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interview Article

<h4>Snapshot:</h4><ul><li>Laura Goldberg is CMO at Constant Contact, a leading digital marketing platform.</li><li>The company is innovating to make email and integrations easier for SMBs.</li><li>Security and data privacy continue to be a core tenant of its brand promise. </li><li>Constant Contact recently added an AI Content Generator to its popular features.</li><li>On the roadmap, enhancing automation and segmentation are a key focus.</li></ul><hr /> You’ve got mail!If you’re old enough to remember that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGOgSPVBmIE">iconic soundbite</a>, you might recall the nascent exuberance of receiving “electronic mail.” Of course, that’s back when it was still (somewhat) new, a shiny beacon of possibilities and a game-changer for communication.Even if the idea of email feels the same today, a lot has changed over the last few decades. On the upside, we’ve deprecated those arduous CompuServe addresses. Firing off a message no longer requires a modem; it can all be done from a smartphone. And lest we forget, email has also become a ubiquitous component in every digital marketer's toolkit, from personalized campaigns to newsletters.On the downside, our inboxes have been Biblically flooded. Spam has reached epic proportions, and phishing attacks have become a weak link in the security chain (<a target="_blank" href="https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/phishing-statistics/">according to Forbes</a>, there were 500 million of them last year). Add shifting policies and regulatory governance, and it becomes a challenging morass. These realities might complicate the roadmap for email. But <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/constant-contact">Constant Contact</a> sees more opportunities than challenges. Since first rolling onto the scene in 1995, the Massachusetts-born tech maven has kept a constant eye on the future. From humble beginnings in a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.constantcontact.com/about">cramped attic</a> to a globally recognized brand, the online marketing platform has become an institution, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses looking to harness the power of email.What’s perhaps most impressive about Constant Contact is its raw staying power. It is a paragon for longevity in an otherwise volatile tech industry, a testament to its trust and reliability. And while the company was sold to Endurance International in 2015 <a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constant_Contact">for $1.1 billion</a>, it has continued operating under its ubiquitous brand and stayed true to its roots – always leading with email.At the same time, the company has grown beyond its foundational focus to encompass a broader ecosystem of services. This includes a bevy of digital marketing tools like landing page and A/B testing features, lead gen and CRM capabilities, SMS and social media marketing apps, and more. I recently spoke with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-goldberg-b3913/">Laura Goldberg</a>, Constant Contact’s Chief Marketing Officer, about the irreplaceable role of email as part of an integrated marketing stack, and how her company’s focus on delivering simple yet powerful tools to SMBs is unshakeable.  Laura also shared how their new AI features are enabling users to do more with their digital and email marketing – and how Contact Contact’s approach is not about the tech, but the people and businesses it empowers. <h3>A legacy of focus on SMBs</h3>A seasoned marketer, Laura has spent the last decade working almost exclusively with SMBs, particularly at companies committed to servicing that market tier. As Chief Revenue and Marketing Officer at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/kabbage-american-express/">Kabbage</a> – an SMB-focused financial platform under the AMEX umbrella – she helped small businesses simplify cash flow management with a portfolio of digital solutions. What Laura loves most about this segment is guiding small businesses through key challenges and helping them achieve success. This centers around demystifying complexity, so a business owner can focus on what really matters. That passion continues to drive her work at Constant Contact.“Whether it's marketing, setting up an LLC, or needing a line of credit, it's not why they got into the world of small business,” she explained. “So how do we build a product or service that can help someone who may not be an expert in a field to be really effective?”In the case of digital marketing, this has never been more apropos. Most people know how to use basic email. But scaling that into campaigns and integrated programs? That can be far more complicated for less tech-savvy entrepreneurs.  <hr /><h4 style="text-align:center">"Whether it's marketing, setting up an LLC, or needing a line of credit, it's not why they got into the world of small business. So how do we build a product or service that can help someone who may not be an expert in a field to be really effective?”</h4><hr /> This is where Constant Contact shines: enabling small businesses to harness the potential of digital marketing with ease. Email is certainly a big part of it, but the company’s expanded ecosystem of services helps SMBs reach customers in new and exciting ways.“Constant Contact is a digital marketing platform,” she said. “We lead with email, but that's sort of the ‘entry’ point if you will, and we can we really work to combine your marketing across all channels – email, social marketing, SMS – where you can engage in building relationships with your customers.”While the focus on SMBs is crystal clear, I asked Laura about the enterprise side of the ledger. After all, many large businesses use Constant Contact as the email layer of a composable stack. In some cases, they might have “grown up” with the technology and never left – but in most cases, it’s a testament to the ease of use and effectiveness of the platform.“We absolutely have some bigger customers that are enterprise-level or mid-market,” she explained. “But we’re solely focused on [providing] SMBs a marketing platform that’s easy to use and grow with. If you're a solopreneur, or just starting out, it should be simple to send emails and texts, post on social media, and even integrate your <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/shopify">Shopify</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/woocommerce">WooCommerce</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/bigcommerce">BigCommerce</a> – all in one place. As you get more sophisticated, we have packages that allow you to do more, like segmenting your audiences and setting up custom automations to track revenue from your emails.”<h3>Making integrations easier </h3>Going deeper around the commerce layer, I asked Laura how easy it is to connect shopping carts from third-party platforms with Constant Contact’s email capabilities. Turns out there’s a lot more functionality under the hood, including some personalization features that are simple yet slick. “It's pretty easy to integrate shopping carts,” she explained. “Customers from your e-commerce platform are populated into your email list, along with their history. So, if you only buy red sweaters, then I know I should only market red sweaters to you, or let you know when we have a sale on red sweaters. It lets you take that data.”And it is, in fact, really easy to make it all work. With over 6,000 integrations, Constant Contact offers a mega-library of connectors to a world of applications – many of which can be added with just a few clicks. <figure class="image image_resized" style="width:78.18%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/11/image-1699389693858.png" alt="A screenshot of a computer

Description automatically generated" /></figure> In the case of Shopify, simple online documentation provides step-by-step instructions for getting it all flowing in no time flat.One of the biggest benefits of Constant Contact is the access to metrics and analytics. This has long been a core feature of the platform, providing users with details like delivery and open rates. But with a commerce integration like Shopify, you go beyond abandoned carts and see what an email produces in revenue and sales. As far as integrations go, commerce is just the tip of the iceberg. With a deep bench of best-of-breed tools at your disposal, there are even more opportunities for automation. “We have integrations with platforms like <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/canva-button-gives-cms-users-integrated-graphic-design-tools-for-visual-content">Canva</a>,” Laura said. “So, if you have all your brand assets and design elements there, you can easily bring them into your emails or social posts. We’ve also integrated with <a target="_blank" href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>, if you’re a video-heavy brand and want to feature that kind of content. And on the B2B side, we even have integrations with <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/hubspot'">HubSpot</a> and other sales CRMs as well.”<h3>Security and privacy are job zero</h3>Short of sounding too macabre, the <a target="_blank" href="https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/third-party-cookie-phase-out">death of third-party cookies</a> is wreaking havoc on marketers. Add in <a target="_blank" href="https://gdpr-info.eu/">GDPR</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Consumer_Privacy_Act">CCPA</a>, and other regulatory redlines, and businesses are under significant pressure to ensure data security and privacy. And with so much sinister email lurking around inboxes, trust is on the tip of everyone's tongue. I asked Laura how this critical relationship with trust has shaped Constant Contact’s posture in the market, and how they’re addressing bigger ticket security challenges – so small businesses don’t have to sweat it. “I'm so happy you asked me this, because nobody ever asks me this,” she said. “It’s who we are. Yes, we have the best delivery rates in the business to the inbox, but we also have the best ways to filter spam. We keep our IPs pristine. We make sure that your emails and communications get to the right inbox. It’s one of the primary pillars of our brand, what we stand for and really care about – and we do everything we can so the customer doesn't have to think about that.”Despite its best efforts, Laura reinforced that there are always limits, and both Google and Yahoo are constantly changing the rules that govern customer data. This is where Constant Contact’s commitment to the customer relationship – to trust – really comes in.“We work with our customers to ensure they're compliant and that their emails continue to be delivered,” Laura reinforced. “It’s what we do. And if we need you to do something [on your end], we're going to walk you through it. We're going to make it as easy as possible. And we're going to make sure it's impactful to your business.”<h3>AI is an ingredient, not a feature</h3>As I relayed to Laura, I feel a bit more like an AI Critic these days. The impact of artificial intelligence on the digital experience economy is undeniable, and Constant Contact – like its peers – has been working diligently to harness its potential.Of course, generative AI has obvious applications for an email platform. After all, it’s digital marketers and content creators writing subject lines and body copy. But when you think about the average small business user, the power of AI can take on a whole new dimension of value, even if they’re unfamiliar or intimidated by tools like <a target="_blank" href="https://openai.com/">ChatGPT</a>.  When I finally broached everyone’s soup du jour of 2023, it was apropos to hear Laura serve up Constant Contact’s AI strategy in a perfect dish. “We try not to market it so much,” she relayed. “AI is an ingredient, not a feature. Right? It's the how, not the what. Yes, it's AI that's powering this feature or that feature, but let's talk about the feature itself and how it benefits the customer, and try and keep the lingo to the side.” As Laura described, Constant Contact is using AI in a lot of places. While the latest innovations have included tools like a content generator, she was quick to point out that this isn't the company’s first “AI rodeo.”“We have an internal spam filter that’s 100% built with AI and machine learning," she said. "We've been using AI in our own tools that the customer may never see, but it’s making them more successful.”Laura pointed out that while everyone across the digital marketing category is offering some manner of content generation, Constant Contact is leveraging a “treasure trove” of history to pull from, allowing them to determine what's most effective. This gives users more relevant ideas and suggestions for overcoming writer’s block and creating more compelling email and marketing content.  <h3>Using Constant Contact's AI Content Generator</h3>When it comes to AI features in <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/what-is-a-content-management-system-cms">CMS</a>, DXP, and digital marketing platforms, I’ve experienced almost everything at this point – from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.canva.com/magic-write/">Canva’s Magic Write</a> to <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/kontent-ai-pioneers-native-ai-in-headless-cms-interview-with-vojtech-boril">Kontent.ai’s native gen AI features</a>. Without question, Constant Contact's is one of the simplest. First and foremost, the interface is incredibly clean and lightweight. No frills, and definitely no complexity. While that might seem less robust, it's designed to be intuitive to the small business user – and as such, only prompts for basic announcements in a single input field. During a self-propelled demo, I added my own text blurb about an Italian restaurant running a special (it was lunchtime, what can I say?) and in seconds, it rendered some clever email text. It was short, and needed a bit of tweaking, but I was able to manually edit at the next step. I also tried the fully formatted email template as an option, and sure enough, I was served a basic structure ready to be customized with logos and other attributes. Once approved, I was able to add it to my email workflow and schedule my campaign. <figure class="image image_resized" style="width:80.64%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/11/image.png" /></figure> “I think there's real power in solving that blank piece of paper problem,” she said. “Imagine a small business owner, and maybe their first job isn’t marketing. They might stare at a blank email with no direction. We just had a great quote from a customer who runs a farm stand, and they said, ‘Oh my god, you guys tell me 45 different ways to say come to my farm stand on Saturday.’ I laughed, but you know, that help is huge.”Laura shared a bit more about the roadmap and where AI is being focused now and in the future. A big part of the strategy is to continue enhancing Constant Contact’s <a target="_blank" href="https://www.constantcontact.com/features/ai-marketing">automation</a> and segmentation, particularly around connection points with other ecosystems like social media. “Maybe you buy an ad on Facebook,” she explained, “and you want to send a text two minutes before and see exactly what recommended actions are the next step based on your history of what's been successful and driven the most response and revenue.”Those are smart applications for AI, all supporting the delivery of the right message at the right time to the right customer through the right channel.<h3>Constantly seeking innovation</h3>I asked Laura what’s next for Constant Contact, specifically as the digital landscape becomes more complex. It’s worth noting that the company realigned its product offerings in the middle of 2023 – which she described as a really big move.  “There's a lot of exciting things coming down the pipe,” she said. “We have new features and functionality, and it's all focused on helping our customers grow, whatever that means for them. And it’s making tools like email easier to use, and then really building on that marketing platform to get them to the next level, helping them get closer to their customers and market more effectively.”To help deliver on that mission, the company has made several strategic acquisitions to help complete its market vision. This includes <a target="_blank" href="https://sharpspring.com/">SharpSpring</a>, a provider of sales automation and CRM software. The added channel of capabilities has helped Constant Contact capture greater market share and enhance its stack of product offerings. As far as advancing its global footprint and enriching brand awareness, the company also purchased <a target="_blank" href="https://www.vision6.com/">Vision6</a> – an Australian-based email and SMS marketing platform – providing a gateway to that market. There’s no question that AI is influencing the roadmap for this long-standing brand. But as Laura described, these new technologies are simply how Constant Contact delivers success for SMBs. The why and the what is all about translating the value for the customer.“You can't turn on the news or watch a TV show without hearing about AI,” she said. “Our customers are curious, but we can't just say, ‘hey, use our AI feature’ because they don't know what that means. Small businesses are people, so we’re putting AI in context for them.”These days, we could all use a dose of AI context. Thankfully, Constant Contact is getting the right message to our collective inbox.

Constant Contact Delivers Beyond Email, Adds AI and Automation Features to Power SMB Success

