Week 3 of 2026: Where do we Grow From Here
Week 3 of 2026 - Where do we Grow From Here
Marketing and design software and hardware changes keep me on my toes — new MarTech appears constantly, job requirements shift, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.
Staying stuck in old workflows could look like trying to produce professional graphics and wireframe websites in PowerPoint. I once used only Open Source software to prove to myself that I could produce the same quality work. It only took me twice as long and needed many work arounds. Those tools can work — sometimes impressively — but new purpose-built software exists to solve many tasks faster and with better outcomes. I’m hooked on Adobe Creative Cloud these days. In marketing, I get a steady stream of product emails and demo invites. Every week it seems MarTech shifts. What should we learn? What should we adopt? Which tools provide real optimization and the best ROI? The options are a sea of decisions.
A practical mindset: results, not novelty I approach tool choice the way I do my music production: use what reliably delivers the best results in a reasonable amount of time. I remain open to demos and new products, but I don’t chase every shiny thing. The goal is measurable improvement — not tool accumulation.
Quick evaluation checklist
- Start with the problem: what exact inefficiency are you solving?
- Measure the baseline: time, cost, conversions, etc.
- Run a short demo and a small proof-of-concept.
- Check integration, onboarding time, and total cost.
- Favor tools that solve multiple problems and have stable support.
- Scale only if ROI is clear; abandon otherwise.
Where to adopt: automation, collaboration/handoff tools, and analytics that change decisions. Be cautious of added complexity, vendor lock-in, or duplicate tools.
Bottom line: stay curious but disciplined—test small, measure impact, and grow only what demonstrably improves outcomes.
