There is a costly secret lurking in the tech and consulting world, and Clark Sandlin is calling it out. “It’s called the Project Trap,” says Sandlin, co-founder of Zyrka. “It’s costing businesses hundreds of thousands of dollars every year.”
The Anatomy of a Trap
“It starts with a flashy platform pitch,” Sandlin explains. “The vendor shows you a sleek demo, tosses around terms like ‘AI-powered’ and ‘industry-leading,’ and paints a picture of transformation. The pressure is high. The promises are huge. And buried in the fine print is where the real cost lives.” The trap is sprung once the contract is signed. Onboarding begins, fees stack, and before long, companies are locked into expensive software or services that never deliver or worse, cannot be exited without major penalties.
Oversold: All Sizzle, No Steak
“These deals are built on sizzle, not steak,” Sandlin says. “You are sold buzzwords and white papers, not outcomes. It is ‘industry-leading AI’ that turns out to be nothing more than a chrome-plated part under a carbon fiber hood.” Sales teams are trained to sell the dream. “You are told it will streamline operations, boost revenue, and maybe even solve world peace while it is at it,” Sandlin adds with a wry smile. The reality? “You have been sold the Ferrari when all you needed was a dependable pickup,” he states. Sandlin recalls a client who needed a simple outdoor Wi-Fi solution. “Another firm came in with a ten-access-point mesh setup, firewall, PoE switch, the whole nine yards. It looked impressive, but we asked the hard questions.”
Zyrka’s review revealed hidden pitfalls. “The hardware was supported for just one year. After that, the client faced mandatory licensing renewals costing 25 percent of the original project price every single year. That is not innovation. That is margin padding,” Sandlin says.
Instead, Zyrka delivered an enterprise-grade design with fewer access points, no recurring fees, and a price 75 percent lower. “No fluff. Just solid engineering and transparency. That is real value,” he notes. “Not smoke, not mirrors, just integrity.”
Underused: Ghost Town Behind the Login Screen
Months after launch, many platforms sit idle. “We walk into environments where the tool is not configured, departments have not adopted it, and no one can even find the training materials,” Sandlin explains. “Meanwhile, the company is still paying for it.” These are not small mistakes. They are strategic failures. Businesses budget around tools that never deliver value. IT teams waste time managing shelfware instead of solving problems. “You have spent thousands onboarding a tool that sits idle, except for the automatic billing that never misses a beat,” Sandlin warns.
Recurring Fees: The Modern-Day Shackle
Another hallmark of the Project Trap? Escaping it is almost impossible. “We have seen three-year contracts with auto-renewal clauses, stiff exit penalties, and built-in yearly price hikes,” Sandlin says. “It is legal ransomware in a suit and tie.”
The Zyrka Playbook
Sandlin urges companies to take a more rigorous approach before signing any major software or service deal. “Start with better questions,” he advises:
- What percentage of customers use the platform as intended after 12 months?
- What are the top three reasons clients cancel?
- Can we test this with a real pilot?
- Who is accountable for success?
- What is our exit plan if it does not work?
“Do not just do due diligence on acquisitions,” Sandlin adds. “Do it on projects too.”
The Bottom Line
“At Zyrka, we see the fallout from these traps all the time,” Sandlin says. “Family offices and PE firms bleed money on underutilized platforms. Internal teams get demoralized by tools that promised magic but delivered confusion.” His advice is simple. Stop buying software and services the way people buy gym memberships, optimistically and without a plan. “If a solution cannot prove its value quickly, clearly, and continuously, it is not a solution,” Sandlin says. “It is a trap. And we are in the business of springing traps before they close.”
Connect with Clark Sandlin on LinkedIn to learn more about avoiding costly tech traps and building smarter, value-driven solutions.
