Editor’s note: Freshworks Chief Technology Officer Murali Swaminathan recently wrote about uncomplicating the enterprise tech stack in the Independent. A brief excerpt follows, or read the full version here.
Ironically, fragmentation often stems from good intentions. Departments adopt specialized tools to solve local challenges. But without a coherent architecture or integration strategy, organizations end up with tech stacks that resemble patchwork quilts and intelligent automation falls flat.
It’s what Stanford researchers Bob Sutton and Huggy Rao, authors of The Friction Project, call “addition bias”—the instinct to add features, tools or steps instead of removing them. In their study of global brands, this tendency increased friction and slowed performance. Simplifiers, they found, often faced resistance, while adders, those who added complexity, were rewarded—even when performance suffered.
Too often, organizations are sold bloated platforms packed with unused features, marketed as “added value” but delivering the opposite. Implementations drag on for months, results take years, and the very tools meant to empower teams end up complicating their work.
Meanwhile, the real cost is paid by employees, who now spend their time navigating systems rather than solving problems.
Read the full column at the Independent.
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