and improve quality of life for team members. There are a lot of software options out there, but below are a few examples of high value software opportunities after business infrastructure is in a healthy place: - Field Service Management Software: allows team members to collaborate more effectively, streamlines information collection and documentation, provides realtime visibility to customers - Fleet Management Software: for businesses with fleets, FMS systems provide a Birds Eye view into safety, routing, capacity and preventative maintenance - CRM: everyone talks about implementing a CRM, but if you haven’t established a growth culture, don’t understand your funnel and aren’t already tracking key value drivers, the CRM will likely become a glorified notes app at best Software implementation is a means to an end. Optimizing ineffective processes and giving software to the wrong people will destroy value. Get the process right, then tech-enable it. At the end of the day, compounding comes from consistency and the small steps taken toward long-term goals, not from using technology and AI like a blunt instrument.

Businesses don’t actually want to buy your software—they want their problems solved. 💡 Strip away the acronyms (CRM, CPQ, CLM, ERP …) and every company is after the same goal: sell more at the best price, keep costs tight, and grow profitably. 📈 Here’s what that means for anyone pitching technology: 🩹 Frame it as a cure, not a product. Is the issue a nagging pain or a full‑blown disease? Be the painkiller (immediate relief) and the antibiotic (long‑term cure). 💰 Speak margin, not modules. Show how you help them build faster, sell more, collect cash sooner, or reduce compliance risk. Features only matter when they map to dollars saved or gained. 🔄 Meet them where they are. Many firms will patch—not replace—until cash flow or urgency forces action. Help them leverage what they already own and phase in change. 🎯 Prioritize the biggest symptom first. A silver bullet for one high‑value pain point beats a Swiss‑army knife of half‑solved problems. 🌱 Design for “today pain, tomorrow gain.” The best solutions relieve an acute problem now and lay the groundwork to scale fluidly as new challenges surface—so the fix you deliver today keeps paying dividends tomorrow. 🤝 Advise, then sell. Businesses buy confidence that their future headaches are handled; software is just the vehicle. Are you offering a painkiller, an antibiotic…or just another pill to swallow? 💊 #ProductStrategy #B2B #DigitalTransformation #QuoteToCash #ScaleFluidly

Many companies express frustration with their software solutions, but the root cause isn't always the software itself. In my experience as CIO and Chief Strategy Officer at Bed Bath & Beyond, and now at cda Ventures LLC, I've observed that the issue often lies in a lack of understanding of the software's full capabilities and inadequate processes surrounding its use. This disconnect can lead to underutilization of powerful tools and a perception that the software is failing to meet business needs. To address this challenge, companies should first conduct a thorough assessment of their current software usage. This includes defining and/or documenting existing processes, comparing utilized features against the software's full capability set, and evaluating employee training programs. Next, organizations should invest in comprehensive training and create clear, standardized processes that align with the software's functionalities. Engaging with software vendors for advanced training or bringing in external consultants can provide fresh perspectives on optimization. Finally, establishing a feedback loop for continuous improvement and regularly reviewing software utilization can ensure that teams are maximizing their technology investments. Are you effectively leveraging your investment in your software solutions? #SoftwareOptimization #BusinessEfficiency #TechnologyAdoption #ChangeManagement #DigitalTransformation #ProcessImprovement #SoftwareImplementation #CIOInsights #BusinessStrategy

Cheap solutions cost more in the end. Help your clients see it. Relying on discounts to close a deal might seem like an easy win, but it often comes at the cost of long-term growth. Competing on price can work in the short term, but it’s not a sustainable strategy. So, how can you stand out when clients ask, "Can you match their price?" The answer lies in focusing on value instead. Here’s how: 𝗕𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁 Price is just a number until you explain why your solution is worth it. Use your expertise to highlight how your offering solves their unique problems better than anyone else’s. 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 Your clients don’t want to buy software, services, or products—they want results. Show them how you’ll deliver those outcomes in ways that others can’t. 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 “𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗽” Low prices often mean compromises—missed deadlines, poor quality, or limited support. Help your clients understand the real cost of going with the lowest bidder. 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 Go beyond the transaction. Whether it’s unmatched customer support, faster turnaround, or better alignment with their goals, show them the experience you provide is priceless. 𝗔𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗿 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝗢𝗜 Frame your price as an investment. Quantify how your solution saves time, reduces risks, or boosts revenue—and why it’s worth every dollar. Price shoppers are everywhere, but the clients who see your value will stick around for the long haul. The key is to shift the conversation from “What does it cost?” to “What is it worth?” --- Follow Michael Cleary 🏳️🌈 for more tips like this. ♻️ Share with someone who needs help with their sales conversations #sales #value #marketing

