Choosing the approach
Do you need a custom HubSpot build?
Sometimes the answer is configuration. Sometimes it’s a connector, an extension or a new integration. Start with what your team needs to accomplish.
First, describe what the person needs to do.
“We need a custom integration” is already a proposed solution. “Our account managers need to check invoices and change a customer’s subscription from HubSpot” gives us a task we can evaluate.
I start there, then check what your current setup can support. The answer may be configuration, a product that already exists or custom work. These options can also be used together.
Match the approach to the missing capability.
| Approach | A situation it may fit | The question to answer |
|---|---|---|
| HubSpot configuration | A won deal needs to create a task or notify the right owner. | Can your current features and subscription handle the rule and its exceptions? |
| Existing connector | Two systems need a supported exchange of contacts or invoices. | Does it carry the right fields, in the right direction, and show failures? |
| Custom integration | The required data exchange or business rule is missing from available products. | How will it handle incomplete data, retries and changes in either system? |
| UI extension | A person needs to view information or take an action from a HubSpot record. | What does the user need to see and do to finish the task? |
| Decision support | The account owner needs relevant information to make a decision or prepare a response. | Which outputs need review, and which actions should remain under explicit rules? |
Example: put subscription management in HubSpot.
At Streamline, account managers used HubSpot for the relationship and Stripe for billing. The gap was not simply getting another property onto the company record. They needed to view financial information and carry out subscription changes.
I built an extension with those controls inside the company record, backed by connections to Stripe. A read-only card served people who needed visibility without the same editing access.
That required both an interface and a connection. Calling it only a “sync” would have missed the actual task.
See the Streamline exampleWhen an existing product is enough, use it.
For a straightforward exchange, a supported connector may be the best answer. I check it against a real record, including required fields, line items, ownership and what happens if the receiving system rejects the update.
The subscription price is only part of the comparison. Include setup, manual exceptions, maintenance and the effort of replacing the product if it no longer fits. Custom work needs that same scrutiny.
Design the decision and review process.
An account view should present the relevant history, its source and the action the owner can take. A fixed pricing formula needs to produce the agreed calculation every time. Those are different responsibilities.
I specify which decisions require approval, who can take each action and how the process handles an exception. I test those rules against difficult examples before rollout.
Decide with a normal case and an exception.
Bring one example that works today and one that causes trouble. We can compare the options against both, including the person who will maintain the result.
My recommendation should explain why the approach fits, what it will cost to run and what your team will be able to do when it is delivered.
How scope affects the investmentLet’s talk
Let’s work out what the task actually needs.
What can’t your team do in the current setup?
Bring a normal example and one that causes trouble. I’ll evaluate the practical options and recommend an approach before you commit to a build.
A free 30-minute conversation with me, followed by a written recap. You can decide on the next step from there.
Included when you choose to email me.