Editorial
The Gist:
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Clarity builds trust. Teams need to understand the why behind a merger and acquisition to stay aligned and motivated during integration.
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Start with friction. Fix pain points fast. Simple wins like unified logins and shared workflows help customers feel immediate value.
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Culture drives innovation. Success depends on blending team cultures and listening deeply so both sides can build something better together.
When Microsoft acquired GitHub, customers were skeptical. GitHub’s customers had to ask themselves some questions. Would they be forced into Microsoft’s ecosystem? Would enterprise users be prioritized over individual developers?
Meanwhile, Microsoft’s customers also had questions. Would they get access to GitHub? How would this acquisition impact their experience with Microsoft's products now and in the future?
Their concerns were valid. Customers care as much about the experience as they do the tools.
However, Microsoft saw an opportunity to deliver outsized value to both customer bases. Under their leadership, GitHub expanded security, improved collaboration and launched AI-powered coding. Microsoft customers benefited from these added features, deeper cloud integration and streamlined workflows between GitHub and Microsoft tools like Azure and Visual Studio. The acquisition both preserved value for customers and amplified it.
My company saw a similar opportunity when we acquired a real-time customer data platform.
If you’re a tech leader navigating an acquisition, here’s how to handle integration post-deal for the best customer outcomes.
Table of Contents
Make the 'Why' Clear From the Start
The human side of integration is just as important as the technical. According to McKinsey, 25% of executives believe a lack of cultural alignment is the leading cause of merger and acquisition failures. As you merge systems, teams and tools, people need to understand why the acquisition matters.
Present clear use cases that demonstrate how the integration improves the customer experience. Take the time to dive deep with your teams into the vision behind it all. This will help build excitement and give everyone a clear understanding of how their work contributes to a better customer experience.
At an internal conference, we invited customers from the company we acquired to share their experiences. The customers discussed what made the product valuable, how it benefitted their teams and the results they saw.
Then, our product leaders explained how our products would fit together and laid out our ambitious timeline for full integration. Instead of skepticism, engineers from both teams were energized and ready to work.
When your engineers understand the customer impact, they’re not just building for the sake of building. They’re building to deliver value.
Related Article: Create a Customer-Centric Culture Through Engaged, Empowered Teams
Fixing Broken Integrations: Quick Wins for Customer Experience
Here’s a breakdown of practical steps to unify disconnected products while full integration is underway.
| Step | Action | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Start small | Focus on a few key areas that reduce friction for users rather than tackling full integration all at once. | Quick wins build customer trust and improve usability during longer integration efforts. |
| Unify authentication | Implement single sign-on to simplify access and make the products feel like one experience. | Nobody wants to juggle multiple logins, and easier access improves customer satisfaction. |
| Bridge workflows | Identify and connect natural workflow points by syncing data, embedding functionality or integrating APIs. | Seamless workflows reduce frustration and drive early adoption across both platforms. |
| Share resources | Ensure users can easily access shared documentation, support, and expert resources from both organizations. | Providing unified support reinforces the feeling of a single, coherent experience and encourages feedback. |
When Slack acquired Senator, a workflow automation platform, full integration wasn’t immediate. But Slack quickly prioritized connecting critical functions. They unified workflows across Slack’s communication tools and Senator’s automation systems. Early integrations allowed customer teams to manage tasks in one place. (They did such a great job combining value that Salesforce later acquired Slack. It came full circle.)
Show customers the value of your move right away and unblock any opportunities while they wait for the full integration.
Cultivate a Culture of Innovation
When it comes to product merger and acquisition, success is rooted in how well you blend the cultures of both engineering teams, particularly around innovation. Before the deal, assess how aligned your innovation philosophies are. Understand how both teams prioritize customer requests alongside forward-thinking projects that benefit all customers and shape the industry.
After extensive conversations with the tech leadership of the company we acquired, I realized their team operates like a startup. Engineers moved fast on requests, yet they still experimented and learned rather than getting locked into their roles. I knew our customers would benefit from merging our experience with the other team’s mindset.
After the deal, it’s important to blend cultures quickly so everyone can get better together. Listening is a great tool. Encourage everyone to hear both sides, understand their processes and help everyone learn from each other. Engineers need to understand that integration is a two-way process; both the acquiring and acquired teams will need to adapt. Both sides need to be open to change for everyone to find a common path forward.
When both cultures merge, set yourselves up to build products that deliver more long-term value to your customers. That’s the ultimate win.
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True merger and acquisition success is measured by how well your employees and customers benefit, both immediately and in the long term, and if they come together as one. Ultimately, the acquisition only pays off when your customers succeed.
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