LinkedIn·Tuesday, 25 August 2026·1d ago

Nobody sends an angry email to Microsoft. They send it to us. We build retail software for stores of every size. Some of our customers run…

Peter De Ranter

Helping retailers go from omnichannel to omniconnected | CEO & Founder, Tilroy | Follow for real retail-tech case studies

Nobody sends an angry email to Microsoft. They send it to us. We build retail software for stores of every size. Some of our customers run one store. Others run 100 or more. Same product, very different worlds. Last month a retailer with two stores asked for a feature. Very specific. Built for how they work. No other customer would ever use it. Their argument: "this benefits everyone." Their expectation: we build it for free, roadmap material. We said no. You know what it can cost. Not a number on a churn report, a relationship you built over years that suddenly goes cold. Here is what makes it hard. Our roadmap comes from four inputs: the market, feedback across our whole customer base, our product vision, and paid custom development when one customer wants something only they need. That last one has a price tag. On purpose. But we are small enough to be reachable. You can call us. You can push. An angry mail lands with management, not in a queue. That closeness and impact is why retailers choose us. It is also why saying no costs something. Lesson learned: being close to your customers is a feature you pay for every day. Anonymous companies use distance to protect their roadmap. We have to find the balance: protecting our relationships without sacrificing our own roadmap. Both choices come with a bill.. We can afford to say no. We just never enjoy it.