Is it Time for DXP to Rest in Peace? Dominique De Cooman Thinks Otherwise

The Drupal community has been at the centre of a heated debate following Pantheon Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer Josh Koenig’s assertion that the Digital Experience Platform (DXP) category is crumbling and that Drupal should move away from it. This perspective, outlined in his recent LinkedIn posts (here and here), stirred discussion among developers, agencies, and enterprise users.

"R.I.P DXP!"

However, Dominique De Cooman, Co-founder, co-CEO, and CTO of DropSolid, a company known for its work in OpenDXP, strongly disagrees. Not only does he disagree, but he has some pretty solid points to note about why Josh Koenig's argument is one-sided and far from a nuanced approach. In a recent conversation with The DropTimes, Dominique provided a well-articulated defence of the DXP model, arguing that DXPs—particularly open and AI-driven—are viable and essential for Drupal’s future.

The Case for OpenDXP

Dominique’s primary concern with Josh’s argument is the assumption that DXP as a category is fundamentally flawed. He believes this paints an incomplete picture, failing to acknowledge that DXPs are not monolithic but adaptable.

“I felt it was like a one-sided story... I just thought it was unbalanced, to say the least.”

He admits that the monolithic DXPs might be in decline, but open and AI-driven DXPs are thriving. From his perspective, OpenDXP represents a middle ground between composable stacks and monolithic DXPs, offering a balance of flexibility and packaging that can make digital experiences more efficient for a wide range of users, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

“If you put Drupal and Mautic together, you basically have the minimum version of a DXP.”

Dominique argues that while content management is about managing and delivering content, DXPs go beyond that by personalizing users' experiences and leveraging customer data to enhance digital interactions. This is what makes them valuable. 

“The key difference between a CMS and a DXP is the ability to personalize experiences for users. Content management is about delivering content, but DXP goes beyond that—it’s about using data to create meaningful, personalized digital experiences.”

To borrow Dominique's own words from one of his previous interviews, "Drupal is a bike frame, and OpenDXP is the full bike," it gives customers an out-of-the-box solution while still allowing customization.

Debunking the “DXP is Crumbling” Narrative

Josh’s primary argument hinges on the idea that the DXP category was built on a flawed premise—that customers wanted a one-stop shop for digital solutions. Instead, according to the Pantheon Head, the market evolved in the opposite direction, favouring highly composable stacks rather than monolithic DXPs.

Monolithic DXPs may be in decline, but the idea that the entire DXP model is failing is outrageous, says Dominique. He cites market data to back up his argument:

“All the research I can find, independent research, indicates that the DXP market is growing with 16% every year and will reach $41 billion.” (DXP Market is growing)

He also challenges the notion that the rise of martech tools and AI-driven solutions invalidates the need for DXPs. Instead, he argues that these trends reinforce the need for a flexible, open-source DXP that can integrate and evolve alongside new technologies.

“Maybe the monolithic part of the DXP market is crumbling. I can believe that, yeah. But specify that it's that part of the market, not the whole category.”  

While acknowledging that some large proprietary DXPs have struggled, he argues that their challenges stem not from the failure of DXPs as a concept but from their inflexible, closed nature. OpenDXP, in contrast, leverages modularity, AI, and personalization to remain competitive and adaptable.

 “You can go full composable and cherry-pick every best platform for everyone, but then you need to know everything. You need to maintain everything. On the other side, if you buy a monolithic DXP, you might get locked in, face high licensing costs, or risk obsolescence. OpenDXP strikes a balance.”  

OpenDXP offers a balanced approach by ensuring that users are not locked into a rigid ecosystem while still benefiting from structured packaging that reduces complexity without limiting customization. It leverages AI-driven personalization to make digital experiences more relevant in a data-driven landscape. Additionally, it caters to SMEs by providing pre-packaged solutions that maintain flexibility, allowing smaller teams to scale efficiently without the burden of excessive technical overhead.

AI plays a pivotal role in modern OpenDXP solutions, ensuring real-time segmentation, adaptive user journeys, and automation of routine DevOps and content production tasks. AI-driven DXPs allow mid-sized businesses to achieve enterprise-level personalization and efficiency without requiring large, dedicated teams.

