Every business needs (software) tools to run. Even the simplest company needs bookkeeping, at a minimum.
But here's my frustration; these tools often end up running the business.
Companies bend themselves around ERP systems. They hire expensive consultants to jam their processes into rigid data models. They spend months of expensive consulting work adapting workflows to fit software that was built for someone else's idea of how your business should work.
This architecture (and, let's be frank, the ERP business model) make ERP expensive and inflexible. Worse still, because those ERPs run on architectures from the 90s, they can never adapt ever to anything modern, without once again going through a very painful migration process.
Rigid ERP makes employees hate their jobs. Or at least their computers. Think about the software you use personally - your phone, your apps. They adapt to you. They learn your patterns, get out of your way. Now think about the software you use at work. It feels like a punishment. Forms with mandatory fields, workflows that make no sense. Interfaces that look like they're straight out of 2004. No wonder doctors hate their computers. Most have simply given up hope
A new type of ERP
Here's a different approach; build ERP systems that adapt to businesses, not the other way around. The architecture would mirror Notion - a core foundation where you can define you own database, objects and properties. Everything pluggable. Every bit of customisation you want can be easily build. With plugins and API calls that do not break the core system.
This would open up three powerful possibilities:
Maintainable modern UI. The core team can evolve the interface with current design standards. Think design systems that feel coherent and modern while letting users build their own workflows. Software that bends, not breaks.
AI-generated plugins. When the plugin API is simple and well-documented, generative AI can create custom extensions on demand. Need a specific workflow? Generate it. Business process changes? Adapt it instantly.
Malleable data structures. Like Notion's graph of objects, the data model evolves as your business evolves. No expensive consultants. No code changes. Anyone can adjust the structure as processes and insights develop.
The result? ERP that doesn't feel restrictive—it feels empowering.
What this enables
Small, specialised development teams could build hyper-personalized ERP systems for local businesses. Developers and designers working directly with users, building and continuously adjusting tools that actually fit.
Small businesses could finally afford the same quality tooling as large enterprises. No more choosing between expensive, bloated systems and doing everything in spreadsheets.
The real opportunity isn't just better software. It's flipping the relationship between businesses and their tools.
Instead of businesses serving their software, software finally serves businesses.