Most companies don’t implement CPQ because they want to.

They implement CPQ because something is broken.

Quoting is slow.
Discounting is chaotic.
Subscription renewals are messy.
Sales is frustrated.
Finance doesn’t trust the data.

And yet — despite the urgency — many CPQ implementations still fail.

Why?

In a recent episode of Beta to Billions, Vendori founder Ethan Garonzik joined hosts Adam Beebe and Gabriella Orazio, alongside Zapier’s Brad Smith, for a candid conversation about why CPQ implementations fail — and what modern SaaS companies consistently underestimate when evaluating quoting platforms.

The conversation covered subscription complexity, pricing governance, AI guardrails, and the real reason most CPQ rollouts stall after launch.

👉 Watch the full interview here.

Before diving into the full breakdown, here’s the short answer.

Why CPQ Implementations Fail (Quick Summary)

Most CPQ implementations fail because:

1. The system is optimized for administrators, not sales reps.

2. Pricing and packaging changes require code or consultants.

3. Subscription lifecycle complexity isn’t handled natively.

4. CRM integration creates friction instead of removing it.

5. AI is layered in without deterministic guardrails.

6. Implementation timelines ignore internal pricing ambiguity.

Now let’s unpack what the podcast revealed about each one.

“Vendori Was Born From Frustration”

One of the first things Ethan said in the interview: “Vendori was born from frustration.”

Not frustration with quoting. Frustration with how CPQ gets implemented.

His background spans finance, pricing, operations, and enterprise software. His team had built and deployed CPQ solutions for years before starting Vendori.

What they kept seeing:

• Long implementations

• Static systems

• Tools coded 20+ years ago

• Systems that couldn’t evolve when business models changed

The real problem wasn’t that companies didn’t need CPQ.

The problem was that most CPQ systems were frozen in time.

And SaaS businesses don’t stand still.

Why CPQ Implementations Fail: 6 Real Reasons

Here’s how the podcast conversation breaks it down.

1. CPQ Is Built for RevOps, But Used by Sales

Ethan said something subtle but important:

“CPQ is usually designed and sold to RevOps geeks… but 95% of usage is sales reps.”

As Ethan explained, CPQ shouldn’t feel like a burden, but too often teams associate it with long implementations, rigid workflows, and unnecessary complexity.

That mismatch is the root cause of many failed implementations.

If the system prioritizes:

• Data purity

• Configuration complexity

• Admin logic

…but ignores rep usability, adoption suffers.

Sales doesn’t hate structure.

Sales hates friction.

When a deal becomes slightly non-standard and the system pushes them back into Excel, you’ve already lost.

2. Legacy CPQ Is Too Rigid for Modern SaaS

During the demo, the hosts reacted immediately to the drag-and-drop quote canvas.

Why? Because most CPQs are form-based and rigid.

Modern SaaS complexity includes:

• Multi-year ramp deals

• Co-terming

• Midterm expansions

• Extensions

• Subscription amendments

• Hybrid subscription + usage pricing

Legacy CPQ was not built for this level of fluid subscription motion.

And when you try to force it to handle it, implementation timelines balloon.

3. Pricing Changes Require Consultants

One of the strongest positioning moments in the interview:

Vendori doesn’t call it “implementation.”
They call it configuration.

Why? Because traditional CPQ implementations often mean:

• Consultants

• Custom code

• Time & materials billing

• Risk every time pricing changes

Ethan shared his experience running global pricing at Citrix, where pricing complexity spiraled into thousands of SKUs due to system limitations.

The lesson:

If your CPQ requires code every time pricing evolves, your implementation is already fragile.

4. Subscription Lifecycle Is an Afterthought

The demo walked through:

• Ramp deals

• Expansion + extension tracking

• Automated co-terming

• Renewal opportunity creation

These aren’t “advanced features.”

They’re table stakes for SaaS.

If your CPQ cannot:

• Distinguish net-new vs expansion

• Handle proration cleanly

• Automatically adjust renewals

• Track subscription amendments

You’ll rebuild subscription logic elsewhere.

That’s how CPQ implementations quietly fail months after launch.

5. AI Without Guardrails Is Dangerous

One of the most interesting parts of the conversation was the AI discussion.

Brad asked about determinism vs inference.

Ethan referenced a Wall Street Journal story about an AI-enabled vending machine that went off the rails when given full control.

The takeaway:

Finance systems need deterministic guardrails.

AI can sit above the rules — not replace them.

Modern CPQ must:

• Enforce pricing logic

• Apply discount rules

• Maintain governance

AI can help with:

• Intelligent approvals

• Contract parsing

• Insights on structured deal data

But pricing cannot become probabilistic.

This is a critical nuance many “AI CPQ” tools gloss over.

6. Implementation Speed Depends on Clarity

In the interview, Ethan addressed the “48 hours vs two weeks” go-live claim.

The bottleneck isn’t always the software.

It’s usually:

• Messy subscription data

• Undefined pricing rules

• Poor alignment between Sales and Finance

• Custom logic nobody documented

CPQ implementation failure often starts with internal ambiguity.

Modern CPQ doesn’t eliminate complexity.

It makes it configurable — if your strategy is clear.

The Control + Velocity Framework

Throughout the episode, Ethan kept coming back to two words:

Control.
Velocity.

If you optimize only for control:

• Sales slows down.

• Workarounds appear.

If you optimize only for velocity:

• Finance loses trust.

• Margins erode.

CPQ implementations fail when they choose one over the other.

Modern CPQ for SaaS must do both.

How to Know If Your CPQ Implementation Is Failing

Ask your team:

• Do reps avoid the system for complex deals?

• Do pricing changes require outside help?

• Are renewals still manual?

• Is subscription reporting inconsistent?

• Do midterm amendments create chaos?

If yes, your CPQ isn’t broken. Your implementation model is.

Watch the Full Conversation

This article captures the highlights, but the live demo and discussion provide much more depth around:

• Salesforce and HubSpot integrations

• Subscription ledger management

• Deal rooms and e-signature flow

• Deterministic pricing vs AI overlays

• Real-world SaaS quoting complexity

Be sure to watch the full Beta to Billions episode here. 

If you’re evaluating CPQ software, here are answers to the most common implementation questions revenue leaders ask.

Frequently Asked Questions About CPQ Implementation

Why do CPQ implementations fail?
CPQ implementations fail when systems are rigid, hard to modify, and not optimized for SaaS subscription complexity or sales adoption.

How long should CPQ implementation take?
Modern CPQ platforms can go live in weeks if pricing rules and subscription data are clearly defined. Delays usually stem from internal ambiguity, not software limitations.

What is the biggest CPQ implementation mistake?
Choosing a system that requires custom code or consultants for routine pricing and packaging changes.

Is Salesforce CPQ hard to implement?
Salesforce CPQ can be powerful but often requires significant configuration, customization, and ongoing technical support — especially for subscription-heavy SaaS models.