--- title: "Stop Buying Platforms. Start Building Ecosystems. | b13" url: "https://b13.com/knowledge/stop-buying-platforms-start-building-ecosystems" description: The first TYPO3 Summit North America opened with a keynote that reframes how enterprise teams should think about content management—from platforms to ecosystems, from vendor lock-in to data ownership. image: "https://b13.com/fileadmin/_processed_/d/1/csm_StopBuyingPlatforms_Sharing_2657077411.png" date: 2026-06-09 modified: 2026-08-19 lastUpdated: 2026-08-19 --- # Stop Buying Platforms. Start Building Ecosystems. | b13 [ TYPO3 ](https://b13.com/knowledge/typo3) [ Open Source ](https://b13.com/knowledge/open-source) [ TYPO3 Events ](https://b13.com/knowledge/typo3-events) [ Events ](https://b13.com/knowledge/events) Stop Buying Platforms. Start Building Ecosystems. =================================================== ![](https://b13.com/fileadmin/_processed_/a/d/csm_david_5ce18d41e2.jpg)David Steeb 09 June 2026 [ RSS Feed ](https://b13.com/rss.xml) ![Hands holding puzzle pieces are positioned around a partially completed puzzle depicting a computer interface.](https://b13.com/fileadmin/_processed_/d/7/csm_StopBuyingPlatforms_Headerbild_8deaca3f39.webp) *Why the era of the all-in-one CMS platform is ending—and what enterprise teams should build instead.* The first [TYPO3 Summit North America](https://b13.com/blog/atlanta-typo3-summit-north-america-enterprise-cms) took place in Atlanta on May 19, 2026. **Karim Marucchi**—CEO of [Crowd Favorite](https://crowdfavorite.com/), the agency that originally brought WordPress to the enterprise—opened the event with a keynote that had nothing to do with features or demos. Instead, he asked the question I think every enterprise technology leader needs to answer right now: **are you buying platforms, or are you building ecosystems**? It’s a question that sounds abstract until you look at where the industry actually is. And then it becomes very concrete. ![A speaker presents at a conference, discussing the challenges of integration and analysis, with key points displayed on a screen.](https://b13.com/fileadmin/_processed_/6/7/csm_image_picker_40B436D8-E60D-468F-BEAE-E341253956C2-32909-00000DD349678E39_compressed_9782af85ae.webp) Thirty Years of CMS, and We’re Still Stuck -------------------------------------------- As Karim put it, we’ve been trying to figure out content management systems for thirty years. The last fifteen of those years have been meticulous and slow—which, for the enterprise, is sometimes a good thing. Stability matters when your digital presence can’t be in testing mode while it’s serving customers. But that caution has a cost. The martech landscape has exploded. New platforms appear every week, each one someone’s take on the latest trend. And enterprise teams are caught between two bad options: keep investing in something slow-moving and stagnant, or chase the new thing and accept the risk that comes with immaturity. Karim’s argument is that this is a false choice. **You don’t have to pick between stability and innovation** if you stop thinking in terms of platforms and start thinking in terms of ecosystems. I fully agree with this view, convinced that both aspects perfectly align within an ecosystem. ![A speaker presents at a conference, discussing the transition from monolithic CMS to composable systems, with a comparison chart displayed behind.](https://b13.com/fileadmin/_processed_/3/2/csm_image_picker_DDA0B274-476E-4437-A6AF-EBF627C540C0-32909-00000DD27BC97F5D_compressed_82b10c3148.webp) The Monolith Doesn’t Serve Enterprise Anymore ----------------------------------------------- The composable architecture conversation isn’t new. But what’s changed is that it’s no longer theoretical—it’s table stakes. Karim put it well: it’s very hard to keep integrating things into a monolithic platform that has a roadmap measured in years. Enterprise organizations need to plug in their own CRM, their own legacy systems, their own specialized tools—and just as importantly, they need to decide when it’s time to test something new and when it’s time to move on. That’s what composable means in practice. Not that you rip everything out and replace it with microservices. But that your foundation gives you the freedom to swap components, experiment with new ones, and keep the pieces that work—without waiting for a vendor’s multi-year roadmap to catch up with your business needs. AI Compresses Code, Not Thinking ---------------------------------- There was a moment in Karim’s talk that nailed something I’ve been thinking about for a while. He described AI’s impact on development as an hourglass: the middle part—actually writing the code—has gotten dramatically faster. But requirements on one side and testing on the other haven’t