matt-garrepy

In a recent interview, I invoked the original Star Wars film as a thematic backdrop. It seemed an apropos analogy for exploring the galactic frontier of composable – and, hopefully, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/the-heros-journey-to-composable-a-conversation-with-uniforms-mark-demeny/">made for a fun read</a>.Now, at great risk of crossing my sci-fi streams, I’m going to channel Star Trek.I know, I know. What is he thinking? These are distinct mythologies, each with a fiercely devoted fan base. But rest assured, my goal isn’t to stir up debate over <a target="_blank" href="https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/star-wars-vs-star-trek-which-one-is-better/">which is better</a> – I’ll leave that to you. Think of me as Switzerland… if it was a planet in the Dagobah system.So why am I doing this?Because every time I read the words “content federation,” I can’t help but think of Star Trek’s unmistakable “United Federation of Planets.” Key to the franchise canon, this futuristic authority has unified species and cultures across the expanse, enabling a utopian coexistence built on collaborative exploration and the betterment of humanity.In so many ways, this mirrors the mission of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/graphcms-rebrands-to-hygraph-launches-new-federated-content-platform/">Hygraph</a> – a headless CMS designed for the purpose and promise of content federation. Its captain, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/critics/michael-lukaszczyk/">Michael Lukaszczyk</a>, is seeking out ways to chart this frontier by uniting content data from different sources with one universal API.It’s not science fiction. Much like Star Trek’s Federation, Hygraph is pioneering a new quadrant of headless space as the first “Federated Content Platform,” ushering in a new reality for content management. It’s a strange new world where a headless platform is both frontend and backend agnostic, and data can be joined across multiple sources using a single <a target="_blank" href="https://graphql.org/">GraphQL</a> query.With so much change and commoditization in the headless category, I connected with Michael to learn more about the benefits of Content Federation, why he’s betting the future on it, and how it's powering the warp drive behind Hygraph’s market acceleration.<h2>A digital experience explorer</h2>For some DX professionals, the path to a platform is often incongruous. But for Michael, it seemed his destiny was always in the stars.Joining me from his home base in Germany, about an hour north of Frankfurt, he chronicled his origin story. At age 11, he was already adopting the mantle of a digital wunderkind, building websites for friends and family. He pursued this passion at the university level, studying abroad in Spain and Sweden.After completing his master’s degree, he began his career at a company called <a target="_blank" href="https://www.canto.com/">Canto</a>, a digital asset management (DAM) vendor. While challenging, it wasn’t entirely his cup of early grey tea.“I was in professional services, but I didn’t enjoy it,” he confessed unabashedly. “I was building integrations, but I always wanted to work on the core product and in distribution.”It was at Canto in 2015 that Michael met <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-winter-403059118/">Daniel Winter</a>. The two would become thick as thieves – much like Kirk and Spock – sharing a common sentiment on architecting and delivering software. By early 2016, the pair had already built a prototype for their own DAM solution.“But then, on a Friday night,” Michael recalled vividly, as if only yesterday, “I was scrolling through my Twitter feed before going to sleep, and I stumbled onto a post called <a target="_blank" href="https://css-tricks.com/what-is-a-headless-cms/">‘What is a Headless CMS’</a> by Chris Coyier from CSS Tricks. I didn’t know what a headless CMS was. No one did [in those days]. But as I read the post, I was impressed.”As Michael shared, the durability and sustainability of the headless CMS product model is what really appealed to him. “Whatever comes next in terms of digital channels, wherever you want to distribute your content to – AR, VR – you’re already set. Headless lets you build a sustainable content strategy.”After sharing the article with Daniel, they took a risk and pivoted from DAM to headless CMS, with one unique etch: the introduction of <a target="_blank" href="https://graphql.org/">GraphQL,</a> a new query language for APIs. They had already been experimenting with it in their DAM prototype and knew its potential for improving the developer experience. The rest, as they say, is history.“The next day, we started to build the first GraphQL native CMS out there,” he said. “[We introduced] the product in early 2017, got some angel funding, and grew to a company of 90 people across the globe, from San Francisco to Manila.”What followed can only be described as a meteoric rise. After an initial raise of $13 million, the company closed on a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/hygraph-secures-30-million-in-series-b-funding/">Series B of $30 million</a> in March of this year. They christened the vessel “GraphCMS,” but later rebranded to “Hygraph” to avoid any confusion or biases around page-building capabilities or publishing workflows. It also sounds cool and futuristic – exactly where the company wants to be. <h2>The voyage from headless CMS to federated content platform</h2>Over the last few years, Michael and his team have been chasing the answer to a very simple question: what will the next generation of CMS actually look like?As you might guess, that question isn’t so simple to answer. The evolution of CMS has been a long one – and with the explosion of the device ecosystem, things changed significantly. Demands shifted from a single web channel to multiple channels. This paradigm gave rise to the headless CMS, rendering the CMS frontend agnostic and turning it into a one-to-many relationship of content sources and destinations.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/hygraph-diagram-1024x432.png" alt="Hygraph diagram of content federation evolution" />“What we launched last year – what we call the federated content platform – is turning the promise of the headless CMS around,” he said. “Now, it’s not just frontend agnostic, but also backend agnostic, meaning you can source the content and data that lives in your backend stack on the other side of the API.”Bottom line: Hygraph has transformed the headless CMS from one-to-many to many-to-many across content sources and destinations. Developers and product builders can turn all backend systems into one universal API, allowing users on the frontend to work in any way with their data.This plays directly into the concept of federation. As Michael pointed out, the term originated in the GraphQL community, with the basic idea of merging multiple APIs together in a sort of “Super API” (powered by dilithium crystals?)“It was a very easy progression to being a GraphQL headless CMS to adding federation capabilities to the mix,” he added. “We were already so strong on GraphQL that it just made sense.”I asked Michael what else was driving this change, aside from the obvious. That brought us back to the core question about the next generation of CMS, and a key word: composable.<hr /><h4 style="text-align:center">We’re adapting to a new reality where content and data aren’t residing in one source anymore... content federation is content management for a new reality.</h4><hr />“We’re adapting to a new reality where content and data aren’t residing in one source anymore,” he professed. “The typical stack now is modular. With composability, the monolith is going away, and companies are establishing more modular architectures in their tech stack and picking the best tool for the job.”While building so-called “best-of-breed” stacks sounds great, composable has its share of side effects. As Michael reinforced, things aren’t integrated as tightly, and this can cause huge problems and delays. Enterprises are left tending to these integrations, and man… it’s hard.“Before content federation, the biggest challenge we saw was building middleware,” he said. “It’s really expensive and painful to develop. You have to design, maintain, authorize, secure, make fast, wire up with CDNs. Each time there’s a new component or system coming in or new business requirement, you have to adapt the code base. It’s an innovation bottleneck.”This is where Hygraph fires its photon torpedoes to eliminate that bottleneck, allowing you to configure all your systems downstream and easily tap all content sources and destinations with a single API. It solves the customization and integration challenges that hold back innovation or slow time to market.As Michael punctuated, “Content federation is content management for a new reality.” And it certainly feels like a Star Trek-level next generation of headless CMS.<h2>Charting the composable frontier</h2>Hygraph is a member of the <a target="_blank" href="https://machalliance.org/members">MACH Alliance</a>, a not-for-profit organization focused on open, best-of-breed technology ecosystems – and the defacto voice of the composable movement. As I shared in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/mach-two-conference-wrap-six-takeaways-from-the-composable-event-of-the-year/">previous posts</a>, I had the opportunity to judge entries in the MACH Two Impact Awards this past June.During our conversation, I shared with Michael how inspiring and intimidating some of the project examples were. The system integrators behind these transformations were creative and ambitious. In some cases, the resulting stacks felt a bit like Frankenstein’s monster coming to life – miraculous, but potentially scary. Could content federation help change this?“I actually think Frankenstein is a good term for it,” he replied. “What led us to content federation is that we would see the integration requirements and what kinds of Frankensteins [our customers] would build. One reason why it’s hard to maintain is that very often, the people who can build these Frankensteins can be strong characters – very experienced enterprise architects. There’s a human factor, and there can be a lot of arguing about how things are built.”The human factor. Of course. One of the biggest risks to the success of a modular, composable architecture is the mindset – which, by its very nature, is about people and processes. Larger organizations have the resources to support both, but I wondered if Hygraph might be looking downstream as it removes many of the challenges from going composable.“We want to make complex architectures feasible, not just possible,” he said. “Even for the mid-market. A lot of vendors in the MACH space address [that segment], so there has to be some way to get those technologies together more easily.”<h2>A warp engine for content-rich applications</h2>In the expanding universe of digital experiences, content is fueling opportunity – hence the continued explosion of CMS, DXP, and other technologies in the ecosystem. Some estimates put the market potential at over <a target="_blank" href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/04/11/1802414/0/en/Global-Content-Management-Software-Market-Will-Reach-USD-123-500-Million-By-2026-Zion-Market-Research.html">$123 billion by 2026</a>, with a CAGR of 17 percent.At the same time, the headless CMS market is approaching a Neutral Zone of commoditization, with composable forcing greater downward pressure on price and parity. Most platforms provide similar functionality, and some are feeling the pinch to add new features that challenge their MACH posture as pure-play composable solutions.I asked Michael what gives Hygraph an edge in this battle.“A lot of CMS vendors focus on websites and marketing personas. But we’ve built powerful capabilities that have attracted different kinds of use cases to our platform, the kind that we were surprised to see a CMS being used for and not a database.”Michael referred to these as content-rich applications, where the content itself is the main asset of the product being sold. Like Netflix for streaming movies or Peloton for workout classes, content creators only need tools to maintain those experiences. In these cases, it’s not marketers using Hygraph, but domain experts that don’t require page builders or WYSIWYGs.On the channel side, Hygraph is partnering with SIs and collaborating with other MACH vendors to build deeper API-based integrations. While much of this attention is focused on enterprise, there’s some solid mid-market in the mix, where it’s easier to find early adopters of their technology. Regardless, organizations stand to gain significant benefits from content federation.“It can help consolidate the legacy stack within an organization,” he explained. “You integrate all the services under the hood, and you get a fresh façade, like a renovation for all the APIs you have. All of a sudden, a company can attract better developers because they can work with modern tools. If you want top talent, you have to keep iterating.”Content-rich applications are one dimension. Enterprises are also wrestling with multiple CMSes under on roof. “We’ve seen enterprises have as many CMSes as teams or divisions, and they need to stay there for a couple of years. Content federation is enabling this to work, making it easy to consolidate and build new digital experiences.”<h2>Phasers locked on growth</h2>As Michael noted, the biggest challenge to growth in composable is that no one knows how to Google the problem they have. It’s a bit like being trapped on an alien planet with no universal translator.“Headless CMS is mature, and people are aware, but we are so early with composability and building the tooling that a lot of education still needs to happen,” he proclaimed. “I’m happy the MACH Alliance is around, as it’s a joint effort to educate and position to other vendors. It’s the category creation process that needs to be innovated.”For Michael, the role of the MACH Alliance can’t be understated. I recall <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellygoetsch/">Kelly Goetsch</a>, one of its co-founders, saying that if the Alliance does its job, it might become less necessary in the future. That said, the rise of new certifications brings greater certainty and confidence to technology buyers.Michael said he wouldn’t be surprised if the MACH Alliance became a marketplace to bundle those services under one umbrella. Driving that belief is the challenge of procurement.“With monolithic vendors, you have all the tools with one vendor, one renewal process, one customer success manager. In a composable stack, you have ten solutions you have to deal with ten times a year. At some point, market consolidation may happen – and the MACH Alliance might be in the best spot to do this.”There are a lot of challenging headwinds, to be sure. Composable is growing, perhaps more in Europe right now, but I asked Michael how his approach to growth as a leader is setting Hygraph up for success.“It’s challenging economically, but we’re still growing at a good pace,” he said confidently. “We’ve built four strong pillars of growth: product-led strategy, a good sales team and quotient, the right ecosystem partners, and a commitment to customer success – so our customers buy again. It’s important to go the extra mile to make sure they implement successfully. Otherwise, after three or four months, it’s a safe churn.”<h2>Scotty, beam me up…</h2>Whether you’re a Star Trek fan or not (and really, who isn't?), you can’t argue its impact on pop culture. Content federation might be on a similar trajectory within the CMS industry as it evolves the composable landscape.  As Michael reflected on our conversation, he returned to that tipping point of opportunity and the importance of having a solid vision and a good story to pitch. “Innovation and differentiation are so important. If we hadn’t pivoted to GraphCMS, we wouldn’t be here. Everyone told me not to go fundraise for a Series B, but the whole process took 90 days to being at the notary and signing the round. A differentiated, unique story is incredibly important in that aspect.”I asked what’s ahead for Hygraph as 2023 warps toward a new year. I also inquired about AI, as peer platforms continue to add functionality to their toolsets.“We’re very focused on federation and larger releases, but what we see with a lot of vendors is that they’re wrapping ChatGPT around a UI plugin and giving you ChatGPT tools in their CMS. Is there a real value add? In reality, you can say you’re a CMS with AI capabilities, but you’re just copying and pasting from ChatGPT with better integration.”Michael suggested there are stronger use cases for AI in content management. For example, in the future, companies may be able to define schema and allow AI to build out the rest of an application – reducing the fail rate for software projects. There are clearly boundless opportunities for automation that still put users in control.As Hygraph continues to explore the DX galaxy under Michael's leadership, it’s clear that content federation is the prime directive. It’s the kind of innovation that could very well shape the next generation of content management and drive significant growth.I’m betting it will live long and prosper.

Content Management for a New Reality: A Conversation with Hygraph CEO Michael Lukaszczyk

The Hero’s Journey to Composable: A Conversation with Uniform’s Mark Demeny

Highlights:
<ul>
<li>Christine Masters is driving product management for Contentstack's AI roadmap</li>
<li>The company's new AI Assistant offers generative content capabilities powered by ChatGPT</li>
<li>Contentstack’s AI approach is helping to mitigate concerns like data privacy</li>
<li>The combination of AI Assistant and Automation Hub delivers unique advantages</li>
</ul>
<hr />
 
