The Reality of Client-Led Development
I’m reminded of a quote from A Scandal in Bohemia, one of the classic Sherlock Holmes stories:"It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."The same holds true in platform development. When organizations engage only a narrow segment of clients, they risk shaping products around internal assumptions or strategic biases. In doing so, they sideline the full spectrum of user needs.
Genuine client-led development is not about surface-level gestures. It is not about hand-picked advisory boards composed of high-revenue clients. It is not about hosting roundtables that serve more as public relations efforts than genuine listening exercises. And it is certainly not about collecting feedback simply to check a box or defend decisions that were already made behind closed doors.
Selective engagement of this kind introduces significant risks. When only the most financially significant or agreeable stakeholders are given a seat at the table, feedback becomes filtered and incomplete. This approach often leads to products that serve a narrow segment of the community, reinforcing inequities and stifling innovation. Over time, this erodes trust and causes clients to disengage, knowing that their input is unlikely to drive real change.
What True Client Leadership Looks Like
Being truly client-led means designing systems that encourage and enable all clients to contribute ideas, regardless of their size or status. It involves welcoming diverse perspectives, even when they challenge internal assumptions. Most importantly, it requires the ability to act on that input in a transparent and timely way.Independent platform providers have a unique advantage in this area. Without competing publishing businesses or financial interests tied to specific content, they are free to approach client feedback objectively. Ideas are evaluated based on their potential to serve the broader community, not based on the revenue or influence of the person who proposed them. This neutrality creates a more trustworthy and inclusive foundation for product development.
When client input is truly valued, the results speak for themselves. Innovation becomes more democratic. Feature roadmaps reflect a wider range of needs. Small and mid-sized clients see their voices represented in platform updates. And the platform itself becomes more resilient, because it is shaped by the real-world experiences of its users.
A client-led platform must also be responsive. This means operating on a frequent release cycle, where new features and improvements are delivered consistently. It means embedding feedback loops directly into product development, allowing teams to stay closely aligned with client needs. It also means recognizing that good ideas can come from anywhere, not just from those with the largest contracts or the most industry visibility.
It is important to clarify that being client-led does not mean saying “yes” to every request. It means creating a structured process for gathering, evaluating, and prioritizing input. Decisions should be made transparently, with clear communication about what is being built, what is being deferred, and why. Clients should never feel like their suggestions disappear into a black box.
Building Lasting Partnerships Through Authentic Collaboration
On the other hand, when engagement is controlled too tightly, or feedback is limited to a few voices, organizations risk creating an echo chamber. Advisory groups made up of familiar allies may reinforce internal biases rather than challenge them. Roundtables that feature only a narrow slice of the community may create the illusion of collaboration without its benefits. Over time, these practices limit growth and lead to a disconnect between platform priorities and user needs.As technology continues to transform the publishing landscape, platforms must go beyond appearances and commit to authentic, equitable collaboration. Feedback should be more than a formality. It should be a force that actively shapes the product. Community-led must mean more than community-approved. And client-led must mean more than client-informed.
The platforms that will succeed in the long term are those that build with their clients, not just for them. These platforms do not just ask for feedback—they implement it. They do not just hold meetings—they act on what they hear. They are not guided by hierarchy or account size, but by the shared mission of helping publishers and researchers succeed.
Being client-led is not a tactic. It is a mindset, a culture, and a responsibility. The organizations that embrace it fully will not only build better products. They will build stronger, more lasting partnerships that create real impact in the communities they serve.