Embedding operates at three distinct levels, each representing an order of magnitude increase in switching costs and organizational dependency.
Level 1: Data Dependency (6-12 months to switch)
Other systems read your data as their source of truth. You become the canonical record.
Level 2: Workflow Integration (18-36 months to switch)
Processes cannot complete without passing through your system. You become a mandatory checkpoint.
Level 3: Identity Layer (Indeterminate — often irreversible)
You define what entities ARE across the organization. You become the ontology.
The Critical Insight:
At Level 3, switching isn’t migration — it’s philosophical reconstruction. What does “customer” mean in the new system? Organizations discover they don’t actually know what their core concepts mean independent of the system that defined them.
Gennaro is the creator of FourWeekMBA, which reached about four million business people, comprising C-level executives, investors, analysts, product managers, and aspiring digital entrepreneurs in 2022 alone | He is also Director of Sales for a high-tech scaleup in the AI Industry | In 2012, Gennaro earned an International MBA with emphasis on Corporate Finance and Business Strategy.