Artificial Intelligence has long been a popular trope in the sci-fi genre. Most of us could rattle off a string of films about machines gone amuck, from 2001: A Space Odyssey to Ex Machina.
The stories are almost always identical: Humans create AI. The world marvels at its promise. People check out. AI becomes self-aware and decides humans need to be exterminated. Epic battles ensue.
And it’s all downhill from there.
While advancements in real-world AI have been profound, they’re a far cry from the popcorn pop-culture dystopias we see in the movies. Sure, there’s trepidation, but no threat of total machine domination (we hope). And AI models like <a href="https://openai.com/chatgpt" target="_blank">ChatGPT</a> – which has captured the moment's zeitgeist – are already proving their value in multiple use cases. 
Generally speaking, the AI features being added to CMS platforms show promise, not peril. At the same time, they’re fraught with challenges – and if there’s one Schwarzenegger-level threat suffering from a bit of time dilation, it might be the customer experience. Compounded by pressure to seize the opportunity and a need to remain in competitive lockstep, many AI features have been rushed to market at hyperbolic speed.
But what makes them different? And are they really delivering value? That depends a lot on how a user creates content in a CMS.
When I was in Europe last month, I met with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nehasampat/" target="_blank">Neha Sampat</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/conoregan/" target="_blank">Conor Egan</a>, and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/susancbeermann/" target="_blank">Susan Beerman</a> – the leadership team at Contentstack. One of the discussion topics was Contentstack's new AI Assistant, which I had previewed and found quite compelling. I wanted to dive deeper, so they sent me to the source: Senior Product Manager <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/masters/" target="_blank">Christine Masters</a>.
Christine’s bailiwick is Emerging Products, where she’s working on the front line of innovation. Her months-long mission to launch Contentstack’s new AI features has yielded dynamite results, and she gave me a guided tour. We also talked about the big challenges the market is wrestling with, and how Contentstack's approach to generative AI – from content to code – is supercharging their composable DXP.
<h2>Mastering product management</h2>
Christine joined me on Zoom from her home in Iowa – an easterly track from her California roots, but a more temperate 80 degrees on an otherwise sweltering summer day.
“I remember 119 degrees,” she reminisced. It’s worth noting that the <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/californias-death-valley-sizzles-near-record-temperatures-as-brutal-heat-wave-continues#:~:text=The%20hottest%20temperature%20ever%20recorded,as%20keeper%20of%20world%20records." target="_blank">record in Death Valley</a> is 134, which makes 80 sound downright cool.
And cool is precisely the right word for Christine. She's easygoing, confident, and genuinely passionate about her work. From an experience perspective, she's a fluent industry stalwart that’s seen the evolution of content into the digital realm, starting in print at a newspaper in Fort Wayne, Indiana – where she used tools like QuarkXPress.
After operational roles in media, she managed CMS platforms at BLOX Digital, focusing on digital transformation for media applications in cloud and SaaS. She later became a senior director of core platforms, where she conducted focus groups to help build better CMS experiences.
Coming from a more traditional monolithic CMS background, Christine brings an unmatched perspective to her work in Emerging Products, specifically with Contentstack’s new AI features. The company <a href="https://demandgenreport.com/features/news-briefs/contentstack-adds-openai-chatgpt-integration-to-its-platform" target="_blank">announced</a> its ChatGPT integration in late March, relatively early in the hype cycle.
The new AI initiative was ambitious, enabling in-line user extensions that assist in creating brand-specific content in seconds. The stated capabilities were simple but powerful: editors would be able to quickly publish summaries, outlines, metadata descriptions, keyword-optimized blogs, and more – all by using prompts. But that was just the beginning.
In April, Contentstack <a href="https://community.contentstack.com/podcast-media-and-more-81/introducing-contentstack-live-383" target="_blank">hosted a webinar</a> introducing its ChatGPT connector and the future of AI-driven composability. The messaging established that the company sees AI and automation technologies touching virtually all facets of the digital experience stack – transforming content creation, code development, and asset creation.
Quite a charter, and one that will keep Christine busy for some time to come.
<h2>Understanding customer concerns with AI </h2>
Death by PowerPoint is a common fatality in the tech world, but Christine offered a single yet poignant slide before diving into the demo – one that crystallized the key challenges most companies face when considering AI. This educational entry point has become common for her.
“We’ve had a ton of interest, but a lot of concerns as well,” she said. “Many companies are asking, what should we be doing with AI? I’ve been on maybe 30 or 40 calls not just consulting, but talking and listening to their concerns. Some people are much more AI-friendly, and some are very nervous. There’s kind of this fear that when we let ChatGPT in, it’s going to suck up all our data to learn things and use it elsewhere, even with my competition.”
It’s a real concern – and one I’ve heard repeatedly from platforms and users. Will my company’s proprietary content become fodder for the training model? Or will <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/23/chatgpt" target="_blank">another bug</a> allow my competitors to see my chat sessions?  
I asked Christine how Contentstack is assuaging these fears. She quickly pointed out that their new service taps the ChatGPT API, but none of the data is being trained by the broader model. Additionally, only prompt data is stored for troubleshooting purposes and cleared out after 30 days. All of these tactics meet <a href="https://gdpr.eu/" target="_blank">GDPR compliance</a>, providing greater assurance around data privacy.
<hr />
<h4>"You need to make sure you have humans at the right step, particularly if it’s content created from scratch."</h4>
<hr />
That said, OpenAI has become a powerhouse tech company with more than 100 million users, making it a prime target for hacking. Last month, <a href="https://mashable.com/article/chatgpt-stolen-accounts-passwords-dark-web" target="_blank">Group-IB reported</a> that thousands of ChatGPT login credentials were leaked to the Dark Web, forcing Google and other companies to warn employees not to add sensitive information to the large language model. Contentstack addresses some of these risks with a combination of optimization and policy.
Accuracy is another blocker, and ChatGPT’s well-documented <a href="https://www.securityweek.com/chatgpt-hallucinations-can-be-exploited-to-distribute-malicious-code-packages/#:~:text=The%20issue%20is%20related%20to,information%20that%20may%20look%20plausible." target="_blank">hallucinations</a> have caused significant challenges to trust. “Sometimes it sounds very convincing, but it’s a total lie,” Christine added. “You need to make sure you have humans at the right step, particularly if it’s content created from scratch.”
Given this, Christine focuses on the use cases where ChatGPT excels, such as creating short summaries from longer-form content or extracting keywords. “We’ve been doing things like this for years now, so it’s become table stakes,” she said, noting that AWS has been making AI scalable for quite some time with products like <a href="https://docs.aws.amazon.com/managedservices/latest/userguide/rekognition.html" target="_blank">Amazon Rekognition</a>.  
But what is novel are the prompts being used to simplify and execute – and how Contentstack is harnessing its automation capabilities to streamline AI at exactly the right places in the content creation experience.
“That’s where we’re coming from with these products,” she punctuated.
<h2>Conjuring content with AI Assistant </h2>
Contentstack’s ChatGPT integration has two main products it intersects with: AI Assistant and Automation Hub. The combination of the two provides a unique ecosystem of capabilities that enriches the generative creation of content and the automation and streamlining of its entire AI workflow.  
As Christine pointed out, an important distinction with the AI Assistant is its nature as an app in Contentstack’s composable ecosystem. I knew other platforms had instrumented their AI with a more coupled architecture, so I asked her to elaborate on the advantages.
“One really great thing about our CMS is the extensibility,” she explained. “You can build your own apps and modules to extend the capabilities through a marketplace approach. With monolithic CMS platforms, you might keep adding features – but after ten years, it gets bloated and filled with toggles. By extending CMS through apps, you can keep it agile and lean.”
With the AI Assistant being an app, Christine began her demo in the most logical place: the installation process. This is critical, as users can choose to connect ChatGPT using their own API keys, or use Contentstack – which is free. In either case, the whole piece is painless.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/07/contentstack-screen-installation-1024x727.jpg" alt="Contentstack screen showing the installation process" />
Inside the tool, there are lots of pre-configured features that allow you to build prompts for almost anything. You can add a pre-defined set of icons that conform with your brand standards or build custom prompts aligned with your organization’s content style. (Sidenote: <a href="https://learnprompting.org/" target="_blank">prompt engineering courses</a> have now emerged to help assist users with this new skill. Go figure.)
In Contentstack’s AI, the prompts can get very granular. For example, a customer can enter explicit instructions like when to use associated trademarks or which competitor should never be mentioned. 
From a UI perspective, the AI Assistant “lives” where the content writer creates new entries, enhancing the experience without disrupting the editorial flow. The whole experience is lightweight and elegant, and reflects thoughtful analysis of where the elements should co-exist. Users can interface with the tool via custom actions already configured for spelling and grammar, then add functions to write summaries, extract keywords, and even provide translations. 
As Christine pointed out, writers and editors aren’t typically creating content from scratch with AI. In most cases, they use it to augment their writing in different ways.
“As a quick example, let’s say I want to write a blog post about something,” she said. “You can use our pre-built Idea Generator to create ideas and use custom prompts to be in the tone and voice of your brand. Most of the time, writers want ideas and outlines, so they have more control.”
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/07/contentstack-screen-ai-ideas-1-1024x747.jpg" alt="Contentstack screen showing the AI idea prompt." />
From a success standpoint, Christine offered some experience-based advice about prompting, explaining how the assistant can produce better and more accurate results when properly fed. This includes prompt curation around overused terms that might seem cliché or incompatible with a brand’s voice.
“You might tell ChatGPT to ‘make it more exciting’ and it returns words and phrases like ‘trailblazing’ or ‘revolutionary.’ Everything can start to sound the same. ‘In the realm of digital experiences’ is another example that you see out there. These would be my guidelines for what not to use.”
Looking at the prompt capabilities, I asked if there was a plan to make the customizations more repeatable and sharable. Christine said that’s on the roadmap – along with other features.
“We really want to make sure that we’re providing something very useful for our customers they can actually use.”
<h2>Adding some magic with Automation Hub</h2>
The 1-2 punch of Contentstack’s AI offering is the unique combo of AI Assistant and <a href="https://www.contentstack.com/automation-hub/?creative=650999267431&amp;keyword=contentstack%20automation%20hub&amp;matchtype=p&amp;network=g&amp;device=c&amp;campaign=19810684522&amp;adgroup=146523337843&amp;placement=&amp;utm_campaign=fy24-glob-dg-automation-hub-us-ca&amp;utm_medium=paid-search&amp;utm_source=google&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwwvilBhCFARIsADvYi7L-bNoQPTRPXR4ba5lah7uPBz6xovMlmKayTKrMh-G4nO9xaoVQ8XUaAuRDEALw_wcB" target="_blank">Automation Hub</a>.
If you’re unfamiliar with the service, it’s an existing feature of the Contentstack DXP that delivers an easy, no-code solution for streamlining business processes. It starts with a trigger or action and allows you to define a specific workflow using a graphical interface – which is incredibly lithe and intuitive. The tool is designed to help simplify the complexity of integrations and automate routine tasks. 
“Now [with Automation Hub], you can build up a series of automated steps with the ChatGPT connector, which brings in an automatic prompt trainer,” Christine described. “It’s a webhook with a trigger – like publishing a new article – and you build steps afterward that are API calls or snippets of code performing functionality.”
According to Christine, Automation Hub is ideal for applications like translations, where ChatGPT can be automatically tapped to return languages based on specific fields and requirements. ChatGPT does a decent job with translations, and there’s already broad market trust with third-party tools like <a href="https://www.weglot.com/" target="_blank">Weglot</a> that leverage AI.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/07/contentstack-screen-translation-1024x749.jpg" alt="Contentstack screen showing translation with ChatGPT and Slack connector." />
In just a few minutes, she demonstrated how simple it is to activate the "ChatGPT for Translation" automation in the UI and configure both the connector and the associated actions. Once the translation was completed, we even added a step with Slack, automatically letting team members know the task was completed. Pretty slick. 
“Summaries, keywords, translations – if you do something a hundred times over and you never have to change it, this can take the place of people. But you always want a human in the loop knowing what’s going on.”
In an upcoming version, Christine mentioned that users will be able to add in multiple prompts, but also specific function calls via API or http connections. For example, ChatGPT could be harnessed to tap a stock or sports score database at 9 AM and send an email to a list of recipients in a pre-defined format.
“Text enhancement is really the starting point,” she said. “I can’t wait to get this into the hands of more users. I don’t think we’ve even started to think about the cool ideas they’ll be able to implement.”
<h2>What’s ahead for Contentstack and AI</h2>
We’ve been on the ChatGPT “hype train” for well over six months now. I asked Christine how the landscape is unfolding, particularly with similar offerings from other platforms. She agreed that competitors are driving AI in a commoditized direction, but that Contentstack’s app architecture – and its focus on streamlining and automating processes – is unique.  
So what’s driving that value quotient for customers in these early days?
“We’re seeing a lot of use with things like extracting keywords, tapping language translations,” she motioned, “but there are also cost savings when you consider replacing other tools for things like SEO optimization. And if you’re using our Contentstack API keys, it’s even free.”
Free is good, but will it last? Christine did suggest that large organizations will likely opt to use their own ChatGPT keys – and if more translation is required, costs may increase with the scaling token requirements. But it's clear that Contentstack sees its AI features as a value-add, and having a free entry point is a smart move to build adoption. 
Based on the demo, there’s ample room to streamline the clicks required within Contentstack's AI experience. This is where Automation Hub really sings, delivering both efficiency and control to users. As she noted, it’s the “boring” integrations – the undifferentiated heavy lifting – that Contentstack is endeavoring to supplant. By doing so, users can focus on building high-value, high-utility apps and experiences. You know... the cool stuff. 
“Whatever you trust AI to do, we can automate that,” she declared.  
<h2>Get started with AI Assistant</h2>
If you want to join Contentstack’s AI Assistant program, sign up by <a href="https://explore.contentstack.com/ai-assistant?utm_medium=internal_docs" target="_blank">filling out this form</a>. After agreeing to a few terms, you’ll receive a link to install the app – which, as mentioned, is currently free.
Christine said we can expect more announcements in the coming months. You can also check out Contentstack’s recent <a href="https://www.contentstack.com/docs/changelog/#ai-assistant-june-release-highlights" target="_blank">June release highlights</a> for current details.  
All challenges aside, the introduction of AI in CMS platforms has tremendous potential to improve productivity for content editors and developers. I’ve always contended that AI should stand for augmented intelligence, because it’s really about enhancing our creativity and productivity – not replacing it.
“Humans are great at the interesting things,” Christine observed.
Exactly. Like writing sci-fi scripts... about AI.

A Closer Look at Contentstack's AI Features with Christine Masters, Senior Product Manager

One of the biggest challenges with adopting <a href="https://machalliance.org/mach-technology" target="_blank">MACH</a> (Microservices, API-First, Cloud-Native SaaS, Headless) is understanding what you’re in for. After all, going composable and embracing MACH patterns and architectures is not for the faint of heart.
So if you’re seriously considering MACH, is your company prepared for what’s ahead? What resources will you require? And what does success look like?
To help answer some of these foundational questions, the <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-expands-advisory-board-launches-new-mach-book-resource/">MACH Alliance</a> – a not-for-profit group that advocates for open and best-of-breed enterprise technology ecosystems – has developed a new <a href="https://machalliance.org/mach-maturity-assessment" target="_blank">MACH Maturity Assessment Tool</a>. This five-minute "quiz" focuses on high-level business considerations instead of just the technical landscape, giving you a quick snapshot of your organization’s MACH readiness.
The online self-assessment provides a step-by-step Q&amp;A that scores your overall readiness to make the MACH shift. The questions focus on six key pillars: Strategy and Transformation, Organization and Governance, Process and Metrics, People and Culture, Technology and Architecture, and Business Intelligence.
I previously chatted with <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/the-future-is-composable-a-conversation-with-new-mach-alliance-president-casper-rasmussen/">Casper Rasmussen</a>, President of the MACH Alliance, to ask why this assessment tool is so important.
“What we set as an objective for 2023 is to help buyers make the right decisions,” he said. “We want to clarify the role of MACH and whom it’s for – and this tool plays a vital role in doing that. It allows an organization to gauge its readiness to adopt MACH, but it’s not a technology evaluation. This is a 360-degree view of the actual organizational aspects.”
It’s worth noting that MACH Alliance member Deloitte Digital led the development of this tool, along with a group of Alliance member volunteers and SI reps. The consortium included professionals from commercetools, Capgemini, Apply Digital, Orium, Vuestorefront, Big Commerce, Scaleflex, Vercel, talon.one, Cloudinary, Intive, Bold Commerce, Epam, and Valtech.
<h2>The six dimensions of a MACH-ready business</h2>
The Maturity Assessment questions align with what Casper described as six dimensions of a MACH-ready business – the same dimensions the Alliance has been consistently focused on.
But, as he points out, there’s always a journey element to MACH. Part of that transition is evaluating readiness, but it’s also identifying the gaps to help improve it.
“We’re not expecting companies to be perfect,” he clarified. “Not only do we score based on the answers that brands provide us, but we help them figure out, rectify, and actually improve across the dimensions that might be troublesome or problematic for them. This helps them navigate the journey they are about to embark on.”
The MACH Alliance also released a <a href="https://machalliance.org/thought-leadership/mach-maturity-assessment-whitepaper">white paper</a> covering the six pillars, which pair up to each self-assessment stage. Here’s a brief summary of each dimension:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/07/mach-maturity-diagram-pillars-1024x757.png" alt="MACH Maturity Assessment Diagram" />
<ul>
<li>Strategy and Transformation: As an organization considers a MACH transformation, clearly understanding its business objectives is essential. This initial step of the assessment highlights where a MACH approach may be applicable based on an organization’s current view of transformation across domains and as a whole.</li>
<li>Organization and Governance: This assessment step focuses on the decision-making process and how organizations support rapid change cycles and integrate with multiple external suppliers. MACH may require a business to adapt its operating model or delegate governance around an agreed-upon set of principles. These practices are foundational to supporting an effective MACH transition.</li>
<li>Process and Metrics: As noted in the white paper, any approach to MACH will have “knock-on” effects to process and metrics to support a distributed system of smaller components. Organizations may need to adopt an Agile project management framework, new reporting to span multiple business domains, and business processes for procuring, provisioning, and onboarding external systems.</li>
<li>People and Culture: Having the right distribution of people and frictionless communication between teams is key to a successful MACH transition. These questions focus on an organization’s culture and dynamics, where empowering greater autonomy, collaboration, and personal ownership of decisions can drive success – along with the development of new digital skills.</li>
<li>Technology and Architecture: While the assessment focuses more on business considerations, technology is a cornerstone of MACH and plays a big role in the transition. These questions focus on the shift from large, multi-function systems to more granular components, assessing whether an organization’s engineers and architects are prepared for microservices, APIs, cloud-based systems, and decoupled services.</li>
<li>Business Intelligence: The final stage of the assessment is concerned with optics and KPIs. To achieve and maintain MACH, organizations require tools for analysis and visualization that enable data-driven decisions at technical, operational, and business levels. Also, business intelligence best practices encompass the role of advanced analytics, AI and machine learning, and near-real-time data transparency.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Taking the MACH Maturity Assessment</h2>
Like any objective knowledge-seeker, I took the MACH Maturity Assessment myself.
As billed, I spent just a few minutes from start to finish and found the experience clear, frictionless, and kind of fun. Each question was multiple choice (A/B/C), peppered with intuitive options that use words like “firepower” and “big bang.” This makes the flow easy and highly accessible to business users.
A few questions did meander into techspeak (CI/CD processes, APIs, etc.). As a cloud guy, I easily understood the concepts, but you can pause the assessment and even back up if there are any specific details you need to hunt down. Once completed, you can enter your email address and have the assessment sent to you (not a requirement, BTW).
The final report generates a slick performance chart that maps your maturity as Weak, Immature, Moderate, or Mature. I included mine below:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/07/mach-maturity-performance-chart-1024x1018.png" alt="MACH Maturity Assessment diagam" />
I pulled a “Moderate” based on some of my answers, and was given a set of suggestions for improving my performance in the areas that required the most attention. For example, I was stronger in People and Culture but weaker in Business Intelligence – so the tool suggested I invest in improving my ability to track metrics across applications and experiences.
Again, this is a high-level snapshot, so not enough detail to prescribe specific solutions. But certainly enough to plan next steps.
Reviewing my results reminded me of how Casper framed success in our discussion. “The more we can emphasize the potential areas that will end up being problematic and really improve, the better,” he said. “Because it means brands are walking into it eyes wide open.”
<h2>MACHinating the journey ahead</h2>
If you’re considering a transition to MACH – and want an eye-opening experience – I would wholeheartedly recommend the MACH Maturity Assessment. It takes just a few minutes, but it’s a great place to start your journey.
You can access the tool online at <a href="https://machalliance.org/mach-maturity-assessment">https://machalliance.org/mach-maturity-assessment</a>

New MACH Alliance Maturity Assessment Tool Helps Organizations Evaluate Their MACH Readiness

