In the digital age, where technology is deeply intertwined with business strategy, one of the most debated topics is whether platforms should be built around people or people should adapt to platforms. This discussion is not just philosophical; it’s strategic, impacting how businesses design solutions and engage with their customers and employees. Let’s explore both perspectives and see which approach truly maximizes value.

Platforms for People: The Conventional Paradigm

Traditionally, platforms have been designed first, with users expected to adapt to the interface, structure, and capabilities of the system. This has been the case in many enterprise solutions, from CRM systems to e-commerce platforms. The idea here is that platforms are robust, feature-rich, and built on best practices, providing a structured way for users to operate.

Advantages:

• Efficiency and Scalability: Platforms built first can incorporate standardized processes that ensure operational efficiency and scalability. This structure is critical in large-scale businesses where consistency and compliance are crucial.
• Predictable User Experience: Users are guided through a fixed framework, reducing variability and ensuring consistent performance metrics across the organization.
• Optimized for Business Needs: Platforms like Salesforce, HubSpot, and other enterprise systems are designed to cater to multiple business needs, making them adaptable to various industry requirements.

However, this approach often misses a critical component: the people who actually use these platforms. Forcing users to adapt can lead to resistance, lower adoption rates, and a mismatch between platform capabilities and user needs.

People for Platforms: The New Age Approach

In contrast, the “People for Platforms” approach flips the paradigm. Here, the focus is on understanding user needs, behaviors, and expectations first, and then building or customizing platforms to align with these insights. With the rise of user-centric design and agile methodologies, this approach has gained traction, emphasizing flexibility and adaptability.

Advantages:

• Higher User Adoption: When platforms are designed around user needs, adoption rates soar. This is because users feel the platform aligns with their workflow, reducing the learning curve and resistance.
• Increased Engagement and Satisfaction: A user-centric platform enhances the overall experience, driving higher engagement and satisfaction. When people find value in the platform, they are more likely to leverage its full potential.
• Better Business Outcomes: Platforms built around people can quickly adapt to changes in user behavior, making businesses more responsive to market shifts and customer preferences.

The Current State: A Leadership Gap in Tech Implementation

In today’s landscape, many leaders in sales (any type Inbound / Outbound / Field) and operations verticals still rely heavily on IT / Technology departments to manage and implement platforms. However, there is a fundamental disconnect: most IT / tech teams by design do not project the business foresight needed to understand how these tools should be applied for real-world business value. The focus on technical specifications and systems integration, while necessary, often misses the critical context of business strategy, customer needs, and revenue impact. Finding someone best of both worlds is the sweet spot and is extremely rare to find.

This misalignment leads to platforms that, although technically sound, fail to address the core business problems they were intended to solve. Consequently, business leaders often find themselves with powerful tools that are either underutilized or misapplied, leading to lower ROI and frustrated teams.

The Need for Business-Focused, Tech-Savvy Leaders

There is a pressing need for leaders who can bridge this gap—those who not only understand the capabilities of a platform but also have a deep understanding of business objectives and strategic imperatives. Such leaders are extremely rare: individuals who are self-motivated, willing to work through the problem rather than simply delegating it to IT / technology. They have the unique ability to translate business needs into technical requirements and vice versa, ensuring that platforms are not just functional but are aligned with the company’s broader goals.

Unfortunately, most organizations, when they look for core skills in leadership hiring, obviously look at sales which is a "must have" and platform understanding is not even explored as a skill. As a result, they end up with a reliance on IT / Tech teams who may be skilled in deployment and maintenance but do not grasp the nuances of business implementation, especially the customization most needed for success. This gap not only slows down digital transformation but also hinders the effective use of technology to drive growth.

Which Approach is Right for Your Business?

The answer lies in a balanced strategy: Platforms for People AND People for Platforms. The ideal scenario involves a hybrid approach where platforms are flexible enough to evolve based on user feedback while maintaining a structured backbone to support business objectives. Here’s how businesses can achieve this:

• Start with Discovery: Begin by understanding the needs, pain points, and behaviors of your primary users. Involve them early in the platform design process.
• Create Customizable Frameworks: Design or pick up platforms that have a strong core structure but allow for customization at the user level. This ensures that platforms can scale while staying relevant to individual needs.
• Empower Cross-Functional Leaders: Invest in leaders who understand both technology and business strategy. These leaders should have the mandate to bridge the gap between IT and business units, ensuring platforms serve their intended purpose.
• Continuous Feedback Loop: Implement a mechanism for continuous feedback and updates, ensuring that the platform evolves as user needs change.
• Measure Effectiveness Holistically: Evaluate the platform’s performance not just by traditional metrics like efficiency or cost, but by user satisfaction, adoption rates, and strategic impact.

Conclusion: The Future is People-Centric Platforms, Led by Business-Driven Tech Leaders

The debate between “People for Platforms” or “Platforms for People” is less about choosing one over the other and more about finding a balance. As digital transformation accelerates, businesses must ensure that technology serves its users, not the other way around. By adopting a people-centric approach and empowering leaders who understand both business and technology, companies can unlock the full potential of their platforms, driving innovation, satisfaction, and ultimately, success.

Enterprises should not shy away from seeking help in this critical area. More than 90% of the time, everyone from frontline SDRs to heads of sales suffer from this urgent but often ignored problem. Addressing this challenge will significantly enhance efficiency, improve the day-to-day experience of sales teams, and contribute to much better productivity and business outcomes. In this digital-first world, the best platforms are those that not only accommodate people but are built for and by them—with the guidance of leaders who see beyond technology to the real-world business impact.

All these can be done for free, but if you need to do it fast, my suggestions for a quick fix are :

• Thynkwise - India's first execution consulting partner for guaranteed success, obviously since we are the ones who are rare.
• Apollo.io
• Trellus.ai