EASD Senior Vice President Francesco Giorgino guides through this Feature episode, shedding light on heterogeneity in diabetes. First, Diabetologia editor-in-chief Hindrik Mulder addresses different forms of T1D and their implications for future therapeutic approaches. Then, Shivani Misra discusses the nuances to consider in people living with T2D, with a particular focus on complications. She also provides an outlook on developing future sophisticated treatment approaches. Ronald CW Ma discusses differences of therapeutic responses observed in people with T2D in Europe that were mirrored in the population of the Hong Kong Diabetes Register.