Post on adoption

Author: phillc

content/posts/2025-08-05-earning-adoption-vs-enforcing-it.markdown

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+title: "Productivity as a Product: Earning Adoption vs Enforcing It"
+date: 2025-08-05
+---
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+Not every product is adopted the same way. Some are chosen. Others are mandated. That difference matters more than most teams realize. When productivity-enabling teams treat all internal tools the same, regardless of how engineers encounter them, they risk misjudging what good support looks like, how trust is built, and what it actually takes to succeed.
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+When a tool is optional, adoption has to be earned. Engineers choose it because it saves time, improves quality, or integrates cleanly into their workflow. If it falls short, they move on or build their own. Success depends on usefulness, clarity, and support. These offerings live in a free market, where value drives usage. You’re not just offering something better. You’re asking people to overcome a switching cost. If the value isn’t obvious or the path isn’t smooth, they won’t switch. The free market model centers the team’s efforts on delivering value and proving it through adoption.
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+Governance-based tools are adopted because they represent the organization’s chosen way forward. Their value comes from consistency, safety, or alignment across teams. Sometimes that value only emerges with total compliance to avoid a tragedy of the commons. The governance model delivers consistency at scale, but it comes with its own cost. It requires clarity, support, and follow-through to sustain trust. Even small changes can create confusion or erode confidence, so the bar for communication is higher. These tools often require more up-front design and thoughtful rollout to succeed.
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+Tools adopted by choice often invite collaboration and co-creation. Teams offer feedback, open PRs, or contribute enhancements because they see value and want the tool to succeed.
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+In contrast, tools adopted through governance rely more on alignment and communication. Feedback still matters, and surprise should be minimized. Teams want clarity on expectations and confidence that the tool will be supported over time.
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+Both models have their place. Some tools thrive by earning adoption through clarity and utility. Others succeed by offering alignment and consistency at scale. What matters is being honest about which path you're on and supporting it with the right strategy. Either way, success comes from trust, clarity, and delivering real value.