There’s a little-known psychological condition called footballis doldrumus that affects millions of people each year.
This peculiar phenomenon strikes around mid-July – the “dog days,” as we say – causing North American football fans to incessantly pine for the pigskin. The hotter the summer, the more intense the craving. And this has been a hot one.
Symptoms include (but are not limited to): listing the season opener as a holiday on your Outlook calendar, leaving messages on refrigerator wipe boards that read “6 weeks left ‘til kickoff,” and waking up from a deep sleep and shouting first and ten for no apparent reason.
It’s a sinister malady that Joel Varty is undoubtedly familiar with, given his own experience on the field. When we met in New York City this past May, he told me about his son’s goal of playing football at the collegiate level, and perhaps one day in the NFL. I learned later that Joel played during college, and has a passion for coaching. 
As a victim myself of footballis doldrumus, talking with Joel was a bit like a support group on multiple levels. I resisted any mention of Tom Brady for fear of getting too off-topic (or sounding like an insipid fanboy), and we focused instead on the real-world challenges impacting the content management game.
In his role as Chief Technology Officer at <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/agility-cms-introduces-simplified-pricing-tiers-for-headless-content-management/">Agility</a> – <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/top-free-headless-cms-platforms/">a headless CMS</a> – Joel is facing a deep bench of competitors with similar strengths on the field. As many platform features become commoditized, executing the right plays to differentiate is essential to win.
When I learned that Agility was releasing new updates to its UI, I caught up with Joel to learn more about his company’s strategy and get his perspective on the marketplace. We talked about how composable is changing the game, why trust is critical to customer experience, and how he’s quarterbacking his own way to victory.
<h2>Coaching the long game in CMS </h2>
Like most content management veterans, Joel’s path to product was circuitous. While playing football at the <a href="https://www.uoguelph.ca/" target="_blank">University of Guelph</a> in Ontario, he parlayed a love of prose into programming and graduated with honors in English and Computer Science.
It’s not an uncommon story in the development world. Some of the best coders I’ve ever worked with started analyzing James Joyce before JavaScript.
Guelph is also where Agility’s CEO, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonvoigt/">Jon Voigt</a>, attended – and the two have been teaming up ever since. They both endured the rise and fall of the dot.com era, and that lead to a stint of website consulting gigs that encompassed the buildout of their own CMS.
“[I think] everyone has said, ‘hey, I can build my own CMS’ at some point,” he recalls with laughter. “We started ours around 2005 and kept doing it because we really like working together. But by 2017, we decided we didn’t want to build websites anymore – we just wanted to build a CMS, and we think headless CMS is the way to go.”
Joel also said that one of the catalysts for this shift in priorities was the maturity of the Agility CMS itself. Not only was it stable and trusted at a foundational level, but it now had enough customers running on it to make financial sense. As a totally bootstrapped company with solid profitability, they were able to sell off some of their existing contracts in 2018 and go all-in on the CMS.
<hr />
<h4>“I think where Agility shines isn't in a specific vertical market. It's with folks who have complex, unique needs – and you have to approach those in a special way. We love to teach our partners how to do that.”</h4>
<hr />
“It was really hard to let go,” Joel admitted. “Giving [our business] to partners was a double-edged sword, but it was great to stop competing with our partners. We were always the first party vendor building stuff, so we didn't feel it was fair to have a product we have an upper hand with.”
I asked Joel how they made the transition successful, particularly around client care. I’ve heard this projects-to-products story many times, but the failures often come from a lack of top-down leadership and cultural investment – like a self-inflicted form of pass interference. 
“We actually looked at our core values as a company, and really focused on teaching,” he said, “so we took the lessons we’ve learned and started teaching our partners how to do things. I think where Agility shines isn't in a specific vertical market. It's with folks who have complex, unique needs – and you have to approach those in a special way. We love to teach our partners how to do that.”
Teach... or coach? Either way, Joel and his team have made the knowledge transfer a big part of the Agility experience. This includes clear documentation, tutorials, transparent practices, and regular communication with their community of users. 
<h2>Outplaying sameness with service </h2>
At a recent event, I was discussing the headless CMS category with several attendees, and the subject of commoditization came up (as it frequently does). One of the pedaled analogies was that DXPs are akin to “apples and oranges” based on their feature sets, while headless CMSes are more like red apples versus green.
I asked Joel about this swelling box of apples and how he views the commoditization challenge.
“It’s interesting because there's almost more of a move to be enough of the same so that you're recognizable across vendors – like things have to be ‘same enough,’” he observed. “If you're too different, that's not actually a good thing, because it's hard to compare in a DX or composable space. So we strive to be ‘same enough’ while being unique.”
Commoditization is a real threat, but Agility is rising above the challenge by investing in its customer experience. This is embodied by its “White Glove Service,” which assures each client receives human interaction – which Joel admits is a challenge for most vendors as it inhibits scalability. But when the average lifetime of an Agility customer is eight to ten years, there’s value in this hands-on approach.
This felt like a key differentiator to me, so I asked if it was a key selling point for Agility.
“We haven't been using it enough,” Joel said. “We need to listen more to that part of our customers’ reactions. Our product was built based on customer feedback, and that's how we decide what we're going to do. It's 100% customer driven. We spent a lot of time and effort tracking what people say and want regarding features. And that's how we decide what we build into the product.”
To that end, Agility continues to provide transparency around its roadmap, engaging with its users via <a href="https://roadmap.agilitycms.com/tabs/3-launched" target="_blank">roadmap.agilitycms.com</a> around ideation. Joel said developers are very vocal within their community, but Agility strives to ensure that marketers and business decision-makers have a voice. That’s important, given the critical role of content operations within most enterprises.
“Our ideal customer needs to understand the value of content,” he explained. “Sometimes it's the developer, an information management role, a head of marketing, a CTO – maybe even the CEO of a smaller company. But if they can get the value of that content… then that’s going to be a good fit for Agility.”
<h2>Tackling the composable hype-cycle with trust</h2>
As a headless CMS, I asked Joel what he thought about the growth of composable and the advent of <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/wrestling-with-category-confusion-in-the-dxc-slackdown/">DXC (digital experience composition)</a> and other categories emerging in the space. On the one hand, DXC vendors like <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/uniform-raises-28m-in-series-a-funding-round-for-composable-dxp/">Uniform</a> are solving the visualization challenges for headless CMSes. But are these TLAs (or “three-lettered acronyms” for the unindoctrinated) helping or hindering our understanding of the composable space?
“My opinion is those acronyms are holding us back as much as they bring us forward,” he said. “They give us something to talk about, but you always have to go beyond that. There's always some explaining that has to happen when you're talking to someone who actually wants to use this in their business. I think it comes down to having more trust between people.”
That trust is hard-earned, as Joel explained. <a href="https://www.cineplex.com/" target="_blank">Cineplex</a>, one of Agility’s customers since 2007, has relied not just on its CMS, but on the expertise of a team that understands their business imperatives. Over the years, trust in Agility has guided the cinema giant’s digital transformation, from site rebuilds to infrastructure changes. This ingredient of trust has shaped Joel’s perspective on composable, which is as much about the business considerations as the technology posture.
“I think the idea of enterprise software should mean long-term ROI, not just fast ROI,” he said. “How can you take a piece out and put it back in, or fix something that you don't like? That, to me, is like the best of composable.”
I probed further about the importance of composable standards and the rise of the <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/the-future-is-composable-a-conversation-with-new-mach-alliance-president-casper-rasmussen/">MACH Alliance</a> over the last few years. The organization has advocated for best-of-breed technologies that meet the rigid standards of MACH (Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native SaaS, Headless). Are relationships with vendors in DXC, e-Commerce, search, and other categories becoming an important growth channel for headless CMS?
“Yes, and the long-term goal is to have a combination of technology and relationships accelerated, where it's like a pre-built stack or grid that everyone knows works,” he said. “So CMS is going to be hosted here, and it will have this for search, this personalization, and this for commerce. We know how it all works together – and everyone trusts it.”
Joel admitted that we might be three or four years away from any broad market buy-in, suggesting that it’s still a hard sell given the institutional culture of some IT departments. This is why the efforts of thought leaders within the MACH Alliance community have been key to advancing the growth of composable.
“They won’t get it until they trust it,” Joel punctuated.
<h2>Agility’s new UI delivers more than a fresh uniform</h2>
I heard Agility’s plans for its new user interface some time ago, well before its scheduled GA. While modernizing a UI is an accepted part of any software lifecycle, it offers as many opportunities as challenges. Most people loathe change – so any modification can be met with temperamental responses. That’s why this UI "refresh" is as much about empathy and sentiment as it is about systems and processes.
I wanted to hear how Agility approached this undertaking, and what stood out for Joel.
“Interestingly enough, we started this new UI project about 18 months ago,” he revealed. “The last time we redid our UI was in 2015, and Jon [our CEO] and I knew that you always do it once and then refresh it after everyone's already had a chance to see it. We started base testing with cohorts of new or existing users, and we actually brought design in-house – which, for a smaller company, was a big deal. We also have this amazing person who A/B tested different things and conducted interviews to determine what makes [users] feel better. And we focused as much on that as we could and tried to be very consistent about how we handled content.”
As Joel detailed the process, it was clear his team didn’t cut things out or remove extraneous elements just to satisfy the simplification goal. To his point, CMS users claim to want all the features – even if they won’t be using them.
“There's a real balance there,” he continued. “But overall, we wanted things to be faster and easier across the board and ultimately make people feel better.”
I had a chance to peruse the new UI while comparing it to the classic version (which will continue to be available to users). Right off the bat, the visual design system is cleaner and more streamlined, offering a modern lightweight experience that feels more like an app. The main navigation panel provides more contrast, aimed at reducing eye strain during prolonged use. The authoring tools are still intuitive and familiar, a staple of Agility's previous UI. 
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/07/agility-new-ui-2023-1024x692.jpg" alt="New Agility software UI" />
You can read about the full scope of features <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/agility-unveils-refreshed-design-system-in-ui-delivering-enhanced-user-experience-and-accessibility/">in our previous post</a>, but a few stand out, including new filters that offer augmented search. Users will find the new org selector handy, and there’s a slick heartbeat indicator coming that will provide greater visibility around specific events and tasks. Also noteworthy are the drag-and-drop model editor and the table column reordering, both designed to simplify and accelerate tasks.
You can check out the UI for yourself by creating an Agility account at <a href="http://www.agilitycms.com">www.agilitycms.com</a>. While Joel and his team are still fine-tuning some details, scope creep has pushed the original launch date into late July – a frustrating reality of software launches.
“But I think it will be worth it,” he said. “Our company anniversary is July 19, so I'm kind of thinking maybe that's a good day.”
<h2>Keeping the game fun – even with AI on the field</h2>
I’ve already waxed extensively about Joel’s affinity for football. But that affection is grounded by a deep gratitude for his family and their shared pastimes. Much like his dual pursuits of literature and computer science, he blends a love for athletics and a passion for art and scholarship in his life outside Agility.
“I am super blessed with two really, really cool kids,” he said glowingly. “My son plays football, and I've been a dedicated ‘dad coach’ for that. But my daughter is super into theater, and I love directing, being on stage, or getting involved from a community standpoint. It's got nothing to do with technology – it's just having fun.”
As we rounded out our time together, the subject of AI meandered into the conversation. What does Joel think about the advent of this technology and its impact on content? He has, after all, helped shape the CMS space over the last two decades. What does the world look like now that ChatGPT is a growing fixture in the creative process?
“I look at it like this: ChatGPT needs us,” he said. “It copies ideas. Nothing comes out of thin air, and someone has to come up with the ideas.”
Kind of like a quarterback audibling on the field. Sometimes, human instinct takes over – no matter how rehearsed the play might be. And while AI may prove its worth as a key automation tool, it’s heartening to hear from a content veteran that people are still core to the process.
As a headless CMS in a densely-packed market, Agility is executing in all the right ways. And with so many seasons under its belt, the platform and its people have proven resilient in the face of change. That speaks volumes about its vision and go-to-market strategy, which gives it a strong position in the new composable game. 
I still reserve the mantle of GOAT for Tom Brady, but Joel definitely has my vote for the “CMS Hall of Fame.”

Playing to Win in the Headless CMS Game: Interview with Joel Varty, CTO at Agility

