Monday.com, in a departure from its competitors, is taking a unique approach to project management software by offering separate, standalone apps for specific tasks. The newly launched apps, Workforms and Canvas, provide a form-building and collaborative whiteboard experience respectively. Unlike the traditional monolithic project management tools of other companies like Airtable and Asana, Monday.com aims to provide targeted solutions with distinct pricing, development teams, and roadmaps for each app.
Eran Zinman, co-CEO of Monday.com, emphasizes the advantages of this approach, stating that by focusing on individual tools, the company can delve deep into their functionalities and attract a broader customer base. Workforms and Canvas were chosen as starting points due to their rising popularity among businesses and their potential as standalone products. These apps serve as entry points for users who might not be ready for the more extensive onboarding process of the full Monday.com platform, making it easier for them to get started with simpler tools.
One advantage of offering these apps separately is the flexibility it provides for technological advancements. For instance, Canvas was able to support up to 100 collaborators smoothly, achieving 60 frames per second, which would have been challenging within the constraints of Monday’s core service.
While the current versions of Workforms and Canvas offer basic features compared to some competitors, Monday.com is committed to continuous improvement. The company treats these apps as startups within its organization, giving them autonomy to evolve quickly and make necessary enhancements.
Though the apps are standalone, they still integrate with Monday.com’s “Work OS,” allowing users to leverage the core platform’s capabilities. This integration enables users to view form responses in a table powered by Monday.com and easily collaborate further by pulling charts directly into the platform. The company believes that users will eventually see the benefits of the broader platform and migrate towards it, much like how Google and Microsoft expanded their suites of productivity tools.
As Monday.com sets out on its path of unbundling, Zinman predicts that the trend of all-in-one apps will eventually shift towards a more comprehensive ecosystem. While competitors may currently focus on a single app with diverse features, the future lies in a more modular approach, offering specialized apps for specific tasks while maintaining seamless integration within a broader ecosystem.
