When Your Tech Stack Dies: Lessons in Product Evolution

Every tech leader's nightmare came true for Todd Watson when Apple effectively killed Flash, forcing him to completely rebuild his website builder platform, Showit.

His story offers valuable lessons for anyone facing technological obsolescence.

The Warning Signs

In my recent Product Driven interview with Todd, he shared how the death of Flash wasn't sudden – it was death by a thousand cuts. "There was always this hope that like, it's gonna work. Adobe's doing demos, it's gonna work at some point," Todd explained. But by 2010-2011, Apple made it clear: Flash was done.

This mirrors what I've seen countless times as a tech CEO. We often ignore the warning signs of dying technology because rebuilding feels too daunting.

The Costly Middle Ground

Initially, Showit tried workarounds – generating mobile sites using screenshots of Flash designs. Sound familiar? I've seen many companies try these "band-aid" solutions instead of confronting the need for a complete rebuild.

These temporary fixes almost always end up costing more in the long run.

Making the Hard Decision

By 2014, Todd faced a pivotal decision that many tech leaders eventually encounter: continue patching a dying platform or rebuild from scratch. His business partner wanted to let the product die, but Todd saw an opportunity worth pursuing.

The lesson? Sometimes the riskiest decision is trying to maintain the status quo.

The Strategy Behind a 20-Year Product

What's fascinating about Showit's evolution is how they've maintained focus while continuously adapting. They've succeeded by:

Staying True to Their Core Instead of chasing every competitor's feature, they focused on their niche: giving designers creative freedom.

Making Strategic Technology Bets They chose React for their rebuild when it was still new, betting on its long-term viability.

Building for Sustainability As Todd mentioned, being bootstrapped allowed them to focus on what matters rather than chasing growth at all costs.

The Challenges of a Mature Product

One of the most interesting parts of our conversation was about QA and testing. As Todd noted, "QA itself might be more work than the development." This is a reality many tech leaders overlook – as your product matures, maintaining quality becomes increasingly complex.

Finding Balance in Evolution

What struck me most was Todd's approach to balancing innovation with stability. "If you get too stuck on testing, nothing ever rolls out to production," he explained. This resonates with my experience – you need to find the sweet spot between moving fast and maintaining reliability.

The Future of Mature Products

Today, Showit is embarking on a complete rebuild of their rendering engine – not because they have to, but because they see opportunities to make their product better.

That's the key to longevity in tech: you evolve before you have to.

The Bottom Line

Twenty years in tech is an eternity.

Showit's success isn't just about surviving – it's about knowing when to hold firm and when to evolve. As Todd put it, "We're always scanning the horizon... what's AI changing about this? What is the next version going to be?"

At Full Scale, we help companies navigate these exact challenges. Whether you're evolving a mature product or building something new, having the right development team makes all the difference.

Want to Learn More?

This article is based on my conversation with Todd Watson on Product Driven. Watch the full episode where we dive deeper into:

• Building sustainable tech products for the long term

• Balancing innovation with stability

• Making strategic technology decisions

• Managing product evolution in a competitive market

👉 Watch the full episode: Evolving a Product Over 20 Years with Todd Watson

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