If <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/vojtechboril/" target="_blank">Vojtech Boril</a> has a crystal ball in his possession, it’s time to come clean.
Maybe it was sheer luck that his company, <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/kontent-ai-introduces-industrys-first-headless-cms-with-native-ai-capabilities/">Kontent.ai</a>, would embrace the “AI” domain in 2022. Or was their official <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/taking-kentico-kontentai-next-generation-digital-petr-palas/">spinoff from Kentico</a> some mystical prognostication of things to come?
I wasn’t sure, but Vojtech settled the question for me.
“Bringing AI into the CMS world has been part of our vision for a long time,” he said. “Our company name – which we chose a year ago – is good proof that this launch is not just a quick reaction to the new ChatGPT trends.”
Tarot cards and tea leaves aside, this is an exciting time for Vojtech and Kontent.ai. Since introducing <a href="https://openai.com/" target="_blank">OpenAI’s</a> large language model late last year, many content management vendors have entered the AI race. In several cases, they leverage ChatGPT as a basic plugin or integration.
But last week, Kontent.ai announced the early availability of the first native AI capabilities to a headless CMS.
Native, you say? How so? I had a thousand questions – none of which <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/from-chatbots-to-contentops-how-ai-is-coming-to-your-cms-whether-you-like-it-or-not/">ChatGPT</a> could answer.
Thankfully, <a href="https://kontent.ai/events-and-webinars/first-look-at-native-ai-capabilities-in-kontent-ai/" target="_blank">during a recent webinar</a>, Kontent.ai offered an informative first look at these AI features. This filled in many blanks, but I still connected with Vojtech to ask why he thinks these new capabilities are game-changers. As the Vice President of Growth &amp; Marketing, he combines content and platform POVs into one brain. He's also an avid runner with some intimidating pace times – so he's accustomed to staying ahead of the pack. 
<h2>A first look at native AI capabilities</h2>
One would assume that a content management vendor would produce quality content to promote its products and services. That’s not always the case, but Kontent.ai has consistently delivered the goods. Last week’s webinar on its native AI was no exception and provided a solid overview of the new features.
The session – hosted by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hrubytomas/" target="_blank">Tomas Hruby</a>, Lead Product Manager, and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-torpy-82087b4a/" target="_blank">Jordan Torpy</a>, Product Marketing Manager – opened on the new “Gold Rush” into the AI market, and how ChatGPT has ignited every CMS vendor to jump on the bandwagon. Both commented on seeing many different approaches across the digital experience market, which has undoubtedly informed their innovation.
According to Tomas, ChatGPT seems easy to repurpose, but in reality isn’t that simple. Large language models become challenging to master for prompt creation and obtaining accurate results. He called these skills more of an “art,” contrary to the promise of automation.
In the webinar, the duo focused on three key challenges with current AI solutions: understanding context, composing AI, and integration. Jordan provided an example of how large language models struggle to incorporate brand guidelines, tone of voice, and other factors exclusive to a given company. This training is time-consuming and difficult to orchestrate for content creation.
One of the big concerns for enterprises is around the unknowns of integration. For example, does the customer or vendor maintain the AI capabilities? Is it a plugin built by an open source community? They also discussed the increased API surface area that may be vulnerable to attacks – and that many enterprises are reluctant to share proprietary content with public models.
In each case, it’s clear there are gaps with current AI solutions – and Kontent.ai’s native capabilities promise to bridge those gaps to usability.
<h2>The vision for AI in a headless CMS</h2>
Given the challenges that AI presents when integrating into a CMS, what was the vision guiding Kontent.ai’s native capabilities? Tomas and Jordan boiled it down to a couple of key pillars during the webinar.
First, Kontent.ai is a fully integrated experience designed for what they call “fluent content creation.” As a native set of platform features, the AI respects internal formatting across your work, making it all more conformant. Content creators will also find the AI tools highly intuitive from a UI perspective, and available where they would expect them to be.
The second pillar is delivering accurate suggestions. This is a big one, as most large language models provide questionable results. Much of this concerns prompt design, or the ability to feed the AI with the proper context. With Kontent.ai, the native capabilities are built with context in mind, so it respects your company’s brand guidelines or tone of voice, and doesn’t “hallucinate” as it often does with open learning models.
Kontent.ai also provides what Tomas calls a “hidden sophistication” driven by complex pipelines designed to streamline tasks like converting notes into formatted content.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/06/kontent-image-3-1024x620.jpg" alt="Composite of Kontent.ai native AI user experience with multiple windows of functionality" />
<h2>What really sets native AI apart?</h2>
First and foremost: Kontent.ai’s native capabilities are not a plugin. This is a marked difference from other platform strategies that leverage basic connectors to ChatGPT. Tomas states this distinction will allow users to work more efficiently and effectively as part of a CMS toolkit.
Another big difference is that the solution is fully GDPR compliant. This is achieved in large part by the <a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us">Azure</a> backbone. Kontent.ai has a strong Microsoft relationship and is leveraging its AI services stack via ChatGPT 4 and a new service called <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/semantic-kernel/overview/">Semantic Kernel</a> – an open source SDK for building custom AI apps and orchestrating complex pipelines.
Finally, Kontent.ai delivers peace of mind around privacy and control. Enterprise users can be assured that their sensitive content and data is secure and not publicly available to any OpenAI learning pipelines. The native AI capabilities are aware of content and context only within your system, and it’s not even used to train future LLM iterations.
I asked Vojtech to give me the big picture around these key differentiators through the content creator’s lens. What really stands out?
“A key difference is that our AI capabilities are native to our platform and provide a fully integrated experience for content creators,” he said. “We’re not adding a prompt window to our CMS. Instead, we’re adding new capabilities that perfectly fit with the tasks a content creator does on a daily basis.”
He cited an example: “We have a skill called ‘Improve writing.’ To use it, you select some text you want to improve to better suit your tone of voice, style guide, or other similar criteria. Then, you choose a piece of content already in your Kontent.ai project that meets your standards. Kontent.ai will then adjust your original text to match the style and tone of your chosen text.”
During the webinar, there was a great demo of this feature. The use case featured a single paragraph with a noticeably sarcastic tone of voice compared to the rest of the article. The native AI was asked to improve the writing by injecting prompts for a more professional tonality, as required by brand guidelines. It did – in minutes. The entire process was convenient, accurate, and a huge time saver.
As Vojtech further noted, what’s great is that content creators don’t need to fiddle around with making the right prompt, or string several different prompts together. Everything they need is in Kontent.ai, and it’s all a natural extension of the work they already did in the platform.
<h2>What’s the price tag for native AI?</h2>
Currently, Kontent’s new AI capabilities are fully functional, but only available to early adopters via a special access program – and seats are limited. The company is interested in collaborating with enterprise customers, so they’re inviting companies to provide their use cases.
The solution isn’t quite out of the box (yet). According to the webinar, most users can be up and running in roughly two weeks. The services should be generally available later this year.
Regarding cost, that’s still unknown – but the company seems to be focused on aligning it with real utility and value. As Vojtech pointed out, “We know everyone can go and use ChatGPT for free, so we didn’t just add a prompt window to Kontent.ai. Instead, we created tailor-made capabilities that solve real problems content creators face.”
The Kontent.ai team is working on pricing models, which will hopefully be available before the service is in GA. If you’re interested in early access, visit the <a href="https://kontent.ai/events-and-webinars/first-look-at-native-ai-capabilities-in-kontent-ai/">Kontent.ai</a> website for more details.
<h2>What other AI features can we expect?</h2>
There were some interesting questions about Kontent’s AI roadmap during the webinar. The hosts discussed the current advantages of reducing time and research. But they also described how AI might be capable of assisting with tedious, large-scale CMS tasks such as mass migrations.
One area where ChatGPT and other large language models are still struggling is translation. With accuracy being such a critical requirement, it’s still reliant on other workflows to deliver quality results. Still, this seems to be an area ripe with opportunity.
I asked Vojtech if other capabilities might be more near-term on the roadmap, and what the process looks like for onboarding new AI features.
“We've been working on [the capabilities that are part of this launch] for the past couple of months, but simultaneously we're working on many other prototypes,” he said. “Anything that reaches our development team through prioritization typically goes through a thorough research phase. We even have a dedicated UX research team, which is not always the norm in companies of our size.”
I also wanted to know how customers have responded in the rollout's early phases.
“We are absolutely thrilled with how the AI launch has been received,” he said. “We have some great initial feedback from existing customers, prospects, and major analysts. I've also had the chance to talk to some of our existing enterprise clients in person already, and there are specifically two main areas they appreciate the most. One, that our AI capabilities are fully native to the product, which currently makes us very unique in the CMS market. And two, the security aspect of being GDPR-compliant and knowing their content is not populated into global GPT environments.”
He also said that the webinar has resulted in registrations going through the roof – a clear sign that interest is swelling into action.
<h2>Consulting the crystal ball about the future of AI</h2>
As informative as the webinar was, I wanted to know how important the AI investment was to Kontent.ai. We might still be early in the hype cycle, but what does the future look like?
“This AI launch is only the beginning of our AI product focus,” Vojtech said. “As I mentioned, our rebranding to Kontent.ai a year ago was not just a coincidence, and we are serious about pioneering fully native AI capabilities as part of the CMS user experience.”
Vojtech also shared that the company is working on further improvements to contextualizing AI-generated content. They're also exploring how to improve navigating, creating, reviewing, and categorizing content.
“I believe AI has the potential to revolutionize content operations by streamlining processes, automating tasks, and enabling users to do more and faster,” he explained. “However, ‘more and faster’ should not be the only goal. Ultimately, it's rather about creating more contextualized, meaningful, and relatable content than just producing more. That's exactly how we envision our customers to benefit from our AI. We're not trying to replace their content contributors. Instead, we're on a mission to help them be more productive and be able to focus on the work they love while utilizing AI to do repetitive tasks for them.
Wrapping things up, I got a bit existential about AI’s impact on people. As Vojtech pointed out, only the future will show whether it’s good for humanity. In the meantime, he said, it’s important to think critically about the ethical implications as AI becomes a normal part of life. This includes data privacy, security, and other factors that must be carefully addressed.
“I am an optimist,” he added, “and I believe that humanity can strike a balance in the development of AI – harnessing its benefits while ensuring it does not pose a threat to our well-being.” 
I hope that optimism is coming from the same crystal ball.

Kontent.ai Pioneers Native AI in Headless CMS: Interview with Vojtech Boril

Kontent.ai logo with headshot of Vojtech Boril

It turns out an “ING” can be quite a thing.
Case in point: the role of a Chief Marketing Officer. For most of us, the word “Marketing” in this mantle concisely explains the individual’s responsibilities.
But drop the “ING,” and it’s a different story. Well… sort of.
In my conversation with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifergriffinsmith/" target="_blank">Jennifer Griffin Smith</a>, Acquia’s new Chief Market Officer, we discussed the distinction between these titles, and why the leading DXP added her – and this new role – to its roster.
We also covered what she sees on the roadmap for <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/acquia-taps-its-modular-open-source-legacy-to-drive-the-composable-future/">Acquia</a>, how composable is shifting the conversation, and why she’s excited about showing customers the “art of the possible.”
<h2>A marketing trailblazer in tech</h2>
Jennifer joined me via Zoom from a comfortable, unassuming home office. Originally from Europe, she’s been in the States for quite some time.
“As you can tell by the accent, I'm British,” she said. “We came for two years, and here we are 14 years later.”
For more than two decades, Jennifer has focused her superpowers on marketing for technology companies, with a deep focus on go-to-market strategies for both public and private companies. In her previous stints, she served as Chief Marketing Officer at <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/hyland-acquires-alfresco-focuses-on-cloud-and-global-expansion-of-enterprise-cms/">Alfresco</a> (acquired by Hyland), Software AG, and <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/progress-launches-sitefinity-dx-14-0-enhances-digital-experience-delivery-with-global-scale/">Progress Software</a> – which owns the Sitefinity CMS.
In her most recent CMO gig at <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/brightcove-video-connector-will-bring-video-content-to-sitecore/">Brightcove</a>, Jennifer led the video streaming platform’s global marketing organization. This included product marketing and strategy, customer GTM programs, and new business, brand, and marketing communications. 
Given her legacy of leadership at content and digital experience vendors, I asked her what made the Acquia opportunity so enticing.
“I've spent some time with Acquia as a consumer, not just as a marketer or a business person,” she said. “I'm fascinated by the changes in how we want to purchase, learn, and engage with content. And I think, the way I live – my life – has changed so drastically in the last five years. Most of that is obviously through the pandemic, but just in my own need for time, and levels of service I expect, whether I'm researching a college, purchasing a shirt, or a car. Whatever it is, my expectation has changed. Then I look at the demographic of my 12-year-old son and the younger generation, and it will change again. I'm genuinely fascinated by digital experiences, and how we can bring it together as a consumer.”
<h2>From Chief Marketing Officer to Chief Market Officer</h2>
Getting down to brass tacks, I wanted to understand the new role of Acquia’s Chief Market Officer. How did Jennifer see it – and more importantly, what signal is Acquia sending with this expansion to its C-Suite?
First, it’s worth noting that the rise of the Chief Market Officer is a relatively new phenomenon, much like Chief Experience Office, Chief Revenue Officer, and Chief Growth Office. In a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kimberlywhitler/2020/06/06/a-new-c-suite-role-the-chief-market-officer/?sh=7325514b6d9c">2020 Forbes article</a>, Christine Heckart – then the CEO of Scalyr – noted that “heads of marketing must, first and foremost, be chief MARKET officers, not marketing.”
Jennifer reflected on my question but started with a caveat: “Each CMO position is unique, and it's based on where the company is, and what the board and the CEO feel like they need. So it's hard to compare, because companies are different. But in my experience, most of what’s required in marketing is about the execution, right? And it gets into ‘how do we get the best return on our spend? What's your CAC? What's your ROI?’”
Again, the “ING” is the key here – and for most organizations that have embraced the Chief Market Officer role, it delineates the focus on tactical marketing execution from the strategic market objectives and KPIs that drive growth.
“Now look,” she continued, “everything results in pipeline, bookings, revenue – however you want to measure it. But I think over the years, we’ve become too focused on the execution piece. When we first had our conversations, I loved that Acquia reflected what I've learned in my many CMO roles: you cannot be successful in any of your program execution if you don't understand your market.”
The relentless creep of the marketing team ecosystem also stymies this execution. To Jennifer's point, we’ve accrued a range of discretely focused areas like product marketing, communications, brand, field marketing – and most are solely concerned with execution. And as Jennifer pointed out, most of these marketing professionals have never consumed the product, nor understand what a customer does with it.
So back to the question at hand: what does it mean to be a Chief Market Officer at Acquia?
“For me, the Chief Market Officer is hyper-focused on the market and the customer and how we can really help them,” Jennifer said. “But then it spans a much bigger role across connecting different teams all for the outcome of the customer, and making sure everybody understands what we're building. Because we're not building it for us.”
What seems clear about Acquia’s decision to hire a Chief Market Officer is that it has reached a pivotal point in its growth – one that demands a deeper commitment to the market while maintaining the execution of its marketing. With Jennifer, they get the winning balance of a seasoned marketer with an analytical mind geared toward growth.
<h2>Riding the composable wave </h2>
Jennifer assumes her role at a precarious time in the digital experience industry. The term “composable” has become a bit of a hot potato as <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/top-free-headless-cms-platforms/">headless content management systems</a> align with other technologies to provide flexible, best-of-breed solutions to build their own DXPs. Organizations like the <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/the-future-is-composable-a-conversation-with-new-mach-alliance-president-casper-rasmussen/">MACH Alliance</a> have gained traction by providing a membership ecosystem of pure MACH (Microservices, APIs, Cloud Native SaaS, Headless) solutions – partially in response to “headless hybrid” platforms and all-in-one monoliths.
At the same time, enterprise DXPs have endeavored to position their offerings as more composable, taking a product-based approach powered by robust APIs. Acquia’s open source <a href="https://www.drupal.org/" target="_blank">Drupal</a> heritage already embraces tenants of the <a href="https://dri.es/the-assembled-web" target="_blank">modular assembled web</a>. So it may have a key advantage in the market mele.
I asked Jennifer what she sees as the biggest challenges for Acquia as it positions itself within this narrative.
“Composable to me, in my world, just means flexible, right?” she said. “It means I can build something that will be unique to me. But some of our customers of a certain size would be frightened off by that because they don't have the resources to build it – and they want something that is very easy to use, secure, and scalable, but gives them the solution right there.”
Jennifer also explained that utility is essential, and data is the key to everything. This applies to the broader tech stack of integrations that Acquia is building value around, from CMS to CDP. “I love our CDP,” she noted, “because it goes way further than any other marketing campaign reporting analytics tool that I've used and seen.”
Knowing she’s new to the job, I probed gingerly around the topic of <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/from-chatbots-to-contentops-how-ai-is-coming-to-your-cms-whether-you-like-it-or-not/">AI</a> – which is firing like a bullet heard 'round the DX world. While she said Acquia is pioneering more solutions on its open source roadmap, she reinforced the litmus test around value.
“How do we offer a usable AI technology that makes a difference to [customers]? What do they need to move their business, right? What do they need today, and what will it be tomorrow? And not in a way that is so futuristic that we just talk about it. We need to deliver something that brings value to them.”
<h2>Showing customers the “art of the possible”</h2>
If there’s one thing that Jennifer is resoundingly enthusiastic about, it’s community – from employees to customers to partners. In her short time at Acquia, she’s already experienced how Acquia is differentiating in the service category.
“Honestly – and I'm not just saying this – I've never been in a company where I've met so many customers and partners, and not had a complaint,” she said. “I went to my first customer and partner event in London, and I got to sit and talk to so many different people, and just hear what's important for them. Everything from a financial services company to a software company, even a university – and they actually shared what they've learned more broadly with other customers."
Quite a testament, and something that Jennifer is looking to build on. In her mind, this positive community feedback is manifesting into momentum for the company, demonstrating how they can support customers in attaining the impossible – and realizing the “art of the possible.”
“I'm excited about using our community and our customers to really tell these stories,” she expressed eagerly. “And unlike some of our bigger competitors, we can do it nimbly – and make it real, quicker.”
<h2>Building a culture of diversity and inclusion</h2>
At the recent <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/mach-two-conference-wrap-six-takeaways-from-the-composable-event-of-the-year/">MACH Two</a> event, I was inspired by the emphasis the <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-expands-advisory-board-launches-new-mach-book-resource/">MACH Alliance</a> places on diversity and inclusion as core values. Technology companies have often embraced a more progressive stance, but it’s one thing to say it – and quite another to lead by example.
As a woman who has served in multiple C-Suite positions, Jennifer continues to shatter the silicon ceiling in the DX industry. She was quick to point out the importance of “talking the talk and walking the walk,” but this has always been an important focus of her work, and she’s managed to blend her corporate responsibilities with the growth and advancement of her teams on a human level.
“At one of my jobs, I was Chief Marketing and Culture Officer, because myself and the CEO had a fundamental belief that brand is inside out,” she said. “This was an open source company, and if we couldn't build a culture of people excited about what we're doing – if we couldn't nurture a community internally – we had no hope of building it externally.”
Jennifer also talked about Acquia’s focus on its people. This includes a Day One program where Acquia plants a tree for every new employee. It's just one of the company's many commitments to ESG initiatives, personal development, and nurturing diversity across its team.
We also reflected a bit on the impact of the pandemic on the work environment, and how Acquia is preparing for its next growth phase with a distributed team across the globe. Jennifer shared how Covid put everyone on equal footing, allowing people to achieve greater balance in their personal and professional lives.
“Acquia is a fully hybrid working environment, and my team is all around the world. I love that we can work very well virtually. Don’t get me wrong – I like seeing people face-to-face, too. But I really believe that Acquia walks the walk. And because of that, people are open. We might not all agree on everything, but we just have this culture of being in it together, which is so refreshing. It really is.”
Refreshing indeed. With an “ING.”

