Clarify Tech Infrastructure Requirements

Inventory your systems across teams and functions. Choose tools that reduce friction and integrate well. Assign ownership, eliminate duplication, and ensure your stack supports both growth and visibility.

Why it's Matters

Your tech stack is the backbone of execution. Without a clear view of what’s needed, startups accumulate tech debt, slow down teams, and create friction in workflows. Choosing tools reactively instead of strategically leads to duplication, integration issues, and hidden costs. A well-aligned tech foundation supports scale, speed, and alignment across teams.

What You Need to Do

Identify core tools and systems needed to support operations and growth
Map tech requirements to your business model and GTM motion
Prioritize integration, scalability, and clarity over shiny features
Document ownership, usage, and gaps

How to Approach It

Audit your current tech stack:

What tools are used in each function (e.g., Product, Sales, CS, Ops)?
Where are there overlaps, underused tools, or poor integrations?

Define your critical system categories:

Product & Development (e.g., GitHub, Linear, feature flags)
Marketing (e.g., HubSpot, Webflow, attribution tools)
Sales & CRM (e.g., Salesforce, Pipedrive)
Customer Success & Support (e.g., Intercom, Zendesk)
Ops & Finance (e.g., billing, HRIS, Notion, Slack)

Prioritize based on enablement, not noise:

What systems create real leverage or unblock the team?
What’s core vs. nice-to-have?

Plan for future complexity:

What needs to scale in 6-12 months?
What integrations are must-haves as you grow?

Assign ownership for tools and systems:

Who administers?
Who decides on renewal or switching?
Who ensures people actually use the tool?

Deliverables

Tech stack inventory with owners
Prioritized list of core systems
Tool evaluation matrix (fit, cost, usage, risk)
System integration map (how tools connect)

How to Tell if You Got It Right

Everyone knows what tools to use and why
Your systems scale with headcount and complexity
Fewer manual workarounds or duplicated workflows
Leadership has visibility across key processes

What to Watch Out For

Siloed tool decisions made by individual teams
Poor onboarding and underutilized software
No integration across GTM stack (e.g., CRM ↔ marketing ↔ product)
Overengineering or tool-hopping