Why Chasing Features is Killing Real Progress
Software companies love to chase the “next big thing.” Today, that shiny object is AI. Everyone’s racing to bolt it on—whether or not it actually solves the real problems customers face.
The problem with this approach is that it leads to wide & shallow products that try to be everything to everyone… and end up being mediocre at the things that actually matter.
Here are a few examples of wide and shallow features in our industry. Many platforms brag about “bulk email” capabilities. But will they ever compete with the sophistication of a Constant Contact or Intuit Mailchimp? Probably not. The same goes for lead management—can they rival the depth of HubSpot, Pipedrive, or Zoho? Unlikely.
The opportunity lies in going narrow & deep. In member management and billing, that means focusing on the fundamentals that directly drive revenue and member experience:
- Reporting that actually informs decisions rather than just spits out numbers.
- Flexible contract management that adapts to the real-world complexities of memberships, freezes, and renewals.
- Front desk experiences that give staff the information they need at a glance, helping them engage members more effectively.
- And perhaps most importantly, billing performance and collections that reduce friction, recover failed payments, and prevent revenue leakage.
These aren’t flashy problems—but solving them well delivers more value than any surface-level AI feature.
The winners won’t be the ones chasing every shiny object. They’ll be the ones willing to dig deep, build depth where it matters, and unlock the hidden value that’s been sitting right in front of us all along.
