Clibu, open beta

Posted by Dr Andus
Nov 28, 2014 at 02:12 PM

Daly de Gagne wrote:
>Given what we’re seeing from EN, and the number of similar start-ups…

The big issue in this market seems to me how a developer balances the need to satisfy “power users” (who use the app constantly, need sophisticated features, deal with huge amount of data) and “light users” of the mass market who provide it with revenue.

The problem seems to be that the segment of “power users” is either too small for this kind of software to sustain the business or that there are marketing difficulties to reach them (marketing is too expensive or developer lacks marketing skills or is too busy developing).

I’m not convinced Evernote is a good model. I’ve stopped using it as soon as they started dumbing down, and I’ve seen lots of power users complaining about having been abandoned, and the ones that stayed seem to be complaining regularly (see the Evernote forum link in the other thread). It seems to me that Evernote has gone too far in chasing the “light user” dollar.

Maybe software developers could learn from gyms. A gym can have sophisticated equipment for power users, and it looks good for them when power users are around, showing off the use and benefits of the equipment. At the same time large enough amount of light users (and paying non-users) are constantly being recruited, who can use the sophisticated equipment in a “light user” way, and support the business with their membership. So there is a compromise that suits everyone.

Of course if light users overrun the gym to the extent that power users can’t use the equipment, then they go elsewhere, and the gym may suffer as a result, having lost its most loyal customers who draw in—and are role models for—new members.

Although software developers have the advantage that is fairly easy for them to create two (or more) different gyms, separated by a glass wall, for light, intermediate, pro, ultimate etc. users.