Overview

When Coupa acquired Llamasoft during the COVID-19 pandemic, it marked the culmination of an extraordinary period of growth and transformation. The acquisition was valued at approximately $1.5 billion—roughly twice Llamasoft's asking price.

The work we had done to strengthen the Llamasoft brand and customer experience, including the successful transformation of our user conference into a virtual event, had helped demonstrate the company's ability to adapt, innovate, and connect with its customers during an unprecedented time.

Of the Llamasoft employees, fewer than 10% were retained through the acquisition. I was one of them.

The Opportunity

The acquisition created an opportunity to bring Llamasoft's supply chain expertise into one of the world's leading business spend management platforms.

For me, it also meant stepping into a much larger organization and bringing the experience I'd developed at Llamasoft into a new environment.

My value had evolved beyond simply producing design. I had become a creative partner who could connect brand, product, marketing, technology, and business strategy—and help teams move together toward a common goal.

My Role

As part of the small group of Llamasoft employees retained by Coupa, I continued to contribute my experience in design, creative leadership, product thinking, and communication.

My work included:

• Supporting the integration of Llamasoft's brand and experiences into Coupa

• Bringing Llamasoft's supply chain story to a broader enterprise audience

• Developing marketing and product communications

• Creating executive presentations and strategic storytelling

• Collaborating across design, marketing, product, and leadership teams

• Helping translate complex technology into clear, compelling experiences

The role reinforced something I'd learned throughout my career: the further design moves upstream, the more influence it can have.

Results & Impact

The acquisition was a significant milestone for Llamasoft and its employees.

• $1.5B acquisition

• Deal valued at approximately 2× the original asking price

• Fewer than 10% of employees retained

• Continued my role through the transition to Coupa

• Helped carry Llamasoft's brand, customer experience, and product story into a larger enterprise organization

Perhaps the most meaningful result for me was being among those retained.

It was a powerful validation that the role I'd developed wasn't simply about making things look good. Experience, strategic thinking, and the ability to connect people and ideas had become part of the value I brought to the organization.

Looking Back

The Llamasoft-to-Coupa transition reinforced one of the most important lessons of my career: great design becomes more valuable when it connects people, technology, and business strategy.

Today, AI can dramatically accelerate that connection—from researching markets and synthesizing information to exploring concepts, developing presentations, and prototyping new experiences.

But AI doesn't replace the experience required to understand the bigger picture.

It gives experienced designers another way to influence it.