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Framework Creators vs. Solution Vendors: Breaking Down the False Dichotomy
Exploring the perceived divide in the data and technology industry and why collaboration is the path forward
The Perceived Divide
The data and technology industry is often marked by dichotomies, and one of the most prevalent is the perceived divide between those who create frameworks, often consultants, thought leaders, or academics, and vendors who create solutions, typically in the form of software products. While these two groups may appear to have different intentions, the reality is more nuanced. Both are ultimately vying for adoption of their ideas, whether through intellectual frameworks or tangible tools. Yet, the way the industry positions these groups often creates unnecessary friction, to the detriment of customers and broader progress.
Let's unpack this dynamic, examine the underlying issues, and explore how the industry might evolve toward collaboration rather than division.
The Common Ground: Selling Ideas
At their core, both framework creators and solution vendors are selling ideas. A consultant or academic may propose a framework as a new way of thinking or operating. Their goal is to influence organizations to adopt their framework, often as a pathway to greater efficiency, innovation, or competitive advantage. They gain credibility, professional opportunities, and a reputation for thought leadership when their frameworks succeed.
On the other hand, vendors aim to sell software solutions that often operationalize a framework, either their own or one developed by external experts. A vendor's success is similarly tied to adoption: when their product becomes integral to a company's operations, they gain market share, revenue, and influence.
Despite this shared goal of driving adoption, the two groups are often viewed through different lenses. Framework creators are seen as impartial architects of innovation, while vendors are sometimes dismissed as profit-driven entities prioritizing sales over outcomes. While there are truths to these perceptions, the distinction isn't as clear-cut as it seems.
Where Things Go Wrong
The friction between framework creators and vendors arises from several industry-wide issues:
Key Issues Creating Friction
Misaligned Intentions
Framework creators often critique vendors for being too focused on commercial outcomes, suggesting that this focus undermines the customer's best interests. Conversely, vendors may perceive framework creators as out of touch with the practical challenges of implementing their ideas at scale.
Sales-Driven Agendas
One of the most significant criticisms of vendors is their tendency to push software solutions without a deep understanding of the product or the customer's needs. Sales teams are incentivized to close deals, sometimes at the expense of solving real problems. This fuels skepticism from framework creators, who may view vendors as prioritizing revenue over meaningful outcomes.
Lack of Collaboration
Framework creators and vendors often operate in silos, with little collaboration. This lack of integration means frameworks are sometimes left unoperationalized, while software products lack the strategic underpinnings to be deployed effectively. Customers are left to bridge this gap themselves, often without the expertise to do so.
Overpromising and Underdelivering
Both groups are guilty of overpromising. Framework creators may present ideas that look great on paper but are difficult to implement in practice. Vendors, meanwhile, may position their software as a silver bullet, glossing over the complexities of adoption, integration, and change management.
The Customer Perspective: The Need for Transparency
Regardless of whether a framework or software is being proposed, customers are tasked with seeing beyond the pitch and understanding what they are really buying. Both frameworks and solutions have potential pitfalls:
Frameworks
Frameworks can be too abstract, requiring significant effort and expertise to implement.
Software Solutions
Software solutions can be overly prescriptive, forcing customers into rigid processes that may not suit their unique needs.
Customers must "look behind the veil" to evaluate the true value of what's being offered. This requires probing the motivations, capabilities, and limitations of both frameworks and solutions, and the people presenting them.
Framework Creators vs. Solution Vendors: A Collaborative Approach
While framework creators and solution vendors are often seen as opposing forces, they actually complement each other.
Below is a comparison that highlights their core roles, differences, and how they can collaborate for better industry outcomes.
Comparison Table: Part 1
Comparison Table: Part 2
Comparison Table: Part 3
By acknowledging their complementary strengths, both framework creators and vendors can work together more effectively, ensuring that ideas are not just proposed but successfully implemented.
Why Collaboration Matters
The divide between framework creators and vendors is ultimately a disservice to customers and the industry as a whole. Frameworks provide strategic direction, but without tools to implement them, they often remain aspirational. Software solutions can deliver real value, but only when grounded in sound methodologies and adapted to the customer's context.
Imagine a world where these two groups worked together:
Frameworks Operationalized
Framework creators could partner with vendors to turn their ideas into actionable solutions, accelerating adoption and impact.
Products with Purpose
Vendors could integrate proven frameworks into their software, creating solutions that are both grounded in strategy and designed for execution.
Shared Accountability
Both parties would share responsibility for customer outcomes, ensuring that frameworks and solutions align with real-world needs.
A Call for Change
The current trend of siloed thinking must change if the industry is to move forward. To foster collaboration, we need:
Better Incentives
Vendors should prioritize long-term customer outcomes over short-term sales, while framework creators should seek partnerships that enhance the practicality of their ideas.
Integrated Ecosystems
Industry leaders should create ecosystems where frameworks and solutions coexist, providing customers with a seamless path from strategy to execution.
Customer Advocacy
Customers should demand transparency and collaboration, holding both groups accountable for delivering value.
Conclusion
The perceived divide between framework creators and vendors is a false dichotomy that hinders progress. Both groups aim to drive adoption of their ideas, but their approaches, and the biases associated with them, create unnecessary barriers. By acknowledging their shared goals and working together, framework creators and vendors can deliver far greater value than either could alone.
Ultimately, customers deserve more than just ideas or tools, they need solutions that bridge the gap between vision and reality. It's time for the industry to break down the silos, embrace collaboration, and prioritize outcomes over agendas.
The future of innovation depends on it.
Join a Data Conversation,
Cameron Price.