What is a tech stack?

As a business adopts more software to manage its operations, marketing, sales, and finance, the collection of tools it uses becomes an important aspect of how the business works. The term tech stack is commonly used in startup and business discussions to refer to this collection, and understanding what it means and why it matters helps founders make more deliberate decisions about the tools they adopt.

A tech stack is the combination of software tools, platforms, and services that a business uses to operate. It may include a website platform, a CRM, accounting software, project management tools, communication platforms, marketing tools, and any specialist applications specific to the type of business. How well the components work together — whether they share data effectively, whether they are used consistently, and whether they serve the actual needs of the business — affects how efficiently the business operates.

Tech stacks grow organically in most businesses, with new tools added without a clear view of how they fit together, often resulting in duplication and tools paid for but underused. Periodically reviewing the stack — assessing whether each tool is earning its place and whether they work well together — is a worthwhile discipline. Our guide to building a small business tech stack covers how to approach this review.