Vendors typically migrate through embedding zones predictably. Understanding this pattern helps you anticipate where you—or your vendors—are headed.
The Five Phases
Phase 1: Too Cold (Startup)
- Fighting to get adopted
- No integration leverage
- Competing on features and price
- Goal: Survive to Phase 2
Phase 2: Approaching Goldilocks (Growth)
- Integrations accumulate
- Cross-functional adoption begins
- Switching costs emerge
- Race: Reach Goldilocks before being commoditized
Phase 3: Goldilocks Zone (Mature Leader)
- Embedded enough to be safe
- Creating enough value to be welcomed
- High retention AND high NPS
- Challenge: Stay here
Phase 4: Drifting Too Hot (Extraction)
- Quarterly pressure increases
- Price increases outpace value creation
- Customer resentment builds
- Danger: Often invisible to leadership until revolt begins
Phase 5: Fork in Road (Correction or Collapse)
- Some vendors course-correct back to Goldilocks
- Others trigger the replacement projects they thought were impossible
- Market reshuffles, new players emerge
The Strategic Insight
Most enterprise software failures happen at Phase 4—companies that achieved Goldilocks positioning but couldn’t maintain it.
The goal isn’t to reach Goldilocks. It’s to stay there.
This is part of a comprehensive analysis. Read the full analysis on The Business Engineer.
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