Episode 18 - Consolidate or Die

Is your technology helping your business—or is your business spending all its time managing technology? In this episode of The Spark, Jay Kozar and Kendra Morvillo tackle a challenge facing nearly every growing business: software sprawl. As companies add more apps, dashboards, AI tools, and subscriptions, they often create more complexity instead of more efficiency. The conversation introduces the idea of the "Complexity Tax"—the hidden cost of adding new software, integrations, reporting requirements, and training every time another platform enters your tech stack. Jay and Kendra discuss why consolidation is becoming a competitive advantage, how AI has helped (and where it still falls short), and why even sophisticated organizations often end up back in Excel to make sense of their data. You'll also learn practical questions every business should ask before purchasing another software platform, the "75% Rule" for evaluating technology, and why sometimes the smartest investment is getting more from the tools you already own. If you're a business owner, marketing leader, or operations professional trying to simplify your tech stack while improving reporting and efficiency, this episode is packed with practical advice you can put to work immediately. Topics Covered: • The hidden cost of software sprawl • The "Complexity Tax" • Why AI hasn't solved reporting challenges (yet) • Consolidating your tech stack • Better software buying decisions • The 75% Rule for technology investments • Why every business still ends up in Excel • Building a simpler, more scalable business Subscribe for more conversations on business growth, marketing, AI, technology, and leadership.