Process Debt

🎣 SaaS-Fished: When the Demo is a Mirage


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We’ve all been there—drawn in by a sleek SaaS website, hypnotized by animated walkthroughs, and convinced this tool will finally solve our team’s biggest pain points. But behind the glossy UI and clever branding? A clunky mess that no one wants to use.

You just got SaaS-fished.

It’s the business version of catfishing:

  • The video showed elegant workflows.
  • The reps promised seamless integrations.
  • Your team expected a miracle.

And what did you get? 💸 A tool that doesn’t fit the use case 🤯 A confused, overburdened team 🚫 Zero adoption and sunk cost

🚩 Common Red Flags You’re Being SaaS-Fished:

  • “Low-code / no-code / some-code” buzzwords
  • Beautiful mockups that don’t match reality
  • It promises to solve everyone’s problem
  • Add-ons that double the total cost
  • Integrations that should work—but don’t

đź’ˇ Prevention Checklist:

  • Sandbox it. Never trust the happy-path demo.
  • Get real users. Not just execs or IT buyers.
  • Proof of concept. Spend some money to test before scaling.
  • Process first. Don’t fix a tool problem when you have a workflow problem.
  • Watch integration scope. APIs ≠ automation.

Let’s stop believing every tool will magically solve process debt.

The grass isn’t greener—it’s just better marketed. 🌱

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Process DebtBy Chris Terrell