The Stack Dilemma: Superman vs. The Avengers
I have a drawer in my kitchen. We all have this drawer.
It is the gadget graveyard.
An avocado slicer. A cherry pitter. A device that spiralises courgettes (I used it once in 2019).
Separately, they are brilliant pieces of engineering.
Together? They are a clutter nightmare that stops me from finding the one thing I actually need: a sharp knife.
For the last decade, L&D has been building that drawer.
We got obsessed with “unbundling.”
We bought an LXP for the front end. An authoring tool for the build. An LRS for the data. A skills engine because... well, LinkedIn said so.
We told ourselves we were building a “high-performance ecosystem.”
(I know. I’ve used that phrase on slide decks too. Don’t hate me.)
But we weren’t building an ecosystem. We were digitising our silos.
We built a maze where information gets trapped in one system while our people are trying to work in another.
So, let’s close the drawer.
Because in the boardroom, the stakes are higher than spiralised courgettes. You aren’t choosing gadgets; you’re choosing a superpower.
Do you consolidate into a Unified Stack (Superman)?
Or do you build a Specialist Stack (The Avengers)?
It’s not a tech decision. It’s a behaviour decision.
Here is how you choose.
Path 1: The Unified Stack (Superman)
The market is swinging back to the “All-in-One.”
Authoring, Delivery, Events, and AI. All in one house. One hero that can fly, shoot lasers, and catch the bad guys.
Don’t panic about using “clunky enterprise software.” The game has changed. Modern players (think Sana or Thrive) are prioritising consumer-grade design.
They are Superman with a stylist.
Why you pick this path:
Features create behaviours. If learning, comms, and mentoring live in the same window, you teach people that learning is work. If they have to tab-switch, it’s a distraction.
Adoption beats access. AI is useless if it’s five clicks away. In a unified stack, the AI is embedded. It summarises the document the user is already looking at.
Speed. You need to launch rapid pilots. Unified tools let you build, publish, and measure in minutes. No API handshakes required.
Path 2: The Specialist Stack (The Avengers)
Does this mean the specialist tools are dead?
No. But the bar for buying them just got much higher.
This is the “Avengers” model. You assemble a team of gods (LMS + Authoring + Skills + Data).
Individually, they are unbeatable.
But remember: The Avengers are messy. They argue. They destroy cities. They need a Director (Nick Fury) to make them work together.
Here is the reality check.
In your company, your Nick Fury is probably a Systems Architect called Dave.
Dave is very expensive. And he is very tired.
If you don’t have a Dave, do not try to build the Avengers.
Why you pick this path:
You need control. Unified tools love linear content. If you are building complex, non-linear branching scenarios, you probably need a specialist authoring tool (Iron Man).
The stakes are scary. If you work in nuclear power or banking, “good enough” reporting gets you fined. You need forensic-level data (The Hulk).
The Warning Label:
If you choose this path, you are paying an “Experience Tax.”
If a user has to log in twice? You failed.
If the data doesn’t sync instantly? You failed.
The Decision Matrix (The “No BS” Check)
Stop looking at the feature lists. Look at your reality.
1. The “Dave” Test
Who manages the integrations?
“Me.” -> Go Unified. (Do not mess with APIs alone. You will cry).
“Dave.” -> Evaluate Specialist. (Dave has the muscle to make it work).
2. The Goal Test
What are we building?
“Shared Habits.” -> Go Unified. Create a single home for culture.
“Complex Scenarios.” -> Evaluate Specialist. You need a specific capability.
3. The Metric Test
What is success?
“Adoption & Flow.” -> Go Unified. Measure ease of access.
“Audit & Compliance.” -> Evaluate Specialist. You need the paper trail.
The Verdict
In 2026, the benchmark isn’t “did the software work?”
It is the Digital Employee Experience.
If you go Unified, you are betting that a frictionless experience (Superman) drives performance better than perfect features.
If you go Specialist, you are betting that your elite team (The Avengers) is so powerful, they are worth the extra friction.
My advice?
Stop trying to digitise the silo. Start designing the flow.
(Full Disclosure: I work with partners on both sides of this fence. The tool isn’t the hero. Your strategy is.)
AND FINALLY, THE CURATION STACK
Here are a couple of other things that caught my eye this week:
Marc Ramos published the first 3 parts of his “The Purpose Is People: A Playbook for Reframing Modern Work” - a 32,000 word, 6 month effort to analyse how to rewire work with AI and humans. Get a cup of tea, find a comfy spot, and dive in.
There were lots of 2026 prediction posts out there - I particularly enjoyed this one from Michael Ioffe, CEO of Arist.
Thanks to Sana for sponsoring this post.
Choosing a unified platform is one thing. Actually making the switch is another. What I appreciate about Sana is they don't just sell you software and disappear - full implementation support, content migration, L&D consultant strategy built in. They think like true partners, not vendors.
Book 20 minutes with Sana
Stay curious, and enjoy your week.
Mark
PS - I am gradually building out The Learning Stack Youtube - think learning tech overviews, interviews with Learning pro’s etc. You can subscribe here. Additionally, if you are reading this but aren’t subscribed, you know what to do: