Disrupting the Atlassian Marketplace: A Conversation with Jack from Capable

Disrupting the Atlassian Marketplace: A Conversation with Jack from Capable

Meet Jack, CEO of Capable, and discover how his all-in-one Confluence suite, AI vision, and disruptive mindset are reshaping the Atlassian Marketplace!

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Every now and then, a fresh perspective pops up in the Atlassian Marketplace, challenging how we think about productivity, collaboration, and the very nature of work. Jack, the CEO and founder of Capable, is that kind of disruptive force someone who’s seen it all, from massive consulting projects for global banks to leading development on hugely popular Atlassian apps. Recently, he sat down with Björn for a candid conversation about entrepreneurship, product design, and what it means to truly innovate in an ever-evolving ecosystem.


From Consultant to Product Innovator

Jack’s journey started in consulting. Before he ever launched apps, he was deep in the trenches, helping major organizations like HSBC, Dyson, and Santander customize their Atlassian tools. He saw firsthand the messy, time-consuming problems that teams encounter when scaling projects or migrating data. When he finally switched from consultant to developer, he brought along a very practical mindset:

“Seeing a real pain point and building a specific solution is the best way to validate your idea.
If it works for you, it likely works for others.”

That initial spark led Jack to build a popular clean-up and maintenance tool for Jira. In just a few months, it soared to a million dollars in annual revenue. As his user base grew, so did his team. But scaling from a one-person show to a 15-member group inevitably changed the rules of the game.

Making the Leap to Big Tech—and Back

After proving himself as a successful product founder, Jack did something unexpected: he joined Adaptivist, one of the largest Atlassian-focused companies. It was a far cry from the lean startup vibe he was used to—suddenly he was managing big, established software, dealing with hundreds of team members scattered across various time zones, and following processes designed for thousands of employees.

While he appreciated Adaptivist’s scope, he missed the thrill of big-picture problem solving. He loved talking to customers, identifying their real needs, and coding up a brand-new solution from scratch—something you can’t always do in a massive organization with well-defined product boundaries.

Enter Capable: The All-in-One Confluence Suite

That itch for innovation drove Jack to found Capable, an app suite for Confluence Cloud that aims to be a one-stop shop for functionalities teams typically install multiple apps to achieve. Whether it’s approvals, scheduling, diagrams, or custom macros, Capable wraps them all in a unified interface:

“People suffer from what I call ‘app fatigue.’ They might install five or six apps just to cover
standard collaboration gaps in Confluence. Each has its own learning curve, UI, and price.
Capable solves that by consolidating everything into one consistent user experience.”

A Modular Approach

Interestingly, Capable is not just a single monolithic app. It also offers standalone features for teams that only want specific functionalities. Yet behind the scenes, it’s powered by one codebase—no duplication of effort or patchwork updates. This unified development approach lets Capable stay nimble while still supporting both a suite-style offering and individual features.

Bringing Your Own Disruption

When asked why he chose the word “disruption” for the conversation theme, Jack didn’t mince words. The Atlassian Marketplace is saturated—over tausend apps and counting. Many do similar things. In a space that crowded, how can you stand out?

“If you’re not actively challenging the status quo – whether it’s simplifying how apps are bundled
or leveraging AI in ways no one has thought of you’re going to disappear into the noise.”

AI: A Game-Changer or Just Hype?

A big part of disruption today revolves around AI. Jack and Björn discussed whether AI could replace entire categories of apps. The consensus? AI can lower costs and automate mundane tasks, but it’s still not a magic bullet for collaborative, specialized workflows. Instead, the future likely belongs to “expert systems” that integrate AI in smart, specific ways.

Building a Distributed Team Across Time Zones

If you’ve ever tried to schedule a meeting with a developer in Japan, a designer in Germany, and a manager in the US, you know it can be a challenge. Jack’s developer relocated to Japan, forcing him to rethink processes. Instead of imposing a rigid 9-to-5 in one time zone, Jack embraced asynchronous collaboration:

  • Clear, concise daily standups: Team members prepare brief bullet points about what they’ve done, what’s next, and any blockers.

  • Document everything: From meeting minutes to quick announcements, writing it down ensures no one is left out if they’re asleep in another time zone.

  • One real-time meeting a week: While asynchronous is great, Jack still believes in at least one all-hands call if only to combat isolation and keep a sense of team camaraderie.


Looking to the Future: Partners & Growth

Jack’s upcoming challenge? Building out Capable’s partner network. With the product now stable and the user base growing, the next logical step is to work with Atlassian solution partners:

“If we want to reach more teams, we have to go where they already get help—solution partners.
But it’s not just about offering discounts; it’s about real enablement. We have to show them
the use cases, the customer stories, the success metrics.”

In a year’s time, Jack hopes Capable will reach the “magic thousand”—1,000 instances installed. Why that milestone? Because in the Atlassian Marketplace, a four-digit install count signals trust and viability.


Key Takeaways

  1. Authentic Problems Drive Successful Products
    Being in the trenches as a consultant gave Jack insight into real-world issues—and that’s how he built solutions people actually need.

  2. One Codebase, Multiple Solutions
    A modular approach doesn’t have to mean multiple, disjointed apps. By consolidating code, Capable maintains a high development velocity and consistent user experience.

  3. Distributed Teams Require Intentional Processes
    Asynchronous workflows, clear documentation, and a weekly check-in help avoid burnout and build rapport across time zones.

  4. The Importance of Disruption
    Whether it’s app bundling, AI integration, or partner strategies, real innovation means challenging established norms and focusing relentlessly on customer value.

  5. Growth Through Partnerships
    Solution partners are a powerful way to scale up. But success requires real collaboration and readiness to show them exactly how an app can solve customer pain points.


Final Thoughts

The conversation with Jack underscores the reality of today’s Atlassian marketplace:
it’s crowded, evolving rapidly with AI, and leaving little room for “me-too” products.
By offering a comprehensive, easy-to-use suite and focusing on true innovation,
Capable sets itself apart. Jack’s journey from small startup to million-dollar success—and
then from a global tech company back to founding his own new venture—is a testament
to the power of staying close to the customer and never losing that builder’s mindset.

If you’re a solution partner looking to simplify your Confluence experience, or a team
that’s struggling with “app fatigue,” Capable might just be the disruptive force you need.
Keep an eye out as they forge partnerships, empower remote teams, and strive toward
that thousand-install milestone—one approval, diagram, or carefully documented standup
at a time.

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