Acquia and the Art of the Possible: Interview with Chief Market Officer Jennifer Griffin Smith

Headshot of Jennifer Griffin Smith next to the Acquia logo

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<h5>TL;DR – Recently, there was an epic but friendly debate in the Boye &amp; Company CMS Experts Slack channel about the confusion surrounding DXC as a category. We asked the three main voices in the conversation – Rasmus Skjoldan, Andrew Kumar, and Sana Remekie – to discuss their thoughts on Zoom. Matt McQueeny helped moderate the conversation.</h5>
<hr />
Of the great mysteries that scientists, philosophers, and theologians grapple with, one question is often overlooked:
What, exactly, is professional wrestling?
I’m not referring to school leagues or Olympic competitions – I’m talking about the <a href="https://www.wwe.com/" target="_blank">WWE</a> and its brand of sportstainment. And I don’t mean to be glib or insulting with any comparisons; heck, I’ve been to a live wrestling event many moons ago, and it was kinda fun (particularly the people watching). 
But really, what is it? Is this a legitimate sport replete with feats of athleticism? Or is it truly just performance art following a well-oiled script? If you ask <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hulk_Hogan" target="_blank">Hulk Hogan</a>, the iconic figurehead of the modern experience, he might say, "Well, let me tell you something, brother…" and launch into a dissertation about sport versus stage. 
As humans, we’re classically conditioned to put things in boxes so they’re easier to understand. Sometimes, that’s not so simple. This has long been the case in the software industry, where confusion often precedes clarity when new ideas takes the mat – like <a href="https://www.boye-co.com/blog/2023/1/whats-the-real-story-about-digital-experience-composition" target="_blank">Digital Experience Composition (DXC)</a>. 
A short while ago, members of <a href="https://www.boye-co.com/groups/cms-experts" target="_blank">Boye &amp; Company’s CMS Experts</a>, a peer group focused on content management, were treated to a sort of WWE-styled “Smackdown” in the community’s Slack channel. In truth, it was a friendly exchange of ideas, with no bodyslams or half-nelsons to report (those are wrestling moves, BTW).
Still, it was spirited. And for several days, this epic “Slackdown” generated significant interest from across the DXP and DXC spectrum. It all started with a simple, poignant question from <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rasmusskjoldan/" target="_blank">Rasmus Skjoldan</a>, Chief Evangelist at <a href="https://www.magnolia-cms.com/?mgcid=19746730468&amp;utm_campaign=&amp;utm_content=&amp;utm_campaign=brand-protect-jf_us_2023&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_source=google&amp;utm_content=19746730468&amp;utm_term=magnolia%20cms&amp;gad=1&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjw0ZiiBhBKEiwA4PT9z53dpcpsB0M2J-tIRhHdpnwYRHUwbjghkhAGI6_Azq8wWtHBU4ic8xoC4N0QAvD_BwE" target="_blank">Magnolia</a>, a leading DXP:
“I feel like some of the Digital Experience Composition positioning going on isn’t super helpful to customers, to be very blunt about it. What’s genuinely in it for them?”
This drew several DXC defenders to the ring, but the most vocal participants were <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewkumarxyz/" target="_blank">Andrew Kumar</a>, VP of Customer Solutions at <a href="https://uniform.dev/" target="_blank">Uniform</a>, and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sana-remekie/" target="_blank">Sana Remekie</a>, CEO of <a href="https://conscia.ai/" target="_blank">Conscia.ai</a>. It was entertaining to watch these adroit leaders wrestle with a red-hot topic, but it was incredibly informative for the fans in the stands – so much so that I partnered with <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/critics/matthew-mcqueeny/">Matt McQueeny</a> at <a href="https://konabos.com/" target="_blank">Konabos</a> to take the show on the road.
A few days later, we invited Rasmus, Sana, and Andrew to join us for an informal follow-up on Zoom to wrestle down some answers.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/04/dxc_boye_debate_debrief_720.png" alt="Zoom photo of Matt Garrepy, Matt McQueeny, Rasmus Skoldjan, Andrew Kumar, and Sana Remekie" />
<h2>In this corner… DXP</h2>
<a href="https://www.forrester.com/analyst-bio/joe-cicman/BIO14164" target="_blank">Joe Cicman</a>, an analyst at Forrester, has been on a quest to decipher the Digital Experience Platform. As he noted <a href="https://www.forrester.com/blogs/dxp-you-keep-using-that-term-i-dont-think-it-means-what-you-think-it-means/" target="_blank">in a recent blog</a>, DXP is still misunderstood from a compositional perspective. The definition can be nebulous based on whether it’s delivered by a single vendor or assembled by an enterprise – or, in some cases, both.  
I like Joe's observation in the same post: “Every day I asked myself, ‘How is it possible for one vendor to create one product that works across multiple industries and grows in scope as a company’s digital remit grows?’ After talking to the vendors, turns out … it’s not possible.”
That might be the vein Rasmus tapped: confusion is everywhere. While DXC is emerging, DXPs continue to evolve in their own space. As he pondered in Slack, would it not be better to reenergize, modernize, or even reinvent the more established DXP label and category than trying to teach customers about another new acronym?
Add this to the confusion: Magnolia was included in an early DXC report by <a href="https://www.gartner.com/analyst/56850" target="_blank">Mike Lowndes of Gartner</a> as a vendor in this emerging field. So how does this color Magnolia’s positioning?
“When I speak to our composable die-hard customers, they are much more passionate about getting projects done, getting rid of the worst legacy apps, and reaching business goals than they are in the vendor/analyst-centric views on what’s in or out of categories,” Rasmus said. “Magnolia is seen as a DXC by some – which is fine, of course. We definitely cover that space with our own twist. To me, it just feels more like a use case than a real software category.”
That might be true. But vendors and buyers still refer to those MQ reports with biblical reverence.
Gathered in our cozy Zoom room, Matt McQueeny asked Rasmus why he felt compelled to engage with the community around these opinions.
“I'm very focused on looking at all this from the customer's perspective,” he said. “Every time I see a proposal for a category change, I'm just always asking myself, 'okay, who's actually behind this and who's to benefit from it?' Even for DXP, I sometimes have question marks around whether that really helps customers. So I felt that introducing new variations would be a significant sort of – not a disruption – but more confusion. And that's what I’m quite passionately against because I want to keep the focus on what has real value for customers.”
<h2>DXC enters the ring</h2>
TLAs (three-lettered acronyms) might be the bane of our technology existence. When I was consulting at IBM GTS, we were unpacking a catchy new triptych every week from across the cybersecurity theater. Heck, even “IBM” is an acronym... it's a bit like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inception" target="_blank">Inception</a> with TLAs. 
I asked Sana Remekie about her take on this acronym acrimony – and how she perceived Rasmus’ call to quell the challenges by refocusing on the established DXP category.
“There's lots of three-letter acronyms popping up all over the place,” she said. “I think the movement towards composability and having that best-of-breed architecture is real. Customers are asking for a choice in terms of all the packaged and business capabilities that they need to build their overall architecture, and there's agreement across Gartner and Forrester on that. They may call it different things, but everybody’s starting to agree that we should give customers the ability to create and assemble their own solutions.”
So how does this momentum towards composability and DXC impact the more traditional definition of DXP – particularly as an established category? 
“Some folks are saying very clearly that a single DXP – what they call a monolithic DXP – should no longer be a thing at all,” she added. “Customers should be able to create their own DXPs by picking best-of-breed applications from across the ecosystem. With this phenomenon, we're now giving choices to the customer and power to the SIs to make those choices for the customer. Sometimes it's an IT team within the organization making those choices with, hopefully, the business in mind. And sometimes they say, ‘alright, Deloitte, Accenture, Valtech, go make that choice for me – go directly to those vendors and put together a solution that is composable.’ That happens a lot as well.”
<h2>Finding the right place to “poke the DXP bear”</h2>
As the wrestling match commenced, we turned to Andrew Kumar for more insight on what ignited the debate on Slack. He took us on a brief trip in the wayback machine to his days at <a href="https://www.telus.com/en" target="_blank">Telus</a>, where the company assembled what we now call a composable or <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/the-future-is-composable-a-conversation-with-new-mach-alliance-president-casper-rasmussen/">MACH</a> architecture. 
“There weren’t these sexy marketing terms that exist today,” he said. “But in 2016, we [already] had this concept, and we created our own internal site builder on top of Contentful – and that's now part of DXC.”
Andrew also talked about the importance of the different roles and responsibilities that DXC needs to support and the tendency to lump the audience of potential users under a generic “business user” mantle. This might be a limiting descriptor, as the pool could include a wide range of team members from marketing, content ops, merchandisers, UX designers, product managers, or even data analysts.
Clearly, there’s room to improve the positioning and messaging around the DXC terminology – to find the right TLA, so to speak. And this confusion makes sense when we’re still in the early growth phases.
“Adoption and demand are still very, very nascent, but it's starting to get viral,” he said. “Despite being so nascent, it is disrupting and really ‘poking the bear’ on the big players in DXP. It's really shaping and adding maturity to headless and MACH – and these kinds of technical terms are now growing in maturity.”
Poking the bear sounds dangerous, but that’s what market challengers do. TLAs aside, Andrew went on to say that he would not recommend a “rip and replace” from DXP to DXC, but to take incremental steps towards composable.
“There are some bridges in place,” he said. “Uniform has one that can help Sitecore and AEM customers start to make those leaps. But there’s still a place for a DXP.”
<h2>What’s old is new</h2>
By this point in the match, we had wrestled multiple messages from our participants. Without question, DXC is the shiny new object blazing trails. At the same time, DXPs are evolving their posture to remain marketable. Andrew noted, “They’re decoupling and decomposing themselves, playing ball with others and having that multi-manufacturer style where you can build with OEM parts from all over the place.”
Pivoting back to Rasmus in the DXP corner, we inquired about his response to Andrew regarding the long history of APIs connecting different platforms – and how there are even use cases of Contentful feeding into Magnolia.
“I can totally back up that it's not really anything new,” he remarked to Andrew. “Magnolia has been producing a solution that is fundamentally a composable DXP for a very long time, since 2013 or 2014. We've had clients compose platforms out of multiple best-of-breed applications they put together in a joined platform for a long time.”
While Rasmus reinforced his criticism of a new TLA being injected into the ecosystem, he did express his support for how the narrative was being projected.
“If I look at some of the stuff I felt Uniform did super well, it was just a very clean story they came out with,” he said. “I totally love that. And it felt like a really novel spin that they would be the glue between all these different applications and allow the marketer the freedom to assemble, curate, and aggregate all their content and put together experiences based on many different services. I do see really good stuff about DXC. It's just not a category – and I don't think it will become a category.”
OK, so if it’s not destined to be officially blessed, where do we go from here? As Andrew pointed out, the roadmap might rest with user behavior.
“In some enterprises, there could be 60 times more technical folks that don't write code, but they're still making meaningful contributions to digital experiences. That is a huge user base. And that's where the DXC is really going to make its mark, and really going to – and this is probably an unpopular opinion – start to take over the DXP. It's serving so many more users in a more democratic low code, no code interesting way. It's empowering to that user base.”
<h2>A DXC by any other name is a… DXCP? DXO? EDP?</h2>
While pondering the future of a DXC category, Andrew quickly pointed out one basic flaw with the acronym: <a href="https://dxc.com/us/en" target="_blank">DXC Technology</a> is the name of a well-established global agency (which happens to sponsor <a href="https://dxc.com/us/en/manutd" target="_blank">Manchester United</a>). To that end, he feels “DXCP” might be a more suitable mantle – which Uniform has already been using across its communications.
He also talked about the long shadow cast by large competitors and the importance of establishing authority as a new category. “It’s really a challenge for new players to enter [the DXP market]. There's just so much <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/adobe-experience-cloud-adds-new-headless-cms-capabilities-updates-to-commerce-integration/">Adobe</a>, <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/optimizely-partners-with-google-cloud-to-take-experimentation-to-the-next-level/">Optimizely</a>, or <a href="https://www.magnolia-cms.com/" target="_blank">Magnolia</a> dominance. They've been around for so long. There’s no space for new entrants without a large insurmountable challenge.”
Sana also shared her perspective on the DXC category conundrum, which echoed my recent conversations with other vendors under the DXC umbrella. While <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/occtoo-dives-deep-to-unify-data-and-kill-integrations-a-conversation-with-ceo-niclas-mollin/">Niclas Mollin at Occtoo</a> is positioning around the Experience Data Platform, Sana is building a beachhead for Conscia as Digital Experience Orchestration.
“Conscia's not a DXC, even though we're playing in the space,” she explained. “There's a lot of confusion, so we said, you know what? We don't want to call ourselves a DXC because that would mean that we're tied too closely to a specific front end. So we’re going to act as the central piece of the composable ecosystem, which connects all the dots from the back end to the front end and is agnostic of both – and we’re able to orchestrate API's and experiences.”
<h2>And the winner is…</h2>
Er… not clear. We’re still wrestling with the answers, and the analysts have yet to canonize anything. But if we can smell what <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwayne_Johnson" target="_blank">The Rock</a> is cookin', we might be in for more confusion as DXC continues to find its footing. 
What’s abundantly clear to us, however, is that DXC is building real momentum, and DXP continues to drive demand. With the advent of AI and other innovations, the DXP market is still predicted to grow to over <a href="https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/digital-experience-platform-market" target="_blank">$30 billion by 2030</a>. While our guests shared strong opinions about DXC's future as a category and the underlying challenges, each seemed committed to demonstrable value over category woes.
At the end of our session, Matt McQueeny noted that we ended up where we always end up: with a clear mandate to focus on the business and the customer. 
The best part of this conversation was each participant's undeniable respect and reverence for one another, despite their competitive position or conflicting ideologies. Collectively, this industry powers millions of websites, apps, and experiences. Yet, the top minds shaping its trajectory represent a tightly-knit community of shared innovation – and we had three of the best participating in this forum.
We'll give Andrew Kumar the final word: “It’s definitely a fun time to be in this space. It can be confusing, but there's a lot of innovation and disruption happening – and it's ultimately for the business and end customer's benefit.”
I can hear Hulk Hogan saying, “Amen, brother…”
<hr />
Big thanks to: 
<ul>
<li>Rasmus Skjoldan. Andrew Kumar, and Sana Remekie for participating</li>
<li>Matt McQueeny for helping to moderate, facilitate, and transcribe this session</li>
<li>Janus Boye for creating a community to host these kinds of debates</li>
</ul>

Wrestling with Category Confusion in the DXC "Slackdown"

