About DXP Catalyst
DXP Catalyst was founded in October 2023 and is based in New York City's West Village. The firm was built around a simple belief: that platform selection advice should be shaped entirely by what is right for the client, not by any other agenda.
Our founder, Dan Drapeau, spent over a decade at large consultancies and boutique agencies before founding DXP Catalyst. That experience shaped a clear point of view on how this work should be done and what an independent advisory firm could look like if it was built from the ground up around that principle.
DXP advisory is the core of what we do. A digital experience platform (DXP) is the ecosystem of tools and technologies that power how organizations create, manage, and deliver modern, AI enabled digital experiences across channels. For DXP engagements, we provide advisory services only and never implement or build on the platforms we recommend, so our advice is never shaped by an incentive to win the next phase of work.
Our Approach
Every engagement starts with understanding where the client is: what is working, what is holding them back, and what the business actually needs from its technology. From there the work is shaped around the situation.
For platform advisory work, engagements are guided by a framework called Digital Blueprint Design, moving from ecosystem assessment through platform selection to architecture and roadmap. In practice engagements rarely follow a straight line and the methodology gets adapted to fit the context, whether that means a structured evaluation, a parallel two-track assessment across composable and suite-based options, or something else entirely.
We maintain our own knowledge base and stay in direct contact with every major DXP vendor, tracking their products and roadmaps independently. Dan is a recognized analyst within the global CMS Experts community, connecting him to vendors, practitioners, and analysts across the industry.
Why work with us
We evaluate across the full spectrum of DXP approaches
From suite-based platforms to composable ecosystems and the various hybrid models that sit in between, helping clients understand the tradeoffs of each given their specific situation.
We adapt the methodology to fit the engagement
No two platform decisions are the same and we do not treat them as if they are.
We bring direct vendor relationships and an independent knowledge base
We stay directly connected to vendors across the ecosystem, giving us firsthand visibility into product roadmaps and platform direction rather than relying on secondhand research.
We bring engineering and architecture depth, not just methodology
Our background spans software engineering and technical and solution architecture across DXP platforms, so our recommendations are grounded in how these systems actually get built, not just process or market research.
Leadership
Dan Drapeau
Managing Director, Principal Consultant
With over 19 years of experience in digital experience technology, content & commerce, solution architecture, software engineering, and AI, Dan has the breadth and depth of experience to understand client's businesses and recommend the right technology solutions and provide an actionable plan.
Before founding DXP Catalyst in 2023, Dan spent the prior decade at top digital agencies and global consultancies. His work spans a wide range of industries, with deep expertise in content management, digital commerce, and martech ecosystems. Today, Dan leads DXP Catalyst with a mission to help organizations modernize their martech ecosystems and fully leverage their digital platforms. His focus is on platform strategy, solution architecture, and roadmap development, delivered with the pragmatism of an engineer and architect and the perspective of a trusted advisor.