The "Success Tax" vs. Tasting Room Flow: Rethinking the Winery DTC Tech Stack
Most winery software evaluations focus on surface-level feature checklists rather than long-term channel margins and floor realities, leaving scaling estates caught between percentage-based transaction fees and checkout bottlenecks. In this brief, Laura Booras breaks down the true Total Cost of Ownership across competing DTC architectures and provides an executive framework leadership can use to balance gross margin preservation against tasting room flow.
M&A Due Diligence: Uncovering Shadow IT and Post-Close Technology Pitfalls
Standard due diligence checks software, procurement, vendor, and utility expense line items rather than actual workflows, resulting in critical operational debt hidden behind clean spreadsheets. This brief outlines the real world technology liabilities when operators assume control of a new business acquisition, and provides specific diligence questions and actionable steps sponsors can use to identify these pitfalls before closing.
Post-Acquisition Tech Upgrades: When "Modernization" Destroys EBITDA
Post-acquisition software migrations frequently fail because investors confuse operational friction with IT problems. In this brief, The Odd Agency breaks down the true cost of M&A tech integrations and why a lack of governance and the "checkbox mentality" destroys EBITDA during the first 100 days.