Why The Next Big Platform Won’t Be Built. It’ll Be Assembled.

Not All Tech Is Built the Same

At Be Herd, one thing became clear: Some tech companies are just updating the past. Others are building from the future.

Walking through the vendor hall at Rentvine’s Be Herd conference, I was struck by something I’ve been saying for a while but hadn’t felt this clearly until now:

Some vendors are in an arms race. Others are in a paradigm shift.

Some are waiting for the industry to change. Others are already building for what’s coming next.

And the room?

It was full of people who had already made that decision.

These weren’t just attendees. They were switchers, property managers who chose the hard path of leaving their old system behind. Why? Because they refused to settle for platforms that ignore them.

Be Herd wasn’t just a user event. It was a community built on shared courage who have the strong willingness to reject the status quo and bet on a better model.

‍

The Real Urgency: AI Isn’t Evolving Like You Think

If there’s anything we’ve learned from the recent leaked CEO memos on AI, it’s this:

AI is not evolving like past technologies. It’s not doubling every two years like Moore’s Law predicted.

It’s doubling every six months. 

That means what used to take 20 years now happens in five or less.

Which is why the real question when evaluating tech isn’t:

 “Do they have AI?”

 It’s:  “Are they building like they know what’s coming?”

‍

The Real Divide Isn’t AI vs. No AI

It’s whether your partner is building from control or from trust.

Everyone is an AI company, well, at least on paper. But not everyone is building with the same lens.

In a recent talk, I broke down two types of AI and three types of tech company mindsets:

1. “We offer AI integrations, but you’ll want to use ours.”

→ The legacy system play.

They’ll give you just enough access to claim openness.
But behind the scenes, it’s narrow permissions, boxed-in AI, and a desire to maintain control and not empower you.

2. “We’re building AI directly into our platform, and keeping it open.”

→ The modern platform mindset.

This is the Rentvine approach: building AI features natively, while still allowing users to bring their own agents, automations, and intelligence.

It’s flexible, evolving, and aligned with what’s best for operators.

3. “We’re building AI agents that work on top of any system.”

→ The AI-native model.

These tools aren’t asking you to switch platforms. They’re both  intelligent agents and digital teammates that plug into what you already use.
No dependency. No lock-in. Just leverage.

This is how Vendoroo operates.

‍

Rentvine’s Philosophy Is Working… for a Reason

It’s not just what Randall Henderson said in our interview months ago. It’s what Rentvine continues to show through their product, their culture, and the Be Herd event itself.

“We let the property manager dictate what their stack looks like and what tech they need.”
— Randall Henderson, COO of Rentvine

That’s not just a quote. It’s a strategic choice and a bold one.

Because Rentvine did what other platforms wouldn’t:

They listened.

It started with better customer support. But it grew into a product development philosophy: build with your users, not just for them.

And because of that, Rentvine has quietly become the platform people switch to when they’re ready to leave behind the systems that stopped listening.

That’s why the room at Be Herd felt different.
It was full of people who had taken the hard step and those who knew they weren’t alone.

✅ Open ecosystem
✅ No integration gatekeeping
✅ Flat, flexible pricing
✅ Roadmap shaped by real feedback
✅ AI that enhances, not overwhelms

While other platforms are still debating whether to let you tinker, Rentvine has built a system that expects it.

That’s not just support.

That’s alignment.

And it’s working.

Why This Matters: You’re Not Just Buying Software… You’re Buying Pace.

Most teams evaluate software based on what it can do today.
But in an AI-native world, the biggest cost is stagnation.

As I said in my talk:

“You’re either adapting your company to AI or adapting AI to your old company. Only one of those scales.”

The wrong platform will slow you down when speed is the whole game.
The wrong partner will leave you waiting while your competitors plug in tools like Vendoroo on day one.

So here’s the better question to ask before you buy:

• Will this system evolve faster than the industry?
• Can I plug in AI-native tools like Vendoroo without friction?
• Is this platform being built by people who understand the pace of change we’re in?

If the answer is “no,” it’s already behind.

The Arms Race Is Over. The Philosophy Shift Has Begun.

We’re past asking “Who has AI?”

Now we ask:
“Who’s thinking clearly about what AI actually means for property managers?”

That’s why I’m proud to align Vendoroo with Rentvine.

Our missions are different. The other one’s a platform, one’s an AI-native assistant.
But our philosophies are the same:

👉 Empower the property manager
👉 Open the stack
👉 Build from the future not the past
👉 Move with urgency not hesitation

Be Herd didn’t just celebrate Rentvine’s users.
It spotlighted a new model for what tech in this industry should look like. And that gives me hope.

Because the more property managers start evaluating tech through that lens,
the faster the future gets here for everyone.

‍

Choosing a product isn’t just about features anymore. It’s more about choosing a philosophy.

The ones who seem to be gaining real traction lately aren’t always chasing the flashiest AI. They’re building stacks that flex, evolve, and feel aligned with where things might be going.

It doesn’t necessarily mean rebuilding everything.

Sometimes it looks more like realigning: asking better questions, partnering with platforms that anticipate change instead of resisting it.

Start by asking different questions and partner with platforms that expect change instead of fearing it.

And when the next shift hits, you won’t scramble to adapt.
You’ll already be there.

See what that looks like in action.

‍

Pablo Gonzalez,

Chief Evangelist at Vendoroo

‍