shrunk at all. His math was blunt: you’re not saving ten hours down to one. You’re saving ten hours down to six. The coding might take one or two hours now instead of four. But the remaining time is still requirements, testing, scaling—the work that AI can’t compress because it’s fundamentally about **understanding your business, not generating syntax**. > You’re not saving ten hours down to one. You’re saving ten hours down to six. Karim Marucchi For the enterprise, this means the promise of “AI makes everything faster” doesn’t hold up that cleanly. If you can nail your business requirements and your technical requirements, you can speed up development significantly. But rushing something live still doesn’t work for enterprise organizations. Anyone who has been in this space long enough knows that. Own Your Data—Or Lose Your Leverage ------------------------------------- The part of Karim’s keynote that hit hardest was about data ownership. In his words, the SaaS verticalization of the last twenty years has created “dead ends of access to data.” Your data lives in silos—each vendor’s silo—and you can’t get to it in any meaningful way. The most forward-thinking enterprise clients—and Karim referenced Crowd Favorite’s own work with a large technology client in California—are thinking differently. They want to create their own data lakes. **They want a source of truth that spans their systems, not one that’s trapped inside a vendor’s product.** > The SaaS verticalization of the last twenty years has created dead ends of access to data. Karim Marucchi The next step is what makes this real: private, custom LLMs that can mine that data and find patterns across all of it. You can’t do that when every tool in your stack is trying to verticalize your data into its own ecosystem. You can’t do that with legacy systems that have APIs bolted on as an afterthought. This isn’t a future vision. This is what’s happening right now at the organizations that are thinking past the current hype cycle. A Foundation, Not a Cage -------------------------- Karim’s word for what enterprise teams actually need was simple: foundation. A solid, reliable foundation that you build on top of—not a platform that tries to do everything and locks you in. On open source, he was direct: some projects have tried to over-innovate in the last few years and created problems for their users. Others have stayed stagnant, clinging to backward compatibility without being willing to take the risks necessary to move forward. TYPO3 v14 LTS, which [Benni Mack](https://b13.com/team/benni-mack) presented right after Karim’s keynote, represents that middle path—a foundation built on more than two decades of refinement that has **already solved problems like internationalization, scalability, and multi-site management that newer platforms are still working through**. But the metaphor that actually landed was this: think of a content management system not just as a content system—think of it as an operating system. One that lets you plug in fast-moving innovations and move quickly but safely. **An evergreen platform that doesn’t need to be constantly migrated** but can be built upon, extended, and adapted. > Think of a content management system not just as a content system—think of it as an operating system. Karim Marucchi That’s the shift from platform to ecosystem. You’re not buying a product that does everything. You’re investing in a foundation that lets you assemble the right tools for your context, swap them out when better ones appear, and keep your data and your content under your control. ![Presentation slide featuring two main topics: "Innovation" with a focus on weekly arrivals and "Sustainable Enterprise" emphasizing team governance and trust for the future.](https://b13.com/fileadmin/_processed_/4/3/csm_image_picker_DFF26A62-D6E4-450D-B625-063D6F52D187-32909-00000DD1BD079BA6_compressed_924a1ecb0d.webp) Open Source Isn’t Automatically Safe Either --------------------------------------------- The pressure isn’t just on commercial vendors. Open source has the same problem now. As the CEO of the agency that brought WordPress to Fortune 50 companies, Karim has standing to say it—open source platforms that have taken private equity in the last decade are **starting to show the same patterns as commercial vendors**. Rushing features to market before they’re ready. **Chasing growth metrics instead of stability**. TYPO3’s governance model—how releases are organized, how the project is funded, how decisions are made—is different. I’ll cover that in more detail in a separate post based on Jam’s talk at the Summit. But the short version: not all open source is governed the same way, and the governance model is what determines whether a project stays aligned with its users or starts drifting toward other interests. The Ten-Year Play ------------------- Karim’s keynote was about time horizon. Not what platform should we pick for 2026, but **what foundation will still work in 2036**. What he called an “evergreen platform”—something you don’t have to keep migrating, but can keep building on. At b13, we’ve built on TYPO3 for over 20 years—and Karim’s framing is exactly how we think about enterprise projects. **The best investments aren’t in platforms; they’re in foundations that give you the freedom to move.