How dyslexia can drive business success: An interview with Michael FitzGerald, CEO of OnePageCRM

With software products becoming increasingly complex, the strive for a simple interface has never been more challenging. Michael FitzGerald, CEO and co-founder of OnePageCRM, a software product that recently won several innovation awards, shares what helped him design the simplest CRM system in the world, according to Forbes Advisor.

Last November, OnePageCRM, was shortlisted as a finalist in the “Innovator of the Year” category in the SFA Business Awards 2024, backed by the former Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. On top of that, earlier this month, Forbes listed OnePageCRM as the best simple Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution on the market.

‘Simple’ and ‘CRM’ are not usually two words you’ll hear in one sentence.

Coupled with AI-powered tools, add-ons, API integrations, automation features, and much more—a CRM system is often one of the most comprehensive types of software products.

And yet, FitzGerald maintains: “We’ll keep it simple”. This philosophy has had an impact on the company’s culture and values, and you’ll often hear these three powerful words in their Galway-based office on the west coast of Ireland. The company has learned to tackle UX and UI challenges through whiteboard discussions and storytelling, turning them into a unique competitive advantage.

Focusing on value instead of buzzwords

Richard Branson famously stated, “Dyslexia is my superpower”. However, FitzGerald adds: “Like any superpower, dyslexia comes with its own blindspots”.

During the last 11 years, while running a SaaS business competing against tech giants such as Salesforce, Michael FitzGerald, who has dyslexia, learned to recognize his limitations and play to his strengths.

Coming from an engineering background, his love for problem-solving and creative thinking brought him into product design and software development, which is not surprising. Many neurodiverse people often demonstrate a unique ability to think outside the box, navigate uncertainty, and communicate in a very clear way.

However, good communication is more than a verbal exchange—and FitzGerald understands this very well. He uses whiteboards as a tool for collaboration and debates. Instead of giving directives, he sketches rough ideas on whiteboards and shapes them together with the team in meeting rooms. This way of collaboration has imprinted on the company’s culture where every contribution matters. The final sketch on the whiteboard always combines different perspectives—from product, development, security, design, and marketing. This helps the company find well-rounded and balanced solutions.

One of the first things users notice about OnePageCRM is its clean interface and the absence of overwhelming details. FitzGerald explains, “Messaging is much more than words. It’s the context, imagery, headings—and lastly, copy. We encourage users to experience the app rather than read lengthy instructions. They don’t come to us for a leisurely read. They come here to work—and we’ve built an app that doesn’t get in their way.”

Even the company’s website explains the product not only through words but also through imagery and lots of breathing white spaces. “Our website needs to show how we’re solving problems for users rather than talk about how great we are,” FitzGerald reminds his team during marketing meetings.

Being a visual person with an ability to see the bigger picture, he drives the show-don’t-tell approach. “You won’t find many “revolutionary”, “AI-driven”, or other buzzwords in our messaging,” he continues. “These words often confuse rather than add value.”

When a whiteboard is worth a thousand words

Whether from the office or online, in OnePageCRM every new feature conceptualization happens on a whiteboard. There’s always a diverse group of people from the CTO, a product designer, or a project manager at the table that sees the product differently—whether through code, numbers, features, or colors.

In discussing his journey, FitzGerald reflects that he’s always at the whiteboard ready to sketch an idea by molding together different perspectives, wiping the board clean, and re-sketching again until everyone in the room sees the concept clearly and agrees: “This does exactly what our users asked us to do.”

Offering specialties first

Product managers and designers with dyslexia often have highly sought-after skills in the workplace, with a vivid imagination that can help connect the dots and find a human approach to building even the most technical of applications.

One thing you’ll notice in OnePageCRM is that the app doesn’t have a lot of pop-ups. The in-app onboarding tells a story without bombarding users with notifications.

“Imagine trying a new restaurant. When you first walk in, it’s not about the menu yet; you’re assessing the decor, lighting, cleanliness, and general atmosphere. This is similar to how new users experience an app. When they walk in, they are not ready for the pop-ups; they just want to look around,” FitzGerald explains.

“Only if you’re happy with the restaurant’s atmosphere, you’ll care about the menu. A good waiter won’t try to convince you to try out everything they have, they’ll draw your attention to the best dishes. If you like their specialty, the next time you come, you’ll be more relaxed and might try something else.

“This is similar to in-app onboarding. When new users come to OnePageCRM, we don’t overwhelm them with all our features. We want them to try our specialties first. If you like our famous curry, we know you’ll be back,” FitzGerald smiles.

Avoiding too many bells and whistles

FitzGerald’s vision for simplicity in web design and storytelling goes beyond clean interfaces. He urges software businesses to pivot from traditional lengthy explanations to more clear and concise communication that centers around the customer’s experience.

He further explains: “If you need a lot of time to explain to a user how your product works, it’s highly likely that you’ll lose them and didn’t build your product the right way. That’s why a clean user interface (UI) is no longer a desired competitive advantage but a necessity.”

While users expect to see more and more features packed into a single application, it’s important to be mindful of cognitive overload. Cognitive overload is a rather complex concept. It’s the result of multiple pieces building one on top of another over time, often unbeknown to product managers and designers.

The power of diversity, inclusion, and belonging (DI&B)

Rather than stigmatizing dyslexia as ‘good’ or ‘bad’, it’s essential to challenge the status quo. Diverging from a neurotypical approach can lead to innovative and groundbreaking solutions benefiting society as a whole.

Through his professional insights, Michael FitzGerald gives us an intimate understanding of what it’s like to navigate the professional world as a leader with dyslexia. His story serves as a strong call to action for organizations of all sizes to embrace neurodiversity, create more supportive and inclusive workplaces to foster a sense of belonging, and ultimately, better serve our community.