Traditional, project-based approaches may be holding you back. As digital transformation reshapes organizations, the real value lies in seeing technology as a product—one that evolves over time—rather than ending at project completion. This shift to a continuous, product-focused mindset fosters adaptability, allowing organizations to meet changing demands while maximizing long-term value. In this article, we explore how rethinking your tech stack as a product, not a project, can create a resilient, future-ready foundation for ongoing innovation.
Hindering Digital Transformation: The Problem with Projects
Traditionally, most organizations have approached “digital transformation” as a series of projects, each with a defined scope, timeline, and set of deliverables. True digital transformation goes beyond merely updating systems to make tasks faster and more efficient. It’s about innovating new ways of doing things, supported by technology, but reaching much further. This shift in thinking is fundamental to becoming a digitally mature organization and it requires continuous innovation, not one-off projects.
In this new landscape, the “project” model—with a set “start” and “finish” line—can hinder progress. Projects focus on immediate needs and often fall short of maximizing the long-term value of a tech stack. The end-date of the project is inherently problematic; inevitably there will be room for growth and improvement. By contrast, a product model views digital transformation as an ongoing journey.
The Cycle of Innovation
A product-based approach centres on continuously iterating: designing, prototyping, piloting, and refining systems to meet evolving goals. It’s working together, over time, not to build your tech stack, but to finesse it. Instead of a start, process, finish, it’s a cycle of learning. And it’s necessarily iterative because the process of transformation is impacting not just tech, but reaching into people, process, culture, and strategy. True digital transformation takes time to get right, with a lot of learning along the way.
Embracing the Tech Stack as a Product, Not a Project
With traditional projects, organizations often aim to “get it right the first time,” but this mindset doesn’t fit the evolving nature of technology and digital transformation. Viewing a tech stack as a product rather than a project means accepting that systems will never be “finished.” Instead, we’re focused on wayfinding: setting an initial course but continually adjusting as needs and technologies change.
Much like building a house on a service lot, a modern tech stack offers a foundation with endless possibilities for customization and growth. Initially, you may need just a few rooms and basic plumbing, but as your organization grows, you’ll want the flexibility to add rooms or finish the basement without starting from scratch. By building with a product mindset, your organization can adapt and innovate based on current demands and long-term needs.
What This Means for Consulting Partners
This shift from project-based approach to technology to product-centered partnership affects consulting partners as well. In a project model, consultants typically deliver a solution, hand it off, and move on. In contrast, as partners building a product, consultants work collaboratively with organizations over time, focusing on:
- Strategic Adaptation: Rather than delivering a “one-size-fits-all” solution, consultants become partners in building and iterating tech stacks that adapt to evolving needs.
- Ongoing Support and Expertise: Instead of walking away at project completion, consultants offer ongoing advice, support, and guidance to help the organization grow and innovate.
- Skill Building and Knowledge Transfer: By working closely with internal teams, consultants help build the organization’s capacity to manage and innovate within its tech stack independently, while the organization rightly takes leadership of its transformation efforts.
- Results Tracking and Feedback Integration: In this model, consulting partners focus on iterative development, incorporating feedback to improve outcomes and align the tech stack with organizational goals over time.
The Continuous Innovation Mindset in Action
Organizations embracing a continuous innovation model build in flexibility and responsiveness to change. It’s building new muscles for digital integration. Here’s how it looks in practice:
Example 1: Data-Driven, Iterative Growth
To develop digital maturity, this enterprise nonprofit started by building a constituent-facing tech stack on Salesforce, then progressively added a data warehouse, advanced AI capabilities for predictive modelling, and a digital portal. Guided by an internal product team dedicated to continuous iteration, they created a tech ecosystem that enables robust data-driven marketing, automated donor support, and a self-service model. Their returns have been evident in stronger marketing ROI and user satisfaction.
Example 2: Lessons in Adaptation
Another organization initially worked with a large consulting firm to implement Salesforce in a traditional project format. Once the project concluded, they realized the platform wasn’t delivering the value they expected—it was just an MVP (minimum viable product)—and the end of the “project” really represented only the beginning of their journey! So they retrofitted their approach, by establishing a digital product team that worked iteratively, moving toward a model of continuous improvement, which set the organization on a course to recovery, but at a cost to both time and internal trust after missing expectations on a project that wasn’t set up to deliver what was promised.
Example 3: Embedded Innovation with CARB-X
CARB-X, which funds biomedical research, takes a unique approach by treating every funding round as a chance to learn. They gather feedback from internal users and applicants, make technical adjustments, and improve processes. With each cycle, they integrate new enhancements, seamlessly blending their management process with iterative product development.
All of these organizations have adopted a product mindset, building their tech stack to serve their needs and iterating it over time. They are never out of date because they are always taking steps forward, with their tech in lock step.
The Shift to Product Thinking: Key Benefits
Adopting a product-focused approach empowers organizations to achieve sustainable growth and flexibility with their tech stack, fostering some important benefits:
- Long-Term Value Creation: Continuous innovation allows for incremental improvements that yield more value over time.
- Budgeting and Cost Control: With an iterative approach, organizations can better anticipate costs and plan long-term budgets for sustained growth.
- Enhanced Collaboration: A product mindset encourages ongoing collaboration between consultants and internal teams, ensuring that the tech stack evolves in alignment with the organization’s goals.
The Digital Transformation Journey: Designing for the Future
Digital transformation is not simply about adopting new technology to accomplish “old processes” faster; it’s about rethinking your organization’s approach to its work. A digital ecosystem that grows with the organization fosters a culture of experimentation and flexibility, where tools are refined over time rather than set in stone.
By moving to a product mindset, nonprofits can harness the power of emerging technologies like AI while remaining responsive to new challenges. Instead of launching isolated projects, we focus on building adaptable systems that make room for growth, discovery, and resilience.
In short, you don’t need another project—you need a partner for the journey of ongoing innovation as you experience digital transformation.
Ready to start your journey? Let’s talk about where continuous innovation can take you.