** If you’re thinking about your content management strategy with a longer time horizon, we should talk. And if you want to understand how TYPO3 fits into the enterprise ecosystem conversation—the summit in Atlanta was just the beginning. ### Let’s talk about your project! Ready to rethink your digital foundation? [ Get in Touch ](https://b13.com/lets-connect) #### Read More Posts From Our Series Covering the North America Summit: - ![Colorful fish illustrations surround a central logo that reads "TYPO3 Summit.](https://b13.com/fileadmin/_processed_/4/3/csm_NorthAmericaSummit_Headerbild_5fbbbbb529.webp) ##### Notes from Atlanta—What the First TYPO3 Summit North America Says About the Next Decade of Enterprise CMS 22 May 2026 | David Steeb Field report from the first TYPO3 Summit North America in Atlanta. On governance that can’t be acquired, predictable seven-year lifecycles, the FAIR distribution layer, and why the… [ Read more: Notes from Atlanta—What the First TYPO3 Summit North America Says About the Next Decade of Enterprise CMS ](https://b13.com/knowledge/atlanta-typo3-summit-north-america-enterprise-cms) - ![A black car with a sign reading "AI" is being outpaced by three orange racing cars on a light blue background with fish illustrations.](https://b13.com/fileadmin/_processed_/3/3/csm_AI-ready_Headerbild__1__0f5a5877c9.webp) ##### AI-ready isn’t a feature 15 June 2026 | David Steeb Everyone’s selling AI bolt-ons for your CMS. From the first TYPO3 Summit North America: why the most AI-ready thing about TYPO3 is the boring part—structured content. [ Read more: AI-ready isn’t a feature ](https://b13.com/knowledge/ai-ready-isnt-a-feature) - ![Four square icons featuring a purple cube design surround a central logo with an orange shield shape on a patterned background.](https://b13.com/fileadmin/_processed_/7/8/csm_NotTechnologyProblem_Headerbild_fb365f141e.webp) ##### Not a Technology Problem—A WordPress Agency Looks at TYPO3 25 June 2026 | David Steeb Pat Ramsey, Director of Technology at Crowd Favorite, has been working with WordPress since 2004. Here’s what he said about TYPO3 at the inaugural TYPO3 Summit North America—with… [ Read more: Not a Technology Problem—A WordPress Agency Looks at TYPO3 ](https://b13.com/knowledge/not-a-technology-problem) ### Written by: ![Bild von David Steeb](https://b13.com/fileadmin/_processed_/a/d/csm_david_cf042ebb7f.webp) b13 Founder and CEO, David, is someone you’ll meet if you’re thinking about working with our agency. He is constantly learning new skills and is an influential part of our cutting-edge frontend practice. David Steeb CEO [ more from David Steeb ](https://b13.com/team/david-steeb) Related Articles ------------------ - ![A purple graphic featuring a smartphone icon with three horizontal bars, surrounded by illustrations of vintage telephones.](https://b13.com/fileadmin/_processed_/2/5/csm_EXTphonenumber_Headerbild_93d5de1696.webp) ### Clean Phone Numbers in TYPO3: Why We Built EXT:phone\_number 11 August 2026 | David Steeb TYPO3 stores phone numbers as tel: links, but doesn’t format them for output. Meet EXT:phone\_number, a Fluid ViewHelper for clean, consistent numbers. [ Read more: Clean Phone Numbers in TYPO3: Why We Built EXT:phone\_number ](https://b13.com/knowledge/clean-phone-numbers-in-typo3) - ![Cartoon trophy character surrounded by hands giving thumbs up and a heart gesture, set against a gear-patterned background.](https://b13.com/fileadmin/_processed_/f/7/csm_T3ppy_Design_Kit_Headerbild_b51eb9dc31.webp) ### T3ppy Gives TYPO3 a Friendly Face 06 August 2026 | Florian “Flix” Keitgen TYPO3 is powerful—but it doesn’t have to feel impersonal. Meet T3ppy, our friendly companion for the backend. [ Read more: T3ppy Gives TYPO3 a Friendly Face ](https://b13.com/knowledge/t3ppy-design-kit) - ![Gavel labeled "AI" on a circuit-patterned background with yellow stars, symbolizing regulation or legislation related to artificial intelligence in the EU.](https://b13.com/fileadmin/_processed_/1/0/csm_EUAIAct_Headerbild_510724b3de.webp) ### AI Content in TYPO3: Labelling Needs Accountability 02 August 2026 | Benni Mack The EU AI Act brings the origins of AI-generated content into focus. AI Label marks AI-generated and AI-edited content in TYPO3 and records