Sometimes, the best place to begin is at the end.
Case in point: at the terminus of my conversation with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tifenndano/" target="_blank">Tifenn Dano Kwan</a>, she offered an impassioned promulgation.
“We can’t put people in boxes.”
The same could be said of Tifenn. To simply label her as a high-performing CMO in the technology industry would be boxing out the unique qualities that make her a remarkable leader and a compassionate, empathetic human.
Regarding people and how she cultivates both business and personal relationships, she further declared that “we need to be careful and open, always.”
Sage advice to be sure, but not the kind I was expecting from an interview that was primarily focused on analytics. And yet, these words seemed to crystallize our entire discussion, framing Tifenn’s disposition as a person who, at her core, is designed to give. At the same time, she creates a sort of sacred container for receiving, one that guided our conversation from beginning to end.
If there’s one truth that shone through our recent meeting, it’s that Tifenn Dano Kwan is undeniable. A brilliant maverick that exudes confidence, wisdom, and piercing energy. It’s easy to see why <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/winning-the-analytics-game-an-interview-with-adam-greco-product-evangelist-at-amplitude/">Amplitude</a>, a leading digital and product analytics platform, has chosen her to shape the company’s vision and lead it forward.
It won’t be easy. As she settles into her role as Chief Marketing Officer, Amplitude faces an uncertain market. With the specter of economic recession peering through the veil for 2023, technology companies are relying on marketing and sales to become strategic engines for growth despite shrinking budgets.
Even amid these torrid times, Tifenn seems immeasurably cool, calm, and collected. This is how she rolls – and that became evident over the course of our discussion. At the same time, Tifenn is pumped about her plans at Amplitude. We talked about what she sees as the biggest opportunities, and what makes this role different from her previous CMO gigs at <a href="https://www.collibra.com/us/en" target="_blank">Collibra</a> and <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/" target="_blank">DropBox</a>. We also discussed Amplitude’s 2022 Product Report and the nuggets of wisdom she gleaned from the research.
Finally, we got personal, talking about her advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community and her focus on diversity. It’s another example of how she leads with both mind and heart – and refuses to put people in boxes.
<h2>From digital marketer to team builder</h2>
The CMO mantle was an almost predictable zenith for Tifenn, who caught the marketing bug early in her career and never looked back. Her journey began in the early 2000s, bouncing around traditional communications and media before settling into the tech field and cutting her teeth within partner and channel organizations.
“The objectives were always revenue and AR, yet I saw everything through the lens of marketing, from campaign services to vendors,” she said. “But I really found my sweet spot in organizing teams, processes, and programs.”
Maybe that’s why people call her a fixer. As she describes it, her prowess lies with mid-sized companies in a hyper-growth stage that are struggling to scale. She effectively threads the needle and brings it all together, typically managing teams of 50 to 60 people to get there.
She’s done this successfully time and again, most recently as CMO at Collibra – a leading data intelligence platform. During her tenure, she facilitated a data-driven transformation of the company’s marketing functions, helping build a category-leading brand. Prior to this, she held the CMO role at DropBox, the eponymous storage platform, where she drove revenue growth through customer centricity.
When it comes to her unrivaled “people powers,” it’s worth noting that she has a proven track record of minting CMOs. In fact, three of her previous direct reports have become Chief Marketing Officers, two at leading global organizations. This speaks volumes about her capacity to mentor and elevate her peers to the highest levels of performance.
<h2>An inflection point for marketing</h2>
Over the decades, Tifenn has nurtured a deep passion for harnessing the power of technology and DX to help teams reach their potential. In many ways, this has become her guiding mantra. Experience has clearly been a great teacher, informing her perspective on the value of marketing teams and how they directly accelerate growth.
Peering through the Zoom screen wearing a slick blazer, she prognosticated a bit about the future – and what makes this a pivotal moment of change.
“Marketing is going through a fundamental transformation,” she said. “And it’s also a consequential one where product teams and CFOs are working better together.”
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard this. In a recent <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-roundtable-focuses-on-composability-and-innovation-as-economic-activators-in-2023/">MACH Alliance board meeting</a> I was invited to, several vendors and ISVs within the community spoke about the growing alignment between technology leaders and CFOs as they look to invest in composable strategies.   
She went on to suggest that this enhanced connectivity is an essential part of the growth roadmap, and that leadership – from CFOs to CIOs – must be coordinated actors in achieving digital transformation to bring products to market faster.
“If there’s not GTM [go to market] synchronicity, then we’re missing something,” she added. “The next level of impact is to create more collaboration.”
<h2>Aiming for growth at Amplitude</h2>
While still fresh to the helm, Tifenn’s course is clear: lead Amplitude's marketing strategy to expand its best-in-class digital analytics platform and oversee its corporate, product, and revenue marketing teams.
This comes on the heels of positive customer reviews that appear to reinforce Amplitude’s focus on customer experience. The company was ranked #1 across nine categories in the <a href="https://info.amplitude.com/Digital-Asset-G2-Report_Fall-2022-G2" target="_blank">G2 Fall 2022 Grid Report</a> – including dual achievements as the #1 Product Analytics solution for the ninth quarter in a row and the #1 Mobile App Analytics solution for the fourth quarter in a row. 
Analysts are also tracking the company’s position with favor. In a recent Wave report, <a href="https://amplitude.com/press/customer-analytics-report-q2-22" target="_blank">Forrester</a> said that Amplitude was “born a digital product analytics vendor, but in a world where digital interactions make up the lion's share of customer interactions, the vendor has embraced the pivot into customer analytics." 
Aside from the positive traction from customers and market watchers, I asked Tifenn what made her choose Amplitude as her next act.
“They're at a big stage,” she said. “They want to be a multi-billion-dollar company, and I’m helping to create the integrated marketing strategy to get us there.”
But there’s more to the story, and it came in the form of a personal epiphany: throughout her career, she had been cultivating expertise in digital marketing and executing successfully. That said, she had never been what she described as an “expert” in the products she was promoting. Given her breadth of knowledge and keen focus on data and analytics, Amplitude presented an opportunity for her to breed a deeper authority over a product she believed in – and even demo its value and impact.
“When I heard about Amplitude, I was magically connected to its processes,” she said. “The business world is becoming product-lead, and I wanted to be able to talk about this product as an expert.”
<h2>Letting products guide the customer experience</h2>
I asked Tifenn to expand on Amplitude’s evolving position as a data analytics platform, and how its focus on product and customer data is different from the ubiquitous Google Analytics. Despite being the internet’s de facto standard, Google has <a href="https://searchengineland.com/ga4-isnt-all-its-cracked-up-to-be-what-would-it-look-like-to-switch-385105" target="_blank">faced criticism</a> over its chaotic move from Universal Analytics to GA4, prompting users to search for alternative solutions.
“As marketers, we need to shift to the metrics that matter most,” she explained. “The GA problem is that marketers don’t just care about the return on AR spend – they also care about the product. We retain them as customers in the product.”
I continued probing around this notion of learning about and ultimately retaining customers in the product. Why weren’t more companies going deeper into their product experiences to activate growth?
Tifenn expanded on this, tapping her own evidence-based experience. “The sooner customers interact with a product, the sooner we can convert them,” she said. “This became very clear for me at Collibra when we launched test drives and trials. This became our #1 tactic and asset because everything happens in the product.”
There it was again: in the product. It was like an affirmation echoing across our call. As a marketer, she said people don’t want to read eBooks and reports – they want to experience something meaningful that helps inform their decision in a more tangible way.
“This is where you start understanding the self-service motion and connecting the dots.”
On the topic of product-led growth, she went on to say that it’s not just a sales motion, it’s a mindset. “We need to meet customers where they are in the product and think about the funnel and the journey [from that perspective].”
To get there, it’s clear that the marketers of the future will need to be more connected through the product experience than ever before.  
<h2>Highlights from the Amplitude 2022 Product Report</h2>
I also asked Tifenn about a recent report published by Amplitude Labs, the company’s research and thought leadership arm. Dubbed “<a href="https://amplitude.com/product-report-2022" target="_blank">The Product Report 2022,”</a> it features exclusive data about the trends, industries, strategies, and products dominating the digital landscape – including the 30 “Next Hottest Products" to watch. 
According to Tifenn, the report has garnered significant interest from the market. “Within 48 hours [of publishing the report], we had already hit our quarterly goals for leads,” she said. “There is genuine interest and thirst for this data and insights.”
There were quite a few compelling points that Amplitude uncovered in its research. For example, digital product usage increased by 16% in 2022 – a double-digit gain, but a far cry from the 54% increase the previous year. This marked deceleration is likely a post-Covid phenomenon, following two years of unprecedented digital transformation.
Among the 12 industries that Amplitude analyzed in the report, the most significant growth was in HR/staffing and educational/upskilling categories. This could be the proverbial “canary in the coalmine” – an indicator that the economic downturn may be prompting workers to enhance their skillsets or seek new opportunities.
There’s also some data codifying that the “SaaS crash” many prognosticators feared was overblown. While SaaS growth did slow in the early part of 2022, things picked up later in the year, demonstrating the resilience of many platforms. Meanwhile, the company’s survey placed a spotlight on the complicated landscape of crypto-related products, which saw a meteoric acceleration in 2021. This year reflected modest gains, but the recent <a href="https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2022-219" target="_blank">FTX fallout</a> may have a chilling effect on 2023’s outlook.
The report also featured a survey from product leaders across industries about their plans for driving growth during a recession. There are several nuggets of wisdom here that are well worth the read. 
Tifenn also shared that Amplitude’s ranking of the next hottest companies was of great interest, prompting the report to go viral. The list includes up-and-coming apps in categories like healthtech and fitness, with brands like <a href="https://www.usemotion.com/" target="_blank">Motion</a>, <a href="https://mercdev.com/portfolio/tonal" target="_blank">Tonal</a>, and <a href="https://www.gong.io/blog/mobile-app/" target="_blank">Gong</a> populating the company’s top 10 in North America.
“What the product report validates are the elements in the economy,” Tifenn said. “It shows how technology companies have a voice in what’s going on. When those companies deliver a great product, customers respond. And the ones that really bet on their product make it to the list because it meets the needs of customers.”
<h2>A champion for diversity and advocacy </h2>
As our conversation drew to a close, I asked Tifenn about her open advocacy of the LGBTQ+ community, and her work to expand diversity within the technology sector.
“I’m an advocate by design,” she said, reflecting a bit about her wife and their bi-racial marriage, and how she built her confidence on that rock. Drawing on her personal and leadership strengths, she models advocacy and diversity in the workplace without forcing it, and it's evident that Amplitude's culture is conducive to supporting those bridges. 
Originally from France, Tifenn gave me a passionate account of the social and cultural conservatism that colored her upbringing. She came out while living in Singapore, where LGBTQ+ people have <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_Singapore" target="_blank">struggled for equality</a> under a tacitly austere judicial system. In fact, prior to 2022, same-sex activities of any kind were illegal under a British colonial-era law called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Section_377A_of_the_Penal_Code_(Singapore)" target="_blank">Section 377A</a>, which has now been repealed.
In a moving personal account, Tifenn shared a story about a cousin that was fiercely opposed to gay marriage. This family member ultimately chose not to attend her wedding. Rather than hold a grudge, Tifenn held steadfast to love and compassion over the years, which later lead to a reconciliation.
“When you show people kindness, they come around,” she said.
Indeed. We can all agree the world could use more kindness right now. And more leaders like Tifenn.
While the outlook for 2023 appears increasingly unsettled, Amplitude is focusing on the right people to face the challenges ahead. Maybe that's the right play. As an organization, they seem to understand that it's not just about the technology, but the people behind it – and the people it serves. 
I’ll end where I began by repeating Tifenn’s observation: we can’t put people in boxes. Perhaps by being careful and open, just as she suggests, we can unlock the real power of people to build better products and digital experiences.
And, if we're lucky, a better world.  
 
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<h2>Join CMS Industry Leaders, Digital Agencies, and Users at CMS Kickoff 2023</h2>
January 17-18 in St. Petersburg, FL
Don't miss the only conference tailored for everyone working with content management systems, from beginners to experts! Featuring two packed days with a carefully curated mixture of talks, workshops, activities, world-class facilitators, thought provokers, speakers, and session leads. Mingle with CMS experts, system integrators, and users from around the globe at this exclusive event in beautiful St. Petersburg. 
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Unlocking the Power of Products and People: A Conversation with Amplitude’s New CMO Tifenn Dano Kwan

Composite headshot of Tifenn Dano Kwon with Amplitude logo

<a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/kontent-ai-raises-40-million-to-bring-the-power-of-ai-to-content-management/">Kontent.ai</a>, an award-winning modular content platform, shared some big news yesterday that's reinforcing its ambitious growth plans. Along with stellar additions to its executive team, the company also announced a newly minted membership in the <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/the-future-is-composable-a-conversation-with-new-mach-alliance-president-casper-rasmussen/">MACH Alliance</a> and the opening of new offices in New York City.
In addition to covering the announcements, CMS Critic had a chance to ask <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/vojtechboril/" target="_blank">Vojtech Boril</a>, the company's Vice President of Growth &amp; Marketing, a few questions about the news.
<h2>Kontent.ai prepares to enter its next phase of growth with two key hires </h2>
The senior executives joining the Kontent.ai team are <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/olga-stuck-480207/" target="_blank">Olga Stuck,</a> who will serve as COO, and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/montewilson/" target="_blank">Monte Wilson,</a> who has been named Head of GTM Strategy and Field Operation. According to the company's press release, these key executive appointments will serve Kontent.ai during a time of major growth and change, energized by a recent <a href="https://kontent.ai/blog/kontent-ai-has-raised-40-million-in-growth-capital/">$40 million growth capital</a> investment from Expedition Growth Capital.
With more than 20 years of experience in organizational development, Stuck has guided companies like Moravia IT and RWS Moravia through organic growth as well as acquisitions, scaling from 500 to 3,000 employees in 23 locations. “My mission is to help Kontent.ai scale and bring the organization to a new level while preserving our unique culture, relationships, and DEI at the center of what we do,” she said. 
Wilson's role at Kontent.ai is to fuel growth, developing innovative go-to-market plans and efficient sales and operational structures. Wilson's impressive pedigree includes successful builds, turnarounds, and rebuilds of organizations for companies like <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/sitecore-updates-experience-platform-and-experience-commerce-releases-new-sitecore-content-hub/">Sitecore</a>, <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/cms-monthly-recap-wordpress-acquires-parse-ly-siteimprove-releases-upgraded-accessibility-product-twilio-segment-releases-2021-cdp-report-and-more/">Oracle</a>, and <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/adobe-experience-cloud-adds-new-headless-cms-capabilities-updates-to-commerce-integration/">Adobe</a>.
“Martech is a highly competitive business segment, so it is vital that you have the right product, the right team of highly talented individuals, and be with the right ecosystem of partners," said Wilson. "Kontent.ai is perfectly positioned for high growth, especially since composable, headless technologies are really taking off in the market. We have unique advantages that I’m certain will allow us to quickly separate from the pack and help customers realize the potential of this new space. The talent in this team and the capabilities of the product speak for themselves, and I’m honored to be a part of the Kontent.ai team,”
<h2>Kontent.ai joins MACH Alliance to deepen cooperation with other vendors and empower large organizations  </h2>
Another critical accomplishment for Kontent.ai is achieving <a href="https://kontent.ai/blog/kontent-ai-joins-the-mach-alliance/">membership in the prestigious MACH Alliance</a>, a group of more than 70 independent technology companies advocating for open, best-of-breed technology ecosystems. MACH architecture – which stands for Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native SaaS, and Headless – empowers organizations to adapt to customers’ changing behaviors and deliver results.   
A true cloud-native service since its inception, Kontent.ai meets the Alliance’s stringent certification standards, with its membership serving as strong validation of the platform’s impact and future vision. Becoming a member of the MACH Alliance will also allow Kontent.ai to deepen technology cooperation with other MACH vendors and deliver even more value to customers.
"Joining the MACH Alliance, Kontent.ai is pleased to shine a light on our long-standing dedication to MACH technology principles," said <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bartomlo/" target="_blank">Bart Omlo</a>, CEO, Kontent.ai. "Our customers’ measurable success with our modular content platform is evidence of the transformative power of MACH, not only for engineering teams but also for global content teams.” 
<h2>Expanding Kontent.ai’s global footprint with an office in New York City </h2>
To meet increasing global demand, the company has opened another office in the U.S. to support its growing customer base on a local level. The new office – located in the iconic Chrysler Building in New York City – will serve as the main hub for all U.S. operations, enabling professionals at Kontent.ai to help US-based clients reach their ambitious goals.
According to the company's press release, the decision to choose New York City was reinforced by a successful New York-based session of the <a href="https://horizons.kontent.ai/" target="_blank">Kontent.ai Horizons conference</a> in November. The Kontent.ai team believes their presence in New York City will provide a great platform for establishing stronger and closer relationships with customers and partners. 
Kontent.ai's distributed team continues to work from multiple different locations around the globe, with offices in London, Amsterdam, Brno, Olomouc, Sydney, and previously Bedford, New Hampshire. On its mission to help people tell stories that change the world, the company is rapidly growing with new hires across engineering, sales, customer success, and other departments. 
<h2>Q&amp;A with Vojtech Boril, Vice President, Growth &amp; Marketing at Kontent.ai</h2>
Our CMS Critic editorial team had the opportunity to connect with Boril and follow up with a few questions regarding the company's recent announcements.
CMS Critic (CC): Large technology companies are announcing layoffs and adjusting expectations for 2023. With your recent investment news, Kontent.ai appears more bullish. That said, how do you see a potential recession affecting your new business strategy?
Vojtech Boril (VB): We keep a positive outlook for 2023 and plan to continue hiring across the board (for both commercial and technical roles). We can still see strong traction for Kontent.ai, and while the growth rate may slow down due to a recession (that would eventually impact every business), we're still confident that we will significantly grow year-over-year. 

CC: How will the new MACH Alliance membership help Kontent.ai better differentiate in what is becoming a more crowded space? Which vendors or categories do you see as key for growing your composable opportunities?
VB: Kontent.ai has always been focused on what we do the best: content management at scale. While the market is becoming more crowded, we strongly differentiate from other headless CMSs by providing key capabilities for business and marketing teams too, including real-time collaboration, superb content governance, or content collections. That being said, since we focus solely on content management (and do not plan to change this focus), it's critical for us to build strong relationships with other MACH vendors to provide customers with a composable DXP offering. We see the biggest partnership opportunities with vendors in areas of commerce (eg commercetools or Vue StoreFront), personalization (eg Uniform or Conscia.ai) and localization (eg Phrase or XTM Cloud).
CC: You mention an aggressive hiring strategy. Will more of the investment be made in specific regions like the new NA/NYC office?
VB: We're building and scaling Kontent.ai as a global, remote-first organization with office hubs in some critical locations. While our office in New York City is our main hub for North America, we're hiring across the entire US without any specified location requirement, as we aim to bring on the right talent. Over the next few years, we expect significant growth in NA, which is why the location is a focus for us from a hiring perspective, but we're also hiring in Europe (most significantly in the Netherlands, UK and the Czech Republic).
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<h2>Meet Bart and Vojtech at CMS Kickoff 2023</h2>
January 17-18 in St. Petersburg, FL
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Register today at the <a href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff23/program" target="_blank">CMS Kickoff 2023 website</a>. 
<h2>About Kontent.ai</h2>
Kontent.ai is a leading modular content platform that enables marketers and developers to plan, create, and deliver content at scale. Business teams collaborate daily in the intuitive authoring experience designed for governed content production and management, real-time reviewing and approvals, and modular content reuse. In parallel, developers leverage the total flexibility of the headless solution, best-of-breed technologies, and composable AI to deliver digital experiences via API to any channel. With hubs in New York, London, Amsterdam, Brno, and Sydney, Kontent.ai helps companies like Zurich Insurance, Algolia, Vogue, AC Milan, and Oxford University unlock the full potential of their content and connect with customers worldwide.

