For the last decade, the corporate answer to digital transformation has been the Digital Adoption Platform (DAP).
Companies have spent billions on tools like WalkMe, Whatfix, and Spekit. The promise was seductive: overlay your complex software with “smart” guidance, and your employees will instantly know how to do their jobs.
And to be fair, DAPs succeeded at one specific thing: they taught people where to click.
They reduced IT support tickets. They helped people navigate confusing Salesforce interfaces. They ensured that the “Submit” button was clicked in the right order.
But they failed to solve the problem that actually keeps L&D leaders awake at night.
They solved Software Adoption. They did not solve Skill Acquisition.
There is a massive, expensive gap between “using the software” and “doing the job.” It’s time we stopped pretending a tooltip can bridge it.
The “Typing vs. Writing” Fallacy
Confusing software adoption with skill acquisition is like confusing typing with writing.
A DAP is a world-class typing instructor. It can show you exactly where the “Q” key is. It can highlight the “Shift” key when you need to capitalize a letter. It ensures you never struggle to find a button on the keyboard.
But does knowing where the keys are make you Hemingway?
Does it teach you how to craft a persuasive argument? How to structure a narrative? How to communicate with empathy?
Of course not.
Yet, this is exactly how we treat our employees. We buy a CRM and install a DAP to show sales reps how to log a deal. Then, when their win rates don’t improve, we wonder why the “training” didn’t work.
The training didn’t work because you trained them on the tool, not the trade.
Where DAPs Hit the Ceiling
Let’s look at the current landscape.
The market leaders—giants like WalkMe and challengers like Pendo, are excellent at process compliance.
If your goal is to ensure a field is filled out correctly so your database doesn’t break, a DAP is a great solution.
But look at the limitations:
- They are reactive: They wait for the user to be confused by the UI.
- They are mechanical: They focus on “How do I do this action?” not “Why should I do this action?”
- They are static: A tooltip on a field is the same for a junior hire as it is for a senior VP.
Real performance gaps are rarely about the software interface. They are about the cognitive skills required to use that software effectively.
The Real-World Gap: A Scenario
Imagine a Customer Success Manager (CSM) looking at a “Churn Risk” dashboard.
The DAP Approach (Whatfix/Spekit)
The CSM hovers over the “Churn Risk” score. A popup appears: “This score is calculated based on login frequency and support tickets. Click here to export the report.”
- Result: The CSM knows what the score is and how to export it.
- Missing Skill: The CSM still has no idea how to save the customer.
The Skill Acquisition Approach (Bobolink)
The CSM looks at the same dashboard. The system recognizes the context: High-value client, high churn risk, renewal due in 30 days.
Instead of explaining the button, Bobolink surfaces a strategic micro-lesson: “3 Strategies to Save an At-Risk Renewal (Before You Email).”
- Result: The CSM pauses, learns a negotiation framework, and applies it immediately.
- Outcome: The customer is saved.
The DAP optimized the click. The skill acquisition platform optimized the outcome.
The “Cognitive Layer” of Learning
To move beyond the DAP, we need to stop thinking about the “Interface Layer” and start addressing the “Cognitive Layer.”
True Learning in the Flow of Work isn’t about annotating a screen. It’s about injecting intelligence into the moment of work.
This requires a system that understands more than just the HTML of the webpage. It needs to understand:
- The User: What is their role? What are their current skill gaps?
- The Context: What task are they trying to accomplish? (e.g., “Preparing for a QBR,” not just “Viewing the calendar”).
- The Science: How do we present this information so it sticks? (Using strategies like Spaced Repetition and Retrieval Practice).
Why the Future is “Beyond the Button”
We are entering an age where AI will handle most of the button-clicking for us. The ability to navigate a UI will become less relevant as interfaces become more conversational and automated.
The value of your workforce will not be their ability to operate software; it will be their ability to think, decide, and create through that software.
If your strategy relies entirely on DAP tools, you are optimizing for a problem that is slowly disappearing (UI complexity) while ignoring the problem that is rapidly growing (skill fragmentation).
Don’t Settle for Usage Stats
It is time to raise the bar for what we consider “success” in digital transformation.
- “Login frequency” is a vanity metric.
- “Tooltip hover rate” is a vanity metric.
Real success is capability. It’s better decisions. It’s faster ramp-up times for complex roles.
So, by all means, use a DAP to keep your data clean. But don’t confuse it with a learning strategy.
If you want to build a workforce that can actually perform, you need to go beyond the DAP. You need to focus on Skill Acquisition.
Ready to see the difference between a tooltip and a teacher?
