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The Composable CMO in 2024 and Beyond

John Faber
October 16, 2023

The Composable CMO in 2024 and Beyond

*Presented at ComposableNOW, Lille France

Last week I was in Lille, France for DrupalCon Europe 2023. DrupalCon was as illuminating and engaging as it always is, but the real highlight came before the event—when I had the opportunity to speak at ComposableNOW: The Future of the Open Web.

Speaking on Composability and the Open Web

At ComposableNOW, I delivered a talk titled:

“The Composable CMO in 2024 and Beyond: Using the Open Web for Digital Acceleration and Data Privacy”

In the session, I discussed the key options today’s CMO has when it comes to web software, and why I believe the composable stack is the best choice for organizations prioritizing scale, cost-efficiency, and control over their data.

Composability and the PASS Equation

Today’s CMO has three choices for building their digital stack:

  1. Commercial Off-the-Shelf Software (e.g., Adobe Experience Cloud)
  2. Traditional Open Source Platforms (e.g., Drupal, WordPress)
  3. Composable Architecture (built from modular vendor solutions)

Why Commercial Software Falls Short

While commercial software is easy to adopt, it leads to:

  • High operating costs
  • Slow feature delivery
  • Vendor lock-in
  • No data ownership

Limitations of Traditional Open Source

Drupal and WordPress solve the data ownership problem—but:

  • They require specialized expertise (PHP/MySQL)
  • Engineering talent is harder to find
  • Scaling can be difficult and costly

The Case for Composability: The PASS Framework

PASS = Performance, Accessibility, Security, Scalability

  • Performance: Static-site generation avoids heavy server load and surprise overage fees.
  • Accessibility: Decoupled front ends open access to a wider, modern developer talent pool.
  • Security: No more frantic patches for outdated platforms; modern stacks are lean and secure.
  • Scalability: Bandwidth, not architecture, becomes the limiting factor.

Each of these reduces total cost of ownership while increasing flexibility and longevity.

Data Privacy: The Hidden Risk in Composability

Even if you build a composable stack, your data may still be at risk.

Proprietary vendors often own or control your content via complex terms of service.

Common Pitfalls:

  • Content may be locked behind proprietary APIs
  • Data exports (e.g., CSV dumps) lose structure and usability
  • Platforms may monetize your content using AI or analytics without your consent

What Can CMOs Do?

  • Choose open platforms like Drupal for true content ownership
  • Avoid closed hosting providers with opaque terms of service
  • Partner with vendors who share your data ethics

Companies like Amazee are pioneering privacy-respecting platform solutions that support the open web.

Five Takeaways for the Composable CMO

  1. Composability increases innovation and accelerates iteration cycles.
  2. It reduces total cost of ownership compared to monolithic platforms.
  3. Own your data—or someone else will.
  4. Partner with vendors that support the open web and data transparency.
  5. Digital transformation takes time and leadership. Don’t default to convenience.

Chapter Three’s Role

At Chapter Three, we:

  • Build unified composable platforms with unified billing
  • Ensure client ownership of content
  • Help you find trusted, privacy-focused partners

If you’re a CMO exploring a composable stack, we’re here to help.

More Resources

Let’s build a more open, flexible, and privacy-respecting web—together.

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