Explaining MetaCX to a Fifth Grader

In the world of technology, there is a saying that, “You have to explain it in a way that even a fifth grader can understand.” Sometimes those of us who work in the industry day in and day out forget that we speak a different language—a language that people outside the self-imposed “tech bubble” don’t connect with. Technology is complicated and it’s getting more so every day. In order for your message to resonate with its intended audience, it’s important to periodically take a step back and put yourself in the shoes of someone who has no clue what your technology does.

So that’s exactly what we’re going to do. Unfortunately, we don’t have any fifth graders on hand, so below is a hypothetical conversation with one in which we explain what MetaCX does.

Fifth Grader: What does MetaCX do?

MetaCX: We offer a software platform for businesses!

Fifth Grader: How does it work?

MetaCX: Well, businesses can use it in a bunch of different ways. In general, companies use it to make sure their customers are happy and getting what they paid for and then on the reverse of that, that their own vendors are delivering on what they promised.

Fifth Grader: Well, if it’s for customers, would my mom and dad use it? They buy stuff all the time.

MetaCX: Not exactly. MetaCX is used when a business buys something—maybe a service or a product—from another business on a recurring basis so there’s an actual business relationship between the two companies. It’s not used for one time purchases. And here’s where it gets tricky—sometimes money isn’t involved at all. Sometimes MetaCX is used when two or more companies are simply partnering together on a project or initiative.

Fifth Grader: I think I understand. So what do companies do in MetaCX?

MetaCX: Within the platform, companies can connect and collaborate in something we call bridges. Think of a bridge as a digital room that you can invite any company into—maybe it’s a customer, maybe it’s a vendor, or maybe it’s a business partner. Companies are able to come and go from the bridges they’ve created or have been invited into, but the bridges are always there—they don’t disappear.

Fifth Grader: So if a bridge is a digital room, what’s in the room?

MetaCX: That’s a great question! The bridge houses everything that is needed to ensure a successful business relationship. More specifically, companies in a bridge are able to define the outcomes they are expecting out of partnering together.

Fifth Grader: Outcomes? What do you mean?

MetaCX: When a business buys from or partners with another business, it does so for a reason. The organization is trying to accomplish something that it can’t do alone. The desired end result is what we call a business outcome.

Fifth Grader: I see. Once you list all these outcomes in a bridge, what happens? Do they just sit there?

MetaCX: Nope, that’s just the start! The companies that are in the bridge are able to build action plans that outline steps to accomplish the outcomes, share assets and communicate with each other, and most importantly, map out metrics to help them see if they are tracking toward successfully achieving the outcomes.

Fifth Grader: What do you mean by metrics? How does that work?

MetaCX: Well, business outcomes are measurable. MetaCX makes it so our users can gather a bunch of data to create a metric or set of metrics that measure outcome achievement. These metrics not only show when an outcome has been achieved, but also show progress. That is important because it allows partnering companies to make changes if things aren’t moving in the right direction.

Fifth Grader: I think I’m getting it. But what happens after all the outcomes have been achieved? Do companies just stop using MetaCX?

MetaCX: Usually with business relationships, desired outcomes are something that you continuously want. For instance, if someone has hired a call center to help them deliver great customer service, they want to continue to offer great customer service. But even if that wasn’t the case, companies don’t use MetaCX to manage just one business relationship.

Fifth Grader: So they use it to manage lots of relationships?

MetaCX: If they want to, organizations can use MetaCX to manage all of their business relationships! They can manage their customers on the platform, their vendors, their partners, their investors, and the list goes on. They can build hundreds of bridges dedicated to different outcomes and initiatives. That’s why we call it the Business Value Network.

Fifth Grader: Network? I thought you said this was a platform?

MetaCX: Sorry, I can see how that would be confusing. We call what we’ve built the Business Value Network, but it’s a network built on a software platform.

Fifth Grader: Cool. Well, I don’t think I have any other questions.

MetaCX: You did great. There’s a whole other dimension to the Business Value Network called the metaverse, but let’s save that for another day.

And there you have it, that’s what it looks like to explain MetaCX to a fifth grader. Granted, we chose a particularly patient and curious fifth grader for our example, but that’s the benefit of a hypothetical situation. If you have any further questions about MetaCX, request a demo today!