MERL Tech DC 2019

Creating useful software for development and humanitarian professionals is an imperfect science, and we don’t always get it right. In this session, panelists with very different approaches to providing MERL software will talk about how the sausage gets made. For the first half, we’ll share why we often end up disappointing clients or telling users ‘no’ from our experiences at companies past and present. We’ll also provide insight on different business models and delivery mechanisms (open/closed source, products/services, SaaS/custom, etc.) to equip the buyers/users of software to make the very best decisions and establish fruitful partnerships with their vendors. During the second half, our moderator will field questions from the audience and facilitate an open dialogue about frustrations and tough decisions from both sides. There will be no presentations, no pitching, no self-promotion. Any anecdotes or success stories will be leavened with failures, lost clients, self-deprecation, etc. Panelists will try to humbly and truthfully describe where their business models and the needs of prospective users may conflict, and how to manage that tension. Participants in this session will leave with a fuller understanding of how software companies operate, how various business models work in practice, and why finding the 'perfect' MERL tech solution is sometimes so dang frustrating.