who signed off the published version—for… [ Read more: AI Content in TYPO3: Labelling Needs Accountability ](https://b13.com/knowledge/ai-content-in-typo3-labelling-needs-accountability) - ![Four square icons featuring a purple cube design surround a central logo with an orange shield shape on a patterned background.](https://b13.com/fileadmin/_processed_/7/8/csm_NotTechnologyProblem_Headerbild_fb365f141e.webp) ### Not a Technology Problem—A WordPress Agency Looks at TYPO3 25 June 2026 | David Steeb Pat Ramsey, Director of Technology at Crowd Favorite, has been working with WordPress since 2004. Here’s what he said about TYPO3 at the inaugural TYPO3 Summit North America—with… [ Read more: Not a Technology Problem—A WordPress Agency Looks at TYPO3 ](https://b13.com/knowledge/not-a-technology-problem) - ![Colorful fish illustrations surround a central logo that reads "TYPO3 Summit.](https://b13.com/fileadmin/_processed_/4/3/csm_NorthAmericaSummit_Headerbild_5fbbbbb529.webp) ### Notes from Atlanta—What the First TYPO3 Summit North America Says About the Next Decade of Enterprise CMS 22 May 2026 | David Steeb Field report from the first TYPO3 Summit North America in Atlanta. On governance that can’t be acquired, predictable seven-year lifecycles, the FAIR distribution layer, and why the… [ Read more: Notes from Atlanta—What the First TYPO3 Summit North America Says About the Next Decade of Enterprise CMS ](https://b13.com/knowledge/atlanta-typo3-summit-north-america-enterprise-cms) - ![Graphic featuring the text "TYPO3 THE CAMP" in a bold font, surrounded by stylized illustrations of buildings and a map outline.](https://b13.com/fileadmin/_processed_/3/c/csm_TheCAEMP_Headerbild_cb111f358a.webp) ### Not Bad. But Have You Ever Been to the TYPO3 Camp in Baden-Württemberg? 13 May 2026 | Franzi Töpler Five months of planning, 164 attendees, 46 sessions—and a whole LÄND instead of just one city. Our recap of THE CÄMP in Heidelberg. [ Read more: Not Bad. But Have You Ever Been to the TYPO3 Camp in Baden-Württemberg? ](https://b13.com/knowledge/not-bad-but-have-you-ever-been-to-the-typo3-camp-in-baden-wuerttemberg) - ![A rocket labeled "V14" launches into the sky, surrounded by a group of people celebrating with raised arms.](https://b13.com/fileadmin/_processed_/3/d/csm_v14_Celebration_Headerbild_3d4170fdc5.webp) ### Happy Release Day TYPO3 v14: Why This Release Shows the True Strength of Open Source 21 April 2026 | Florian “Flix” Keitgen TYPO3 v14 improves workflows for editors, marketing teams, and developers—and shows how community-driven open source creates real impact. [ Read more: Happy Release Day TYPO3 v14: Why This Release Shows the True Strength of Open Source ](https://b13.com/knowledge/happy-release-day-typo3-v14-why-this-release-shows-the-true-strength-of-open-source) - ![Four file folders displaying a bar graph with orange bars, set against a light blue background with abstract document outlines.](https://b13.com/fileadmin/_processed_/7/2/csm_PageInfoTabs_Headerbild_1e3eda44e5.webp) ### Taming the Page Module Header—Why We Built EXT:page\_info\_tabs 31 March 2026 | David Steeb When multiple TYPO3 extensions add content to the page module header, things quickly become messy. EXT:page\_info\_tabs structures everything into clean Bootstrap tabs, with zero… [ Read more: Taming the Page Module Header—Why We Built EXT:page\_info\_tabs ](https://b13.com/knowledge/taming-the-page-module-header-why-we-built-extpage-info-tabs) - ![Colorful palm leaves surround a central circular logo featuring a stylized design in orange and white, set against a light background.](https://b13.com/fileadmin/_processed_/3/a/csm_CMSflorida_Headerbild_7f47320b93.webp) ### CMS Kickoff 2026: Perspectives on AI, Open Source, and Digital Sovereignty 19 January 2026 | David Steeb CMS Kickoff 2026 in Florida brought together agencies, CMS experts, and open source communities to discuss AI, digital sovereignty, and the future of content management systems… [ Read more: CMS Kickoff 2026: Perspectives on AI, Open Source, and Digital Sovereignty ](https://b13.com/knowledge/cms-kickoff-2026) - ![User interface design featuring a dark sidebar with navigation options and a central content area with placeholder text.](https://b13.com/fileadmin/_processed_/6/6/csm_V14BackendUX_Headerbild_6dcecb335f.webp) ### Designing TYPO3 14’s Backend: Our Vision for a Modern, Expandable Foundation 12 January 2026 | Laura Heine b13 is redesigning TYPO3’s backend for version 14 to feel modern, work faster, maintain user context, and create an expandable foundation that can evolve for years to come. [ Read more: Designing TYPO3 14’s Backend: Our Vision for a Modern, Expandable Foundation ](https://b13.com/knowledge/designing-typo3-14s-backend-our-vision-for-a-modern-expandable-foundation)