Kontent.ai Adds Key Executives, Joins MACH Alliance and Opens NYC Office: Q&A with Vojtech Boril

cms-critic-staff

Kontent.ai logo against a black background

If you’ve ever used <a href="https://developer.chrome.com/docs/lighthouse/overview/" target="_blank">Google Lighthouse</a> (or a similar tool), you’ve probably experienced that sobering moment when the results surface… and you realize your website is slow.
Or, at the very least, slower than you thought.
Website performance testing is an elemental function. It’s core to delivering and maintaining a positive user experience for any business or organization. And speed is just one dimension: brands need to be concerned about quality, accessibility, and a host of other variables that impact UX.
Of course, the most important part of any website testing regimen is what you do with the results to optimize and improve – so future tests look better. 
As it turns out, your specific industry might reveal a lot about your sensitivity to customer needs relative to your website performance. That’s what the team at <a href="https://www.contensis.com/" target="_blank">Contensis</a>, an enterprise content management system, discovered in its recent analysis of all FTSE 100 and 250 homepages.
Contensis <a href="https://www.contensis.com/community/blog/ftse-website-performance" target="_blank">published its research</a> in the beginning of August, but we finally got a chance to sit down with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-chivers-34a36b11/" target="_blank">Richard Chivers</a>, the key man behind the platform, to talk about the report's goals and what Contensis has been doing to help organizations build better-performing websites.
<h2>A legacy of CMS innovation </h2>
One might say that Rich Chivers is Contensis. During his 23 -year tenure at <a href="https://www.zengenti.com/" target="_blank">Zengenti</a>, the parent company of the CMS platform, he has served as head of development, CTO, and now CEO. Within that stretch, Chivers helped grow Contensis within the UK market where the company is based, with international customers in regions like Canada and Italy.
In his current role, Chivers is helping to guide the strategic direction of the core Contensis product as it enters its next chapter. “Seeing the rise of <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/top-free-headless-cms-platforms/">headless</a>, it’s massive,” he said. That’s underscored by the platform’s hybrid capabilities to serve both traditional and headless roles in an omnichannel strategy. The platform's focus on easy-to-use CMS features like content modeling with fast, adaptable, and reusable content types have put wind in its sails, allowing it to compete head-to-head with other modern platforms designed for content operations. 
We also discussed the nature of being composable as a modern digital experience tool. “The composable way of thinking is how we’ve been since the beginning,” he said. “Contensis has always tried to provide the basics to keep things simple. For 90% of cases, that works. But if they want something specialized, we recommend other resources to integrate with.”
Since 2001, Zengenti has been “crafting and refining” Contensis, providing a stream of improvements. Now, the Zengenti practice seems focused on providing expanded services that include hosting, design, UX, project management, and other web-related disciplines. They have a team of 30 people dedicated to custom development and implementation, and 40% of their customers choose Contensis for these optional services.
“We have agency partners, and we provide training and resources,” said Chivers. “We try to remain agnostic and let the customer design it [the project] how they want to.”
<h2>Big players, slow webpages: unpacking the FTSE 100 and 250 research</h2>
According to Chivers, Contensis has always focused on higher education, where accessibility is an essential baseline requirement. As he noted, they “know the space” and were building with accessibility in mind before much of the web and digital experience industry.
When asked about the research and what prompted it, Chivers said that they saw an opportunity to focus on a larger portion of the market and reveal what was happening around readability and content governance. This led to the testing engagement – which was quite revealing.
When a second can mean the difference between a buy and a bounce, it’s fair to say that performance measurement has become critical for every online business. But as Contensis discovered in the study, it’s companies in the media and publishing industry that are optimizing for success. Contensis provided a table of industry sectors and their respective Lighthouse scores, which illustrates how sectors like retail and travel – businesses that rely heavily on digital performance – are lagging. Interestingly, areas like manufacturing and logistics are doing very well, perhaps for a myriad of reasons such as fewer digital commerce requirements. 
Contensis used three dimensions of Google Lighthouse measurements – performance, accessibility, and homepage speed – to develop its scoring rubric. Chivers noted that the biggest eye-opener was around accessibility and the disparity between categories like travel and hospitality. With 22 percent of UK citizens living with some manner of disability, Chivers noted that improving accessibility would be a “win-win for the sector and their customers.”
<h2>Increased competition and economic challenges</h2>
As CMS becomes an increasingly commoditized layer of the digital stack, legacy platforms must find new ways to enhance their features while energizing their user base. As Chivers noted, much has changed across the CMS landscape in the last decade, particularly with how organizations select platforms.
“Everyone was handing the problem of a website to a monolith provider,” he said. “That’s how we used to be ten years ago. Where we [Contensis] sit today is that we offer a completely headless CMS with everything you would expect from the content side – and more.” This includes APIs, a deployment platform, hosting, and even the freedom for developers to build in any language they prefer.
“With Contensis, you have one house under which all things sit,” said Chivers. “You don’t have to have a big DevOps team to create CI flows – like a large organization using AWS and other tools that need three or four people just to deliver.”
As the enterprise software market faces the growing specter of a global economic recession, we asked Chivers how Contensis and the CMS category might be challenged by the headwinds. He took it in stride, noting that he successfully navigated his company through the previous recession and they're buoyed by customers in the public sector, including local government and higher education. These organizations, he noted, tend to "tighten procurement" versus eliminating it.
Despite the economic realities, Chivers says that Zengenti and Contensis are in a “position that many would love to have” with long-standing customers that continue to stay and evolve with the platform. The company is stable, self-funded, and currently not reliant on VC investment.
“[Our customers] have no reason to jump because we’re always ahead of where they want to be,” he said.
<h2>What’s ahead for Contensis?</h2>
We asked Chivers about any new product features on the Contensis roadmap that readers would be interested in learning about, and he immediately mentioned two things: first, some new advancements to the platform's blocks functionality, which should start releasing in the next month or two. The other is a new concept that will enable developers and site owners to release code and features faster – and roll back in a split second. Chivers described it as a more “agile-esque” approach that will impact coders while infusing more low-code capabilities. 
The gauntlet of personalization came up (as it always does), and Chivers said that it’s critical but needs to give customers the insight to see what users are doing on a site. This in turn provides more actionable information about what needs to be personalized. He also noted that personalization can be a struggle for organizations using multiple platforms, even if there are clear benefits.
“If we look at what everyone is trying to do with [personalization] right now, like Contentful and others that have been marketed heavily, there’s a place where composable solutions make sense – and others where they don’t.”
As Contensis looks ahead into the unknown of 2023, they have the unique advantage of hindsight. With over two decades of constant innovation and dedicated leadership, it’s no wonder their community of customers remains loyal and stalwart. It’s a rare position built on relationships – and one that continues to serve them well under Chiver’s leadership.
<h2>About Contensis</h2>
Contensis provides a single place to create, maintain and deliver your content. Its content modeling, authoring, and governance features help your teams to create and keep on top of well-structured content. A flexible set of APIs makes it easy to use your content in any way you like. Learn more at <a href="https://www.contensis.com/" target="_blank">https://www.contensis.com/ </a>

Contensis CMS Looks Ahead with Headless, Focuses on Performance: Interview with CEO Richard Chivers

Image of the Contensis logo icon - a hexagon with a leaf in the center in aqua - next to an orange hexagon with the headshot of Richard Chivers in a monochromatic tone.

In physics, the word "amplitude" is defined as the maximum extent of a vibration or oscillation measured from the position of equilibrium.
OK. Unless you're a math nut, that might sound a little heady. But factor out the quantum mechanics and "amplitude" is really just a means of analyzing the range of quality for a process or phenomenon. 
In that sense, it's as relatable to measuring points on a wave as it is to tracking digital interactions. 
When <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamgreco/" target="_blank">Adam Greco</a> joined <a href="https://amplitude.com/" target="_blank">Amplitude</a> as a Product Evangelist in 2020, he saw a wave of displacement across the digital analytics industry – a seismic shift from a marketing to a product mindset, all in pursuit of broader customer analytics. He describes this moment as a new "digital divide" that centers around a much larger question: where exactly should digital analytics live in an organization?
I had a chance to chat with Adam just before Amplitude – a leading analytics and digital optimization platform – announced that it was named a "Strong Performer" in the Q2 <a href="https://amplitude.com/press/customer-analytics-report-q2-22" target="_blank">Forrester Wave report</a> for Customer Analytics Technologies. The timing was apropos as the company has wind in its sails. 
Adam might well be a quantum physicist in the field of digital analytics. For over two decades, he's advised hundreds of organizations on the practice of analytics and authored over 300 blogs and one "definitive" book on Adobe Analytics. He is often a featured speaker at industry events and has served on the board of the Digital Analytics Association. 
"I've been through more than anyone on planet." That's how Adam described his 25 years in the Adobe Analytics world – which included the early days of <a href="https://molzana.com/blog/adobe-analytics-a-decade-after-acquiring-omniture/" target="_blank">Omniture</a>. As Adobe's undisputed reign over the digital experience space expanded, he consulted around the AEM product and continued to roadmap the critical role of analytics.  
What's interesting about Adam is how he grounds a complex narrative with simplicity. In a <a href="https://amplitude.com/blog/adam-greco-joins-amplitude?utm_source=linkedin_organic&amp;utm_medium=Social&amp;utm_campaign=adam-greco" target="_blank">blog post</a> from late last year, he conjured Ted Lasso as a muse for his analytics journey, adding humorous anecdotes to help shape his story. In that sense, he's as much a physicist as a coach, which made for a great conversation around the convergence of digital analytics – and how Amplitude is helping to drive what's next. 
<h2>The Evolution of CDP and the Value of Data</h2>
Industry veterans always bring the gift of wisdom to technology organizations. Not to "age" Adam, but his two decades of work across the analytics landscape has provided him with unrivaled knowledge. To that end, he has some strong views on the role of customer data – and how organizations have had a traditionally siloed approach to managing and analyzing it. 
"We're really bringing disparate technologies together," he said. "CDP, analytics, personalization – all converging to build better customer experiences. As we moved from web to mobile to marketing, CDP, in particular, has been 'ungirding' all of this."
As Adam pointed out, many customers are using CDP just to collect data and then send it to analytics platforms. Part of his goal is to help move more organizations directly into Amplitude so they're not paying twice for their data – what he affectionately calls the "CDP Tax."
"CDPs should be more insights and analytics-driven, capable of looking at problems in experiences," Adam said. "Every vendor will need a CDP of some kind because they want to collect data from every touchpoint: mobile apps, OTT, web, etc. Pulling it all together and creating action is key."
What's clear to Adam is the critical role of analytics in the advancing data morass. He predicts that in five years, CDP will be unified with analytics and personalization, providing more of the actionable insight that organizations demand.
<h2>Expanding the Role of Customer Analytics</h2>
While still relatively fresh to his role at Amplitude, Adam's history and perspective have been key to shaping what's next for the field of analytics. He noted that companies are more interested than ever in using data to improve digital product experiences and understand customer behavior – and that product analytics, as a category, have been enabling product teams to be nimbler and more responsive.
According to Adam, Amplitude has had a head start in the analytics game because of its customer focus. He says that one of the biggest complaints is that organizations are having to use five or six different vendors to get what they need – from using <a href="https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/provision/#/provision" target="_blank">Google Analytics</a> on their website, Amplitude for the mobile apps, and <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/optimizely-partners-with-google-cloud-to-take-experimentation-to-the-next-level/" target="_blank">Optimizely</a> for testing. 
"That's a lot of tech," he said. "How do you build an audience with so much data going back and forth?"
<h2>Analytics in the Age of the App</h2>
Another factor that's weighing on Adam is the complexity of digital experiences and how apps are becoming the norm. The example he gave to me was of dropping your child off at college and realizing that they need three different apps to navigate schedules, calendars, transportation, and more. No websites – just apps. This shift can be generally positive for the user experience, but it's also creating challenges for tracking data.
"Google Analytics just isn't cutting it anymore," Adam said. "We're beyond websites. And websites aren't static anymore." He sees how even smart TVs, IoT, and other endpoints are displacing websites and how the younger generation seems to prefer apps over websites. He believes this trend may challenge legacy marketing products that track sessions and attribution. This includes the dependency on legacy vanity metrics like total users, downloads, and website visits – which are no longer enough to provide insights into the complete customer journey. 
Conflating all of this is the expectation that technologies will "just work." Companies are demanding advanced, out-of-the-box customer analytics and democratized access to data insights. As digital analytics markets converge, Amplitude is delivering a real-time, all-in-one analytics solution that equips companies with critical customer insights around all experience layers, including apps. 
<h2>Privacy and Legislation</h2>
One big thing Adam emphasized was the "earthquake" of change in customer data privacy. While <a href="https://gdpr-info.eu/" target="_blank">GDPR</a> and <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/privacy/ccpa" target="_blank">CCPA</a> have been codified, he said the legislation landscape is rapidly evolving, and business policies are shifting in lockstep. Case in point: Google, which continues to throw wrenches in the works.
"With Universal Analytics sunsetting and being replaced by <a href="https://www.solodev.com/blog/digital-marketing/how-to-make-the-leap-from-universal-analytics-to-google-analytics-4.stml" target="_blank">Google Analytics 4</a>, [Google] realized they were in the wrong field," he said. "Companies are upset." This is creating an opportunity for Amplitude as the market winds shift and organizations look to address new policies and requirements as it relates to their analytics data.
<h2>The Shift from Marketing Teams to Product Teams</h2>
Part of what's driving Amplitude's strategy is the notable shift of marketing professionals to the product side of organizations. As CMOs come to grips with expanding endpoints of user interactions, Adam said that marketing leaders are realizing they need more emphasis on product analytics than ever before. With Amplitude, these professionals are now getting a suite of marketing analytics and data management tools in one place, reflecting the convergence around measuring and delivering customer value at scale. 
As product teams become nimbler, arming them with more insight is essential. Amplitude's efforts to close the "data-to-insights-to-action" loop has been a core attribute, enabling users to test with continuous experience optimization. Amplitude's <a href="https://amplitude.com/digital-optimization-system" target="_blank">Digital Optimization System</a> is what enables these capabilities, providing both technical and non-technical product teams to tap behavioral insights to improve CX with greater speed and efficacy. 
<h2>A Thriving Community of Analytics Fans</h2>
Community is essential to the success of any company, particularly in technology. When a user event or conference materializes, it's a throat-clearing signal that a brand has achieved visibility and loyalty within its markets of interest. To that end, I asked Adam about the recent <a href="https://amplitude.com/amplify" target="_blank">Amplify Conference</a> that was held in Las Vegas this past May. 
"We were all a little nervous given the pandemic," he said. "We had about 1,500 people in person and many more online, but I could see that people were just excited to be with other people again."
Adam said that Amplify is a little different from other conferences in that it leans on expertise from across the analytics field. Even if attendees don't use Amplitude, he feels that the real value is creating access to analytics leaders and providing more relevant, "snackable" content through a wide range of sessions. 
Outside the conference, Adam said that the Amplitude community has always been connected through their love for the platform. "We're the coolest company for product people that no has heard of before. People who use us are passionate [about our platform]. We've even launched programs like Amplitude Academy that don't just focus on products, but highlight how our users are successful."
<h2>What's Next?</h2>
Adam's channeling of Ted Lasso seems apropos, as he's very adept at his "coaching role" as an evangelist. He's excited about the direction of the company and his continued efforts to learn, reflect, and share his knowledge as an analytics expert – and a fierce customer advocate. 
"I'm listening to a lot of sales calls and meeting with customers, trying to find common problems," he said. That sounds a lot like Coach Lasso: a leader that's truly empathizing with his players and working to understand the root problems. 
As for Amplitude, the company appears on a roll as it drives the shift to even broader customer analytics. According to the aforementioned <a href="https://amplitude.com/press/customer-analytics-report-q2-22" target="_blank">Forrester Wave</a>, "Amplitude was born a digital product analytics vendor, but in a world where digital interactions make up the lion's share of customer interactions, the vendor has embraced the pivot into customer analytics." 
As Ted Lasso once said, "you could fill two internets with what I don't know about football." The same might be said for many marketers and digital leaders as they face the growing complexity of customer data. But with Adam evangelizing Amplitude's innovation, they might have the right team to help businesses win the analytics game.

Winning the Analytics Game: An Interview with Adam Greco, Product Evangelist at Amplitude

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