Ask anyone in the B2B SaaS space and they’ll tell you how much more competitive the industry has become in the past few years. Democratization of technology has brought its accessibility to an all-time high, and the competition is fierce. Customer loyalty is no longer built simply on what a product does, but on the tangible, measurable value it creates for the customer. The most successful SaaS companies are moving beyond transactional relationships. They are putting more thought into becoming indispensable strategic partners by understanding their customers’ broader business challenges, improving their operational maturity, and directly contributing to their bottom line. Here are five strategic approaches that I believe add real value to a SaaS product: 1. Leveraging data for business value Customers need tangible business value from software solutions. SaaS businesses need to understand usage pattern data and spend time understanding which features are most used by high-value customers. This will help them assess their current and future software needs while maximizing the solution’s potential. 2. Bundle for the customer, not the business Customization is the name of the game. Bundle services and customize packages that help customers scale sustainably and in a way that makes sense for their business – not just yours. Design for extensibility, through APIs, modular components, and ecosystem integrations. Give customers the flexibility to mold the product to fit their evolving business needs. This creates long-term stickiness and positions the product as a strategic partner rather than a tactical tool. 3. Champion security resilience Customers assume uptime and compliance as table stakes. What acts as a differentiator is a proactive approach to resilience with self-healing infrastructure, real-time anomaly detection, and zero-trust security principles built into the product. Demonstrating that resilience is part of the architecture builds trust and reduces the reliance on external teams. 4. Consistent education is key Standard onboarding processes no longer cut it. Instead, invest in a continuous education platform, including certification courses, advanced workshops, or personalized onboarding paths, that empowers customers to become experts themselves. Include your product team in the educational exercises, instead of simply relying on customer service teams. This benefits not only the customers but also your product teams. 5. Build adaptive roadmaps Static roadmaps don’t resonate in dynamic markets. Instead, build adaptive roadmaps that incorporate customer feedback loops, industry signals, and emerging technology trends. This ensures the product evolves in ways that continue to support the customer’s needs. Let me know what steps you take to add value for your customers in the comments. 

Software implementation can make or break business transformation. The right approach ensures success, while the wrong one leads to delays, cost overruns, and frustration. Here’s what works: ✅ Clear Goals & Scope - Define objectives, deliverables, and success metrics early. Control scope creep. ✅ Agile Over Rigid Plans - Plan well, but stay flexible. Adapt to challenges without derailing progress. ✅ Stakeholder Alignment - IT, business teams, and users must collaborate for smooth adoption. ✅ Strong Change Management - Technology alone isn’t enough. Train users early and manage resistance. ✅ Risk Mitigation - Identify technical, operational, or cultural risks and have solutions ready. ✅ Measurable Milestones - Break work into phases, track progress, and adjust as needed. Good project management isn’t just about meeting deadlines. It’s about delivering real business value.

3 secrets behind 100+ successful Quote-to-Cash projects (that resulted in 100+ million in customer revenue): 1. Focus on outcomes, not just requirements. Share the desired business outcomes during the sales process, not just the technical requirements. Why? Because the project champion buys the software based on expected results, but the vendor only focuses on the "feature" or the "requirement”. This misalignment often leads to unmet expectations and disappointed clients. By prioritizing outcomes: - You ensure client satisfaction - You deliver the expected growth and results It's a win-win for the client and the vendor. 2. Start with an MVP (Minimum Viable Product). An MVP helps achieve quicker time to value. A ten-month timeline? Not a chance. Aim for ten weeks. This way, you start realizing value sooner. For example: If the desired outcome is to implement software to give your reps 30% of their time back so they can focus on selling and crush their quota, start with an MVP that achieves 15% back. Then follow up with other phases that get the rest of the outcome. (reclaiming up to 30% of your time) And shorter projects face fewer changes, making success more achievable. 3. Success breeds success. There will always be naysayers, so early wins with an MVP help align expectations and gain support from stakeholders. The best part? You'll turn skeptics into supporters (and that's a great feeling). To recap: Focus on outcomes. Embrace the MVP approach. Leverage early wins to build momentum. Which 'secret' resonated most with you - 1, 2, or 3? Let me know. P.S. Follow me for more content like this.