When working or reading, I often stumble into a trance that leads to an observation many regard as impertinent. Oddly, I created a Substack with precisely that title. This post is one of those observations - perhaps impertinent to most of you - perhaps spot-on to some.
We often struggle to address business requirements with underlying conflicts that straddle the world of text and data. Have you ever wondered - should I use Google Docs or SmartSuite for this project?
This signifies some degree of requirements tension between the nature of documents and data. I think we see this more than we want to admit, and what do we typically do? We choose what we know love. 😉
Increasingly, we are faced with text-centric requirements that rule in the need for capturing, composing, sharing, transforming, and searching texts that are potentially more complex than a data field or workflow might ordinarily handle.
Luckily, SmartSuite addresses many of these concerns with the SmartDoc field. It's not universally perfect, but it is vastly near-perfect compared to other no/low-code platforms.
Coda, for example, is a wonderful document environment that may also include data tables with relational models and many other features including deeply integrated AI. However, neither its API nor formula language allows you to access the document canvas. In some projects where text is most critical, Coda is not suitable despite its formidable embrace of content.
Likewise, I can find similar cases where SmartSuite is unsuitable to meet project requirements that lean into text and content capabilities. Here's one example. Broadcasting dynamic values from one field into another is a common expectation of all spreadsheets and no-code platforms. So, why not support that in SmartDoc?
I don't think anyone can make a case for not doing this. It vastly expands the platform's extensibility as a document-centric solution for many business requirements, and I suspect it's coming. Color me impatient, but only because I often see this doc/data tension.
Dynamic transformations within SmartDoc pretty much change everything. Reusable templates become effortless, and documents suddenly become alive with the potential to change as your data changes.
My Observation
Docs and data go well together. The current trend of smart no/low-code applications suggests any product that reduces this tension will increase its chances of winning.
Text is far more meaningful to generative AI than data. SmartSuite is uniquely positioned to lead all other no/low-code platforms by leaning into fully extensible SmartDocs. For example, a canvas block populated by an AI prompt in a field draws upon data values in adjacent or linked records.
Offering this level of generative AI prompts abstraction is a killer feature. Prompts can be easily maintained and reused, meeting composable design traits you may want no-code builders to enjoy.
I'm still learning SmartSuite, so please correct any assumptions I may have misconstrued.