Dominique also addresses the risks associated with DIY DXPs, where organizations attempt to build fully custom digital experience platforms by integrating various independent tools. While composable stacks offer flexibility, he cautioned that DIY approaches can introduce significant complexity, maintenance burdens, and technical debt.  

“DIYing DXPs... yeah, it's a risk.”  

Without structured packaging or pre-integrated solutions, businesses may struggle with fragmented user experiences, inconsistent updates, and high operational overhead. He argues that OpenDXP provides a structured yet flexible alternative, allowing companies to benefit from pre-packaged integrations while maintaining the ability to customize their tech stack.  

"You might end up with something like this if you do your DIY DXP starting from an unpackaged composable stack. So, for all these approaches, there's something to say."  

For Dominique, the key takeaway is balance—while some enterprises may have the expertise to maintain a fully composable stack, most organizations benefit from a hybrid approach that blends flexibility with efficiency.

Acquia, Pantheon, and the Contribution Debate

A significant point of contention in this debate has been Josh’s claim that Acquia is a risk factor for Drupal. He argues that Acquia followed the flawed DXP strategy, has struggled to gain traction with its premium offerings, and is now in a difficult position.

Dominique finds this framing problematic, noting that Acquia remains one of the biggest contributors to Drupal and has invested significantly in its development:

“Calling the biggest contributor a risk factor? That’s a bit heavy. No credible data is backing up this claim.”

He also draws attention to the contribution gap between companies like Acquia and Pantheon. While Pantheon sponsors Drupal events, Dominique points out that its direct contributions to Drupal’s development have been minimal:

“DropSolid is not even a 10-million turnover company, and we are a Diamond sponsor at DrupalCon. We contribute beyond our weight. Why is Pantheon not innovating, investing, and contributing? I want that question answered.”  

He believes that Pantheon has the resources to contribute at a higher level and could play a much larger role in Drupal’s evolution if it chose to invest more in the community.

"And for me, I think Pantheon and Josh, owe Drupal CMS and OpenDXP and Acquia an apology!"

sharply remarks Dominique.

The Future of Drupal: Can Composable and DXP Coexist?

While Josh advocates for Drupal moving away from DXP, Dominique strongly believes that both models—DXP and composable stacks—can coexist and strengthen Drupal’s market position.

“Why does it have to be mutually exclusive? Why do we have to be a slave to the tyranny of ‘or’ when we can be geniuses of ‘and’?”

He emphasizes that different businesses have different needs:

• For some, a fully composable stack is ideal.
• For others, a monolithic DXP works best.
• For many, a hybrid OpenDXP approach provides the right balance.

This flexibility, according to Dominique, is what makes Drupal powerful. AI-driven personalization, open-source integrations, and pre-packaged solutions can work together without limiting composability.

“Drupal CMS can be a composable stack, a CMS, or a DXP. What matters is whether it delivers value to customers. The name doesn’t matter; the outcome does.”  

A Call for Dialogue and Collaboration

Dominique expressed a willingness to engage in an open discussion with Josh and Pantheon to find common ground:

“I’d love to talk to Josh and Pantheon in a panel... Maybe we can even invite other people from agencies and platform companies to see what they think and have a more balanced approach.”  

Ultimately, he believes that rather than dividing the community, the focus should be on collaboration and innovation.

“Especially now, I don’t think it’s the time to start creating divisions in the community. Whatever happens, I think we should stay one.”  

R.I.P DXP or NOT?

The debate over DXPs is far from settled. While some argue that the traditional, monolithic DXP model is failing in the face of composable stacks, others believe that DXPs are evolving into more flexible, AI-driven, and open solutions. The market for digital experiences continues to grow, and businesses still seek ways to streamline personalization, content management, and user engagement. Whether the future belongs to fully composable stacks, open DXPs, or a hybrid approach remains to be seen. As Drupal and the broader web ecosystem navigate this shift, the question remains: Is it truly the end of DXPs, or are we witnessing their transformation?

However, Dominique's final message to the Drupal community is one of unity:

Additional Read:

• Dropsolid Diaries 2023: Becoming the global open digital experience company
• From Craftsmanship to Innovation: Why Drupal’s Future Lies in AI driven Open DXP
• How AI will transform Agencies and IT-serivces
• How AI, DXP, and composable stacks are shaping the digital future
• Why open DXP with AI is the best of both worlds between composable stacks and monolithic DXPs