Affinity has faced some significant strategic missteps. A notable example is the decision to allocate substantial resources toward developing a Salesforce add-on, which has delivered minimal value. This initiative continues to hinder growth. Leadership remains heavily invested in the idea of moving upmarket, with Salesforce seen as the key to this vision. Meanwhile, competitors like Attio are capitalizing on this, leapfrogging Affinity's core CRM offerings in ways that have not gone unnoticed by our customers.
The product team appears to have drifted from customer priorities, allowing technical debt to accumulate and slow progress. It’s disappointing for a company that once showed immense potential.
Additionally, internal politics are creating barriers to innovation. Some middle managers are not well suited for their roles. Feedback is sometimes met with resistance or dismissive responses, contributing to a challenging environment. High turnover in senior roles has added to the instability. However, with a new CEO in place, there are signs of a possible course correction – though it's still too early to tell.