The Evolving App Marketplace: Flow Portability, Choice, and Agility Are the New Standard

Flow Portability is set to reshape B2B software—eliminating vendor lock-in, accelerating partner collaboration, and rethinking how we generate awareness, onboard, sell, and create lasting user delight.

Hugh Durkin 's recent analysis of Shopify’s Q4 2024 app removals—where 419 apps were removed in a single quarter—highlights a fundamental issue plaguing ISV marketplaces: churn, fragmentation, and a lack of sustained value. Many of these apps had zero customer reviews or were poorly rated, signaling that simply being listed in an app marketplace does not equate to adoption, retention, or success.

This shift toward pruning low-value applications is a symptom of something larger: software ecosystems are undergoing the same fundamental transition that data centers went through years ago.

?? In the data center market, portability was once an afterthought—enterprises built IT infrastructure around single-vendor solutions, making transitions expensive and disruptive. Eventually, the market shifted as businesses demanded flexibility, interoperability, and the ability to migrate across providers without losing control of their data or workflows. Cloud computing and containerization made portability a necessity, not an option.

?? B2B software is now facing the same moment. The days of businesses being locked into one CRM, one automation platform, or one analytics suite are numbered. Just as companies needed cloud portability to transition from rigid, on-prem infrastructure, they now need Flow Portability to transition from rigid SaaS ecosystems.

A Gartner report on SaaS bloat projects that 75% of companies will have redundant or underutilized SaaS applications by 2026—not because businesses need more apps, but because switching between them is too costly and complex.

That complexity isn’t accidental. A prospect recently told us that our listing on AppExchange hindered their interest—not because of our product, but due to their prior experiences with "certified" apps that created unnecessary complexity rather than solving problems.

This reflects a larger trend where tech bloat is not just an inefficiency—it has been weaponized by dominant players to justify higher costs and sustain vendor lock-in. Harvard Business Review has previously documented how incumbents use unnecessary complexity to prevent customers from switching, inflating switching costs while maintaining premium pricing.

?? Portability is now the key differentiator.

Businesses are shifting away from one-platform entrenchment and demanding Flow Portability—workflows that move with them, not against them. Instead of static, single-app solutions, businesses want Flow Containers—structured, portable workflows that are deployable across multiple platforms.

? Companies will no longer be locked into one CRM, one automation tool, or one platform. ? Pre-configured Flow Containers will be deployable across multiple systems, ensuring seamless transitions. ? Instead of static integrations, Flow Containers create a dynamic, portable architecture that moves with the business.

?? Just like enterprises demanded cloud portability to break free from on-prem data centers, businesses today are demanding Flow Portability to break free from vendor lock-in. Tech bloat, ROI concerns, and the need for agility are pushing the market toward a new model.

1?? Value Drives Portability Demands – Flow Containers Are the End Product

?? Businesses aren’t just buying software anymore—they’re buying interconnected value.

For decades, software adoption has been dictated by platform-first thinking—forcing businesses to rebuild their workflows around the tools they use rather than the other way around. This made sense when integrations were limited, but today, integration is the default expectation, not the differentiator.

?? Instead of fragmented integrations, the future belongs to Flow Containers—portable, structured workflows that businesses can adopt, deploy, and move across platforms.

? Businesses no longer need to rebuild processes from scratch every time they switch platforms.

? Workflows move with them, adapting to different CRMs, automation tools, and data ecosystems.

? Flow Containers allow businesses to select the best solutions for their needs without worrying about vendor lock-in.

Portability isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s becoming an essential requirement for companies managing complex go-to-market, automation, and revenue operations.

2?? Why Flow Portability is Good for Partners

Beyond benefiting businesses, Flow Portability will fundamentally reshape how partners find, collaborate, and deliver value to each other.

?? Transparency on Value Delivered

• In traditional ISV marketplaces, attribution is a black box—partners don’t always know what’s driving impact.
• Flow Portability ensures that value creation is measurable, making revenue-sharing models more transparent and fair.
• Partners can see exactly how their contributions impact workflows, making it easier to prove ROI.

?? De-Risking Partner Collaboration

• Today, partners invest in integrations and co-selling strategies without knowing if they will yield results.
• Flow Portability ensures pre-configured workflows are tested, adopted, and iterated before deeper commitments.
• Partners can validate compatibility without requiring full platform adoption, reducing upfront risks.

?? Rapid Assembly of Multi-App Solutions

• Instead of building from scratch, partners can snap into existing Flow Containers, reducing integration overhead.
• Companies can rapidly create partner-driven GTM plays that are modular, scalable, and portable.
• The barrier to entry for multi-vendor solutions is dramatically lowered.

?? Finding the Right Partners Faster

• Traditional app marketplaces and partner programs rely on slow, manual partner discovery.
• Flow Portability ensures that partners are matched based on shared workflows and active demand signals.
• No more wasted time on integrations that won’t drive business.

3?? The Rise of Flow Affiliates: Advocates for Portability & Better Economics

?? Today’s model: Traditional ISV marketplaces rely on one-off transactions—either a monthly app subscription or a one-time software purchase.

?? The problem?

• Short-term gains, no long-term alignment.
• Apps compete against each other instead of collaborating.
• ISVs have to market themselves aggressively, leading to a race to the bottom in pricing.

? The evolution? Flow Affiliates & Continuous Value Sharing.

Flow Affiliates don’t just promote apps—they advocate for fully portable Flow Containers that businesses can deploy on any platform without lock-in.

?? Why this works: ? Flow Affiliates earn recurring revenue as businesses adopt evolving workflows, instead of a one-time payout per install. ? They promote outcome-driven adoption, ensuring businesses invest in solutions that actually work. ? They incentivize ISVs to integrate seamlessly, driving a more connected, efficient ecosystem instead of isolated tools.

?? A Harvard Business Review study on digital ecosystems found that multi-app solutions with collaborative revenue models outperform standalone ISV applications by 2-3X in retention and revenue per user.

What’s Next?

?? Are B2B marketplaces ready for this shift? Let’s discuss below. ??

#BPaaS #GTM #SaaS #FlowAffiliates #Portability #MarketplaceEvolution