In my role Abletech I've spent the last few months preparing software proposals, RFIs and RFPs and I'm left feeling reflective about the state of the software market. My overwhelming urge is to do the rounds of offices of tech purchasers giving out hugs.
Who hurt you?!
Software development has matured dramatically over the years. We've embraced agile methodologies, experimented with lean thinking from manufacturing, dabbled in Kanban, and even birthed entire disciplines like product development. We’ve seen firsthand the dangers of rigid, sequential "waterfall" models, and while we haven’t solved every challenge in software development, we’ve made extraordinary progress. Productivity has soared, time to market has shortened, and we’ve become much better at building products that actually fit the needs of the market, all while embracing the rapid feedback loops that are crucial for success today.
Yet, despite all of these advances, procurement seems to be stuck in a different era. We’re still seeing multimillion-dollar contracts tied up in exhaustive requirements documents, where every feature and interaction is meticulously defined upfront—as if locking everything down early will somehow eliminate the risk.
It doesn’t.
It just shifts the risk to later stages, when adapting to real-world changes becomes exponentially harder and costlier. Incremental delivery—the very thing that has transformed the rest of the industry—is somehow still out of reach for these large, structured organisations.
And so, I offer this apology. I’m sorry my industry has led us here.
For years, we—the software industry—have worked to deliver systems exactly to spec. We’ve played the game of exhaustive requirements gathering, painted a picture of the future that was, frankly, based on nothing more than educated guesses. The truth is, we didn't know what the system would truly need to do any more than you did. But we soldiered on, delivering software that met all the requirements...while often missing the point.
The world has changed. It’s no longer enough to deliver a system that simply matches what was written down months or years ago. Why? Because by the time we get there, the world—and your organisation—has evolved. Markets shift, technologies advance, and user needs transform. Working software delivered quickly, and that can be adapted quickly, is far more valuable than a solution that ticks every box on a static spec sheet.
This is why I’m here, with open arms, inviting us to move forward together.
Imagine a procurement process focused on outcomes, not a rigid list of requirements. Imagine starting small—delivering incrementally, reducing the risk for both sides. Each small delivery is a chance to learn, to adjust, to refine. The goal isn’t to create a product that was once envisioned; it’s to build a product that works in today’s world and for tomorrow’s challenges.
The measure of quality should no longer be "built to spec" but "cheap to change." Software that is adaptable, flexible, and ready to evolve is the hallmark of successful projects in this rapidly changing world. When we embrace incremental delivery, we enable continuous discovery. We create space for innovation. And we reduce the enormous waste that comes from managing risk by locking down every detail too early in the process.
So, let's rethink this approach together. Yes, we’ve modelled it poorly in the past, but we’ve learned. Now, it’s time for private businesses, startups, government departments, universities, councils—everyone involved in procurement—to join us in a new journey. A journey where we focus on outcomes, on delivering value incrementally, and on embracing the fact that in today’s world, the only constant is change.
Let’s write a new chapter—one that allows us to work together to build not just what was asked for, but what is truly